For the best views of Brum’s very own chocolate factory, arrive by train (13 minutes from New Street), and take a deep breath. During our favourite part of the factory’s chocolate production cycle, a sweet haze envelopes the red-brick, old-world Bournville village. Designed and built for the workers of what was the centre of England’s chocolate empire, it is the main subject of Cadbury World.
Amble across a series of cartoon-led areas that include a history of cocoa, a 4D cinema and the gentlest of rides through Cadbury’s chocolate wonderland, courtesy of a self-styled ‘Beanmobile’. Stand agog in the fast-paced packing area – we’ve never seen so much chocolate in one place. Then have your Willy Wonka experience in the demonstration area (yes molten chocolate is involved; yes you get to eat it). And if all that isn’t quite enough to satiate your sweet cravings, the world’s biggest Cadbury store awaits, boasting concoctions unavailable anywhere else.
Regularly fully booked weeks in advance, it’s best to order tickets online for discounts and to guarantee entry. Cadbury World is suitable for all ages, though recent additions have made the attraction more kiddy-focused than ever before so don’t expect anything akin to a grown-up experience.