7 replies to this topic

[Mystic]

One very popular destination for many people visiting Tasmania over the past 50 years has been the tour of the famous Cadbury chocolate factory, getting up close and personal with tonnes of yummy chocolate.

Cadbury's announced a couple of days ago that the tours would no longer operate due to fears over potential health and safety risks.

Their media release states that visitors can still purchase discounted chocolate at the factory store and receive a talk from one of the previous guides. Not quite the same thing.

If you had been planning a tour of the factory, you just gained some free time to spend exploring more of our wonderful natural attractions instead. I understand the tours have already been stopped.

[Bayboy]

It's a shame but hopefully they can create something else for people as it was very good with the tourists from interstate.

[Shane V]

I wonder how long Cascade has got for it's tours????

[tassiesim]

oh well to be honest I am not surprised a big OH&S logistics nightmare those tours are , still lets hope they set up a good replacement for people wanting to see where milk chocolate gold is made gold is ,

I went there earlier this year with friends from NSW and i must admit although very yummy etc its not as good as a tour i did a few years back again with friends from the mainland ,

There is a lot they can do to still make a dollar from it with out the tour guide thing happening no doubt the marketing guys will come up with a interesting new tourism concept soon enough.

[johnw]

What a bummer! Better not tell my wife, she'll be mortified. We did the Cadbury tour on our first Tassie visit of recent years, back around March 2005. I remember driving out there from Battery Point in peak hour traffic to just be there on time. We ate a lot of chocolate - they seemed to offer some every time we stopped to look at something. Those tours were very popular, from memory we had to book well in advance of leaving Sydney. It's a pity but I can understand their OH&S concerns these days.

[bandi]

We tried to book on a tour in March 2008 (just before the announcement apparently) and were told that the tour was closed for factory maintanence. Perhaps not?

Funny thing was the women who answered the phone said they had a different tour we could do which cost the same, but involved going to the factory, watching a DVD and then going to the factory shop. Didn't seem quite the same

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

We tried to book on a tour in March 2008 (just before the announcement apparently) and were told that the tour was closed for factory maintanence. Perhaps not?

Funny thing was the women who answered the phone said they had a different tour we could do which cost the same, but involved going to the factory, watching a DVD and then going to the factory shop. Didn't seem quite the same

My darling wife who supports my photography addiction (umm, I mean, hobby) works at Cadbury. If I am recalling correctly the company experienced a salmonella problem a couple of years ago in one of their overseas plants (UK?) which may have been related to visits to the installation. Because Cadbury take their product quality control and consumer safety very seriously (in my opinion anyway) this I believe played a large part in their decision to cease the practice of taking groups through the produciton areas at Claremont, and their other sites - it wasn't just a local decision at Claremont. It's a shame, because, not surprisingly I've been on a few, plus a couple of staff family days through areas that were off limits to the public tours and I always enjoyed them, and no, the trip to the visitor shop and DVD session are not the same, but there you go. At least you can still stock up on lots of cheap chocolate at the shop.

Of course one of the perks of having an employee in the family is that she can bring home cheap shop choccie whenever she likes at staff prices. . .which reminds me, actually, she brought some home last night!!!
Cheers,
Brett

[bandi]

Thanks for the background info Brett. In this day and age you simply can't be too careful I guess!