Barry Callebaut commits €250M to upgrade world’s largest chocolate factory

Barry Callebaut is investing €250 million (US$297 million) in its Wieze facility in Belgium — the world’s largest chocolate factory — as part of a multi-year plan to modernize production lines and improve operational safety. A further €125 million (US$149 million) will go toward upgrading the company’s factory in Halle, Belgium.

Part of the spending falls under the company’s previously announced BC Next Level restructuring program, with the remainder classified as regular capital expenditure. 

The Wieze factory, which produces chocolate under the Callebaut brand, founded in 1911, supplies customers globally. The investment covers the modernization of production lines to strengthen food safety and quality standards, along with the construction of a ring road to enable one-way traffic flow across the site.

Filip Hermans, plant manager at Wieze, says the plan will “not only improve our operational capabilities in Wieze, but also create a more modern, safer, and attractive working environment for our dedicated employees.” He adds that the upgrades are designed to future-proof the site so it can “continue to deliver our customers with the best service, value, and quality.”

The announcement comes at a turbulent time for the Zurich-based group. Barry Callebaut’s Q1 fiscal 2025/26 results showed group volumes down 9.9% year on year, with its Global Chocolate division falling 6.8% despite cocoa bean prices averaging 16% lower than the prior-year period. The company has attributed the softness to customers and consumers adjusting their purchasing behavior in response to elevated prices, and the anticipated rebound has yet to materialize.

Diversification and innovation push

Barry Callebaut has been pursuing a diversification strategy alongside its core operations, largely in response to recent volatility in the global cocoa market. 

In November, the company entered a long-term partnership with German fermentation specialist Planet A Foods to scale ChoViva, a cocoa-free chocolate alternative made from sunflowers and oats. That collaboration has expanded rapidly, with ChoViva now appearing in 125 products across ten countries. 

The company also partnered with NotCo AI to build an AI-powered innovation hub aimed at shortening chocolate recipe development cycles.

More recently, Barry Callebaut released its “Top Chocolate Confectionery Trends 2026 & Beyond” report, which frames the company’s commercial outlook around smaller, everyday indulgence occasions — a shift it terms “Minorstone Confectionery.”

The report found 87% of consumers enjoy celebrating non-traditional milestones, signaling that chocolate’s commercial future may hinge less on major holidays and more on accessible everyday treats.