Butlers Chocolate Factory Trip
Advika:
When we arrived at the factory, the tour guide took us through the entire factory and she showed us the machines that were used in the factory. Most of the chocolate made in the factory was done by machines. They had conveyor belts that had the chocolate moving through the factory. They also had big machines with claws which scanned the chocolates in a fraction of a second and placed them in their corresponding boxes. They also had machines to make hollow novelties, which kept turning the chocolate in the mold so that the center would be empty/hollow.
The tour guide also took us to see the employees hand packing the boxes of chocolate. In total, there were 300 employees and only 120 of them actually made the chocolates.
Butlers was founded in 1932 by Marion Butler who opened it under the name Chez Nous. She made all the chocolates by hand and they became very famous. In 1959, Chez Nous was bought by James Sorensen. The Butlers Factory in Ireland is the only Butlers Factory in the whole world. In the 1980’s, the company was renamed to Butlers Irish and Butlers Chocolate later in honor of Marion Butler.
At the end of the tour, the tour guide first showed us how hollow novelties were made. They also gave us melted white chocolate to decorate the milk chocolate elephant. They let us take the elephants home.
Christabel:
My trip to the butler's factory was enjoyable and interesting. I had the opportunity to learn about the wonderful history of cocoa beans and butler chocolate in the Butler's Cinema, explored the fascinating facts about chocolate in the Butler Museum, and witnessed the chocolate-making process firsthand which enlightened me on the procedures and machinery involved in production. At the end of the tour, I had the chance to decorate and bring home my very own chocolate elephant. Visiting the chocolate factory has helped me see the time and effort that goes into making the treats we enjoy every day. It was not only a delightful and educative experience but also an incredible one I am sure to remember.