Cadbury loses royal warrant after 170 years

Cadbury was granted its first royal warrant under Queen Victoria in 1854, but has been dropped from the list of royal warrants, as has another FMCG giant, Unilever.

The Birmingham-based chocolatier was awarded its first royal warrant as chocolate and cocoa manufacturers by Queen Victoria in 1854, but it has lost its royal endorsement under King Charles.

Mondelez International, the American parent company of Cadbury, expressed disappointment at losing the royal warrant.

King Charles has awarded royal warrants to 386 businesses that previously held endorsements from Queen Elizabeth II, including notable names like John Lewis, Heinz, and Nestle.

Royal warrants, which can be granted for a maximum of five years, signify that a company provides goods or services to the royal family.

Newly appointed warrant holders include a variety of food and beverage companies, such as Moet and Chandon, Weetabix, and chocolate producers Bendicks and Prestat.

Companies with a royal warrant are permitted to display the royal coat of arms on their packaging, advertisements, and stationery.

Earlier this year, the King was called upon by the campaign group B4Ukraine to revoke warrants from firms still conducting business in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, specifically mentioning Mondelez and Unilever, which has also lost its endorsement. Unilever has since divested its Russian subsidiary.

“Whilst we are disappointed to be one of hundreds of other businesses and brands in the UK to not have a new warrant awarded, we are proud to have previously held one, and we fully respect the decision.” a Mondelez spokesperson said.

Professor David Bailey from Birmingham Business School noted that losing the warrant would impact Cadbury’s costs, as the brand would need to remove it from all its packaging.

He described the royal warrant as a “seal of approval” that could yield significant advantages for the UK economy.

In an interview with BBC Radio WM, Professor Bailey emphasised the benefits of royal endorsement for British businesses, stating, “What is a royal warrant for, if it isn’t to help British jobs and British production?”

Cadbury recently marked its 200th anniversary after founder John Cadbury opened a grocery store specialising in cocoa and drinking chocolate in Birmingham on March 4, 1824. The company grew under the leadership of his sons and established the Bournville factory, which became the largest cocoa manufacturer globally.

In a controversial move, Kraft acquired the brand in 2010, and Cadbury was integrated into the Mondelez division in 2012.

Source: BBC