G’day all,
We travelled to Hobart’s Cadbury Chocolate Factory today in Claremont, Hobart. Usually it costs $17.50 for a family to get in for a look, but today we were in luck…or were we. Management has decided to try a new tour of the factory out and so were offering free admission.
Unfortunately I have to say right from the front that the whole Cadbury Factory tour is a load of rubbish. Yes there is some chocolate tasting, yes you get to learn some history of the factory and Cadbury (probably the best part), yes you get to buy discount chocolate (but only seconds) and no you don’t actually get to tour the factory due to health regulations…apparently. So if you were paying $17.50 you would feel ripped off…in fact a staff member we got talking to stated that management had received a whole swag of complaints.
So what happens to a trip to Cadbury. You are welcomed through the door and get to pick a mini bar of chocolate (this is when they would also take your hard earned cash off of you). Through the door you go and into a room with a few pictures, old photos and chocolate memorabillia. There is a small chocolate making demonstration and a 3 piece bar of diary milk chocolate for the lucky onlookers. Here you are then herded into a room where you watch a 6 minute video on Mr Cadbury and the factory. I found the video informative but nothing special. Following the video is a 5 minute Q & A session and then off you go to the staff canteen and shop area. It was here I thought the real tour or adventure would begin…but oh what a disappointment, your journey sadly and abruptly ends. Alas you can taste a very, very small amount of diary, dark and milk chocolate and then buy some food from the staff canteen, a hot chocolate for $4 or go to the chocolate shop. Ouch, I was expecting windows where I could watch chocolate being made or something else…anything else…please…c’mon Cadbury, what a shame!
At the chocolate shop you get to buy a whole range of chocolate at the same price that you would pay in a supermarket (when on special) and factory seconds or almost out of date chocolate for really good prices. The chocolate shop is however a little disappointing and could be made a whole lot more exciting.
What should they do? At least allow you to taste all of the different varieties of chocolate they sell, make some kind of tour and perhaps invent some way of seeing at least some of the working factory. A chocolate factory conjours up excitement, delicious choclate, mystery and adventure…yes maybe I watched Charlie & The Chocolate Factory too many times as a kid, but gees this place is boring. Hey, a good judge is the kids and when kids walk away from a chocolate factory bored and plain annoyed that their parents took them there it speaks volumes…shame on you Cadbury, kids should have an experience. Even McDonalds provides kids with a better experience and all they sell is junk food.
Don’t feel obliged, give it a miss and save $17.50
Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia
Tags: 4WD, 4WDing, 4x4, Bushman, Bushman Bud, Cadbury Chocolate Factory, Chocolate Factory, Claremont, day trip, hobart, Tasmania
Well Cadburys has gone to the pack since they cancelled the tours of the factory but there are other things in Tasmania than the chocolate factory that are more interesting Port Arthur tahune walk so i will keep track of ur blog
Nice blog. I just bookmarked you on my bloglines.
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Next time you should condense your post, try to leave out the parts that people skip.
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How things have changed. When I was a lot younger we visited Cadburys and it was just as you would like a trip to be. A conducted tour around the workings and lots of freebies as you went. Bring it back I say!!
nice post. thanks.
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!