So, Kraft have made an offer to buy Cadbury. And to sweeten the offer - pardon the pun - to us all as consumers (as well as the stakeholders and shareholders) they have said that if they are successful in buying the firm then they wouldn't close a factory in Bristol that Cadbury has earmarked for closure as part of a rationalisation project.
But can these words be taken seriously?
It all sounds fantastic and to the workers in Bristol this potential action by the American firm (founded in 1904 as a cheese wholesaler and bought by Philip Morris in the '80s) sounds like the lifeline that they need right now.
But, let's look to another of the Kraft brands and to one of our Northern cities, York. I am, of course, talking about Terry's Chocolate Orange. Produced in that Roman city for many many years only to have the factory closed recently and all production moved to Poland, to cut costs.
So, Kraft would invest in Bournville and keep the Bristol factory open? Maybe. But what would they do to offset this investment?
