Mondelēz International is recruiting 48 Sensory Panellist job roles at its historic Bournville site in Birmingham.
The part-time roles, also known as chocolate tasters, will play a crucial role in product development by tasting and providing consistent, objective and honest feedback on new chocolate products, including iconic brands such as Cadbury, Toblerone and Milka. Successful applicants will bring a passion for food, a desire to try new and inventive products, as well as a communicative personality to collaborate with other panellists.
Full training is provided, including helping successful applicants to develop their taste buds and learn the specific vocabulary required to communicate feedback. The Sensory Panellist roles are part of ongoing investment being made at the iconic Bournville site, the home of Cadbury, with the brand celebrating its 200th anniversary year.
The roles, which were previously located at our Reading Scientific Services site in Wokingham, will now be based out of Mondelēz’s Global Centre of Excellence for Chocolate research and development at Bournville. The roles play an important role in Mondelēz International’s commitment to world class innovation, ensuring it continues to adapt to changing consumer trends and delivering choice for consumers.
Recently it has continued to enhance its health and wellbeing portfolio. In 2023 it launched Cadbury Delights, a new range of confectionary under 100 calories per bar, and in April this year it launched Cadbury Brunch Light, new non-HFSS (non-high in fat, salt and sugar) range of Cadbury Brunch Bars with each bar containing less than 100 calories.
Afsha Chugtai, Section Manager in the Consumer Science Team at Mondelēz International, said: “We are hugely excited to be recruiting 48 Sensory Panellists to join our amazing research and development team in Bournville.
“Often called a ‘dream job’ for many, the tasters will play an invaluable role in helping to develop the perfect taste profiles for our amazing products. Previously our Sensory Panellists have helped develop consumer favourites including Caramilk and Toblerone Truffles.
“We currently have around 600 employees working in a variety of research and development roles in the UK and are looking forward to welcoming our newly trained chocolate tasters to the team. They will enable us to continue to innovate and lead the future of snacking.”
Mondelēz International supports 10,372 jobs across the UK, with 4,231 directly employed and 6,141 indirectly supported. In the West Midlands this includes 2,804 direct roles located in its Bournville manufacturing plant, Global R&D hub, office, Marlbrook Dairy factory (Herefordshire) and Minworth distribution centre.
This year Cadbury, the nation’s favourite chocolate brand, is celebrating its 200th year anniversary. Since the opening of its first shop in Birmingham in 1824, Cadbury has delighted the nation with its confectionary and drinking chocolate.
To mark the occasion Cadbury has released an iconic a national television advert that reflects its core values of generosity; launched Cadbury Dairy Milk bars in stores with packaging designs from 1915 to the current day; and partnered with Alzheimer’s Research UK, donating £200,000 to support research to one day find a cure for dementia and drive awareness of the condition. Locally the brand has also made a significant investment into its archives in Bournville, ensuring it continues to honour the history of Cadbury for decades to come.
