Kraft reverses pledge to keep UK Cadbury factory open

Food giant Kraft today signalled the loss of up to 400 jobs in the UK by announcing the closure of a Cadbury factory – despite earlier promises to keep it open.

The US firm said it was “unrealistic” to reverse Cadbury’s plans to shut the site at Somerdale near Bristol and announced that the factory would shut by 2011.

Kraft, whose five-month battle for control of the confectioner was sealed earlier this month, had pledged to retain the plant.

But today it said Cadbury had already spent €114m on building new facilities in Poland and most production would be transferred by the middle of this year.