Barry Callebaut, the cocoa and chocolate products manufacturer, has revealed plans to invest CHF25m (£18.24m) on a scheme to upgrade and expand its existing facility.

The investment will take place in 2011 and the improvements will be completed by spring 2012, the company said.

The work will see the addition of a new line at its chocolate moulding facilities in Banbury, Oxfordshire, and in Meulan, France. The company will also build a new chocolate academy in Wieze, Belgium and plans to upgrade a similar site for its Cacao Barry chocolate academy in France.

Massimo Garavaglia, president of Barry Callebaut Western Europe, said: “With the planned investments, we will not only strengthen our industrial footprint in Western Europe, the company’s largest business region. We are also investing in our network of chocolate academies to support the further growth of our gourmet business.”