We tried a £25 chocolate challenge at the Cadbury World factory outlet shop in Bournville, Birmingham

Everyone knows that Cadbury is in Bournville, Birmingham, and its workers make some of the best chocolate in the world. But did you know that the factory site and visitor attraction is also home to the Cadbury World factory outlet shop - which sells discounted chocolate all year round, and it’s free to enter? That’s right - you don’t need a ticket to visit Cadbury World to visit the factory outlet shop.

Not all the chocolate there is discounted - but there are some real bargains to be had, if you love chocolate! So we went along to check out just how cheap and easily accessible it is!

First off, it’s worth noting that the path to Birmingham’s chocolate haven is a straight one - unless you forget to check their opening times, which are different on different days, like me.

The first day I tried making my way to Cadbury World in Bournville, I was in Selly Oak before realising it had already closed at 3pm. On my second attempt the next morning, I was lucky to land in Bournville on a sunny day and I was able to enjoy the walk from the bus stop to the massive store attached to the factory.

The walk through the village to the attraction is a short one and the beauty of the neighbourhood is the first thing that you notice. The village is also getting ready for Christmas celebrations at the moment, and people driving there should keep in mind that street parking may not be available. However, Cadbury World has a parking area - but closer to Christmas that too might not be enough.

The first thing you see when you step into Cadbury World is the massive Christmas tree and the excited children. You can either walk straight into the Cadbury shop, like me, or go for a tour and then into the shop or you could grab some afternoon tea at the cafe, which has amazing hot chocolate.

One of the best things about the shop is that it has a factory outlet shop all year round where you can buy chocolate at throwaway prices.

The Christmas gift boxes were on display right at the front when we visited in November 22 - and you could get a selection of those, or buy an assortment from the discounted aisles and make your own bundles. The store also sold Christmas trees and cute animals like bunnies made entirely out of chocolate.

If you didn’t know about the Oreo yard stick, just like me, it can leave you breathless. For £2.99, you can buy a literal yard-long box of oreos. If you need inspiration about what to do with so many of them, the shop also sells cookbooks that include Cadbury products. The cookbook was just one of the items I was tempted to buy among other merchandise.

£25 challenge

What I definitely bought after giving myself a budget of £25 was a huge haul of chocolate that was actually difficult to lug around in a bus. I ended up buying a £2 reusable bag since I hadn’t taken one with me. You can save that amount and get yourself another Oreo yard stick by adding 99p to it.

I was also given the choice between two free gifts since my initial bill was more than £20. I picked the Cadbury Advent bar adding to my treasure trove of chocolates. Here is the full list of products that I was able to buy for less than £25 in November 22 and it left me shocked.

1. Oreo yard stick - £2.99 (Saves £1.50 because RSP is £4.49 each)
2. Cadbury favourites box - £5.49 (There’s a twirl, Cadbury fingers, buttons and dairymilk inside)
3. Big taste peanut crisp - £2.49
4. Dark milk original 85gm - 0.85p (Original price is £1)
5. Bournville orange 100gm - 0.85p (Original price is £1)
6. Cadbury Milk oreo 120gm - 0.85p (Original price is £1)
7. Goo egg 5 pack - £2.75
8. Cadbury milk puds - 2 - £0.60 each
9. Flake bar - £0.60
10. Wispa bar - £0.60
11. Crunchie bar - £0.60
12. Fudge bar - £0.25
13. Fruit and nut - £0.60
14. Wispa salted caramel bar - £0.60
15. Twirl orange bar - £0.60
16. Caramel nibbles share - £1.25
17. Advent bar (Free on purchase of £20) - £0

My total came up to £24.57, including the reusable bag - and I was delighted with the result. To find out more about the Cadbury World shop which is open to the public with free entry go to: Cadbury World Shop