15 February,2011 09:11 AM IST | | Dhamini Ratnam
Think chocolate and, Cadbury comes to the mind, almost instantly. February 17, 1867 was when William Cadbury founded his world-famous chocolate company that changed the way we ate our chocolate. Here's a glimpse into how this empire expanded; plus where to get your choco fix in the city
Chocolate Wars. From Cadbury to Kraft: 200 Years of Sweet Success and Bitter Rivalries by Deborah Cadbury is both, a personal and an academic work. A member of the famous family whose surname is for many a synonym for chocolate, Cadbury revisits Bournville Village -- a township created by the founders of the Cadbury empire for their workers in 1880 -- and decides to "uncover the whole story".
The Cadbury chocolate factory is pictured in Birmingham, central England,
on September 7, 2009. US giant Kraft Foods on Monday launched a 10.2
billion pound (16.7 billion dollar, 11.7 billion euro) takeover bid for
Cadbury but the British confectionery maker rejected the offer, saying it
was too low. Kraft said it hoped Cadbury, whose share price surged more
than a third in value following the bid announcement, would eventually
come round as the US company looks to increase annual revenues to 50
billion dollars a year. PIC/AFP
The book starts from the Quaker grand patriarch, the "far sighted" Richard Tapper Cadbury, who sends his youngest born to London to study the wondrous new plant, Cocoa. His grandsons George and Richard Cadbury make an empire of the struggling business. How they do it, and the ideals with which they set up their company, makes for an interestingly told history lesson. The conflict between the Quaker values of moderation and the enormous wealth the brothers create in their lifetime, the work ethics that led the brothers to fight for the abolition of slavery in the same plantations in which their cocoa beans were being produced, the creation of Bournville Village for their workers who lived in deplorable 19th century slums, and the true spirit of competitive innovation that led the Cadburys, Frys, Hersheys, Nestl ufffds and Lindts to make super smooth chocolates after several failed attempts at making anything edible out of cocoa beyond drinking powder -- the book weaves its tale through various threads.
Many previously unknown facts emerge: Before they made chocolates, Cadbury was a drinking powder brand. But the business was in shambles when the grandsons took over. They poured in money to try and create a technology that would mix the powder well with milk -- till then it made an odd brownish coagulation that didn't look or taste very good -- but sales were at an all-time low. It was only a few decades after they took over that they found a machine that made their powder super-smooth. Then, they put in the last of their pounds in what was to be the first advertising campaign by any chocolatier. In 1867, Cadbury launched their first slogan: Absolutely Pure, Therefore Best, plastered across shop windows, newspapers and omnibuses.
The premise of this book is clear: Cadbury draws a distinction between business practices of her forefathers and present-day businessmen. Perhaps, she's also referring to Kraft that took over Cadbury around this time last year, and the unions who fought the takeover tooth and nail. In the end, you are left with an author whose awe for the puritanical certitude and moralistic business sense of 18th century Quakers can't be mistaken.
Pick this up: Besides the passages describing the making of chocolate, the cunning and innovation of early chocolate makers make for an interesting read. Chuck it: If you really don't want to read how puritanical severity is a virtue.
Chocolate Wars. From Cadbury to Kraft: 200 years of Sweet Success and Bitter Rivalry, Deborah Cadbury, HarperCollins. Rs 399. Available online on Flipkart and at leading bookstores
