Cadbury

The sweetest carnival in the South Pacific started with a bang as thousands of suckers for the saccharine gathered at the Meridian mall in Dunedin.

Pebbles and Jaffas rattling in boxes are now nothing more than a memory. And the machine that once filled the cardboard packets has been consigned to the scrapyard.

Otago charities will benefit from next month's 13th annual Dunedin Cadbury Chocolate Carnival.

Dunedin's Cadbury chocolate manufacturing plant could be sourcing the majority of its cocoa bean ingredient from the Asia-Pacific region in coming years.

A jail term of two years and three months was appropriate for a woman who stole from her employer, Cadbury, the sentencing judge said.

Dunedin North MP David Clark is satisfied no significant changes to production are planned at Cadbury Confectionery Dunedin.

A blogger's claim that Cadbury is winding down its Dunedin operation has been labelled by the company as disappointing and irresponsible.

Cadbury Confectionery Dunedin is to make two new products for New Zealand and Australia this year, but has also started consulting up to 20 staff affected by a drop in crumb production.

It was like any other Saturday shopping expedition. The Hogg family pulled up to the Cadbury car park and opened the window to pay, just as they do most Saturday mornings - except this time, a gathered crowd went wild with celebration.

The snow that is playing havoc around the South has affected the Dunedin Cadbury Chocolate Carnival, and shifts at the Dunedin factory have been cancelled.