Have you ever wished you had won a Golden Ticket?
If you live in Tasmania, all of your chocolate dreams will soon come true. After several years of deliberation and funding mishaps, Cadbury and developers Simon Currant and Associates have finally confirmed that the ‘Chocolate Experience’ at Cadbury (CEC) will proceed.
Set to open in 2027, this new attraction has plans to be built on the Cadbury Factory waterfront parklands in Claremont, near Hobart. The architecturally forward design takes inspiration from the pipes and machines at the Cadbury Factory right next door.
Think ‘theme park’ but without all the long lines, and easy access to everyone’s favourite sweet treat- chocolate! This experience will be one of indulgence and imagination, with masterclasses, tours, ‘build your own bar’ opportunities and a Chocolate Lounge for decadent leisure. The creative directors of the project, Cumulus Studio and Art Processors, have explained that their main goal is to bring ‘the wonders of chocolate to life’.
Peter Walker from Cumulus Studio explains the CEC as “an architectural embodiment of chocolate itself – rich, layered, and unforgettable. It is a place where magic is not just seen, but felt, tasted, and experienced in every detail.”
What will the Chocolate Experience entail?
It seems like the Chocolate Experience will be very similar to that of Charlie Bucket’s in the novel ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. The preliminary design images show rooms filled with chocolate, visitors donning Cadbury-purple aprons and a level of decadence that evokes the luxury affair of eating chocolate.
Although the world’s tallest chocolate fountain ended up not being part of the plans, this new venture hits an extreme for the amount of chocolate you can fit into one place.
The highlights at the Chocolate Experience include:
- Chocolate Central: with interactive flavour whirlpools and chocolate-focused activities.
- The Premium Chocolate Studio: get up close and personal to premium chocolate lines made with Tasmanian ingredients.
- Build Your Own Bar: create your own personalised chocolate bar.
- Masterclass: try your hand at the art of chocolate making.
- Chocolate Lounge: an unforgettable, luxury dining experience.
- The Immersive Chocolate Tour: a ticketed, self-guided tour through the Cacao Forest, Chocolate Lab, Factory Control Room and Taste Kitchen.
- Emporium: take a piece of magic home with personalised gifts and chocolate available.
The project also includes an upgrade to the surrounding area as part of its design. With plans to transform the public walkways, build a foreshore cycleway and a brand-new ferry terminal, CEC is taking everything into consideration.
This new attraction is set to bring in more than 550,000 visitors every year. Although construction hasn’t begun just yet, it’s slated for early 2026 and will hopefully be ready for chocolate-crazed visitors by 2027.
The Chocolate Experience at Cadbury definitely looks the part to be the real-life version of ‘Willy Wonka’s Factory’, but we’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the end product. Here’s hoping it’ll be a good egg!
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