Cadbury adds weight to profits

Chocolate-to-drinks giant Cadbury Schweppes announced its biggest sales growth in over a decade as it benefited from growth in new markets today.

The company behind Dairy Milk, which has its UK base at Bournville near Birmingham, saw revenues grow 6.3% to £6.51bn (€9.5bn) in 2005. Underlying pre-tax profits for the year rose 12% to £873m (€1.27bn).

UK revenues lifted by only 2% – though UK sales of the premium Green & Blacks organic chocolate range it bought in May 2005 improved 49%.

It said the sale of its European drinks business and a string of non-core brands left it confident of a strong 2006.