Chocolate village of Bournville

What’s common to villages, towns and cities across the United Kingdom? A plethora of public houses, locally known as pubs. The pub isn’t just a place where people come together to sip ale; it’s an integral part of life in England. Like the Parisian cafes and Chinese tea houses, these community spaces have, for centuries, functioned as centres for social and intellectual exchange in villages, towns and cities.

Bournville, a historic and idyllic village barely 8 km from Birmingham, is where Cadbury’s chocolates are manufactured.

The village’s chocolate story began when John Cadbury opened a grocer’s shop in Birmingham’s Bull Street in 1824, and began selling handmade chocolates. The rising popularity led him to buy a warehouse in 1831, and his sons, George and Richard, joined the business and took over after their father retired in 1861.

The Cadburys soon had to look for a site to build a new factory, and believing that “no man ought to be condemned to live in a place where a rose cannot grow”, decided to build a garden village.

The model village, with its mock-Tudor houses and leafy lanes, was built to house workers in a level of comfort considered revolutionary for the industrial age. For, the Cadburys did not believe a manufacturing unit should be “squalid and depressing”.

Apart from being the village that chocolate built, Bournville is known for another interesting aspect: in the 130 years since it was built, this small village has had a booze ban for general members of the public.

John Cadbury, the founder of Cadbury’s, was a Quaker, and completely involved in the temperance movement — in fact, he advocated total abstinence. David Kingrey, in ‘Quaker Leaders Who Transformed the World’, writes that John’s development of chocolate as a drink was his idea of “an alternative to alcoholic beverages”.

The founders’ Quaker faith led to the unwritten rule that Bournville should remain a “dry village” where the sale of alcohol is forbidden. That rule continues to be followed till date — there’s still no pub in the village that’s home to almost 22,000 people. That’s unusual in a country where pubs are ubiquitous: in 2023, there were 45,350 pubs operating in the UK, according to Statista.

Instead, the Cadburys chose to focus on the welfare of their employees in the village they set up on 14.5 acres of idyllic land, complete with a cottage, meadow, and a stream called the Bourn.

“If the country is a good place to live in, why not to work in?” George Cadbury often wondered. He decided to focus on creating a countryside paradise, and along with his brother made Bournville “a place where employees could live, work, and play”.

Comfortable houses, along with amenities like a lido (public swimming pool) , a fishing lake and sports facilities created a fantastic living experience, especially at that time.

The quaint chocolate-box village has a Victorian vibe even today. Streets spread out in all directions from the village green, leading to timber-framed houses.

The Selly Manor Museum offers a chance to embark on a self-guided Bournville Village Heritage Trail, exploring the classic buildings. The Bournville Friends Meeting House, designed by William Alexander Harvey, is now a grade II-listed building. Don’t forget to admire an unusual musical instrument, the Bournville Carillon, which has 48 bells and is one of the largest instruments of its kind in Great Britain. Families love Cadbury World, which showcases the history of the village and offers a 4D zone and rides.

The founders may have passed, but Bournville remains a dry village — no alcohol is sold within the boundaries of the historic estate. However, people can enjoy a drink in the peace and privacy of their homes.

Since 2015, a small shop, Mary Vale News & Wine, which is located outside the boundary of the village, has been licensed to sell alcohol. The Old Farm Hotel also offers a chance to enjoy a drink — but only if you are a guest or enjoying a meal in their restaurant.

“If you want to have a drink, you have to fall in line. We have none of this drinking on the village green or in the garden; you can sit at home and enjoy your drink with friends or head to a pub in a nearby village,” says Abby Davies, a resident.

The Cadburys built Bournville as a model village for their employees, with the aim of promoting a wholesome, family-friendly, and alcohol-free environment. Even today, this lost-in-time village remains true to Quaker traditions, focusing on chocolate instead of liquor!

— The writer is a freelance contributor

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