BOURNVILLE will continue to be the heart of Cadbury "as long as there is breath in my body", the chief executive of Cadbury Schweppes has pledged.
Todd Stitzer, head of the the world's largest confectionery manufacturer, insisted the firm's Birmingham plant would stay open despite a drastic cost-cutting programme.
Around 7,500 jobs will be lost as Cadbury prepares to sell its drinks manufacturing arm.
The new business, to be called Cadbury PLC, will reduce the thousands of different varieties of products it currently sells and concentrate resources on top-sellers such as Diary Milk.
Mr Stitzer, the firm's chief executive officer, said he could not announce yet which facilities would be affected by the programme of job cuts.
But he added: "It is a global programme and applies across the world. The heart of Cadbury has been and will continue to be Bournville.
"The purple flag will continue to fly over those factory buildings for as long as there is breath left in anybody in this room."
The Bournville plant employs 3,000 workers and manufactures a range of successful products including Dairy Milk, Fruit and Nut, Creme Eggs and Flake.
The planned cuts, to be rolled out over four years, will mean the closure of 15 per cent of the Cadbury's confectionery sites and the loss of 15 per cent of jobs.
