The maker of Oreos, Mondelēz is in discussions to buy the licence to make Cadbury biscuits from UK-based biscuit maker Burton’s Biscuit Company, Sky News has been told.

The US-based firm has offered around £200m for the licence, but the talks are at an early stage, according to the Sky news website yesterday.

Burton’s Biscuits makes biscuits including Cadbury Fingers and Cadbury Animals under licence.

However, Mondelēz, which acquired chocolate-maker Cadbury Ltd from Kraft Foods in 2010, is believed to want to unite the Cadbury confectionery and biscuit arms.

Earlier this year Burton’s was reported to be closing in on a £330m deal to purchase rival brand, Fox’s from brand owner 2 Sisters.

Market observers have speculated that if that deal goes through, it could pave the way for Burton’s to auction the Cadbury’s licence, with Mondelēz a potential front-runner.

A Burton’s biscuits spokesperson told British Baker: “We do not comment on speculation of this nature.”

In January 2015, Mondelēz signed a deal to set up a new $90m (£59.15m) biscuit factory in Bahrain.