MORE than £60,000 has been donated to charities over the past nine years, thanks to a chocolate maker with a base in Reading and Wokingham.
Mondelez, the owners of brands such as Cadbury, Oreo and Toblerone, said the support comes from its Cadbury Foundation, which launched in 2013.
Staff from its Berkshire-based operations have chosen charities including Babies in Buscot, Thin Blue Paw Foundation, Sport in Mind, No5 Young People’s Counselling Service to receive a £5,000 grant.
The grants were highlighted in the international firm’s latest economic and social report, which shows how it has contributed £933 million in overall Gross Economic Value Added to the UK economy.
The company has two sites based at the University of Reading, and one in Wokingham, employing 372 people directly, and an additional 359 roles through supply chain procurement.
In all, it accounts for £46 million of its contribution to the UK economy last year/
And its base at the university’s Reading Science Centre has a crucial role: it is at the heart of its product development, formulation and testing for products sold in more than 150 countries.
The firm says that since 2013, £30 million has been invested in the centre and its sister R&D site in Bournville. A £4.7 million investment in 2019 expanded the business’ UK Food Research and Development Programme, creating an additional 50 jobs.
Michael Geary, director, Global Cocoa Research & Development, Mondelēz International and site lead comments: “At Reading Science Centre, our Scientists work on the molecular science for the products of the future, our team are enormously proud to play an integral role in developing the building blocks of technology innovation for the business.”
The firm’s Wokingham site is home to the Chocolate Tasters, a team of 12 whose lab-based roles specialise in Food Science and are required to understand the complexities of the human senses and mechanics of chocolate eating.
Since 2017, Mondelēz International has utilised the UK Apprenticeship Levy to create new pathways into the business, totalling an investment of £2.5 million. To date, the business has employed 20 Apprentices at Reading and Wokingham supporting the next generation of talent across the South-East.
Food science researcher Roger Angold and lead scientific consultant at RSSL, a subsidiary of Mondelēz International, was recently awarded the Food & Drink Federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding dedication to the industry.
