Sensory Tasting Facility- Cadbury Mondelez, Bournville

At IRS, we specialise in delivering advanced commercial ventilation systems and sustainable solutions that support UK energy management goals. We were proud to partner with CBRE on a high-profile project at the Cadbury Mondelez site in Bournville, Birmingham, a facility steeped in heritage and innovation.

The brief was to provide a new flagship sensory tasting facility on the Bournville site, that is in line with the example facility in Wroclaw & ISO 8589:2007 standard. 

As the nominated HVAC contractor, we delivered a fully engineered, energy-efficient solution on time and to exacting standards.

Project Background

Located on Bournville Lane, Birmingham, the brief was to transform the ground floor office space of the Linden Block into a flagship sensory tasting facility. The new space needed to meet the high standards of the Mondelez Wroclaw site and conform to ISO 8589:2007 for sensory evaluation environments.

Our Role

We were was tasked with delivering a complete mechanical package for this sensitive and critical environment. Our scope included ventilation design, temperature control, humidity management, and energy recovery.

We supplied and installed a high-performance Air Handling Unit (AHU) to manage the primary supply and extract ventilation for the kitchen, tasting booths, and training rooms. Features included:

• Thermal wheel for energy recovery
• Integral heat pump
• Electric heater battery to provide dehumidification requirements to spaces.

Pressure regimes will be achieved by allowing a volume difference between the supply & extract within the kitchen to negatively pressurise the space and encourage air to move from the positively pressurised tasting booths into the kitchen area.

Ductwork & Air Pressure Regimes

• Installed ductwork distribution at high level throughout the facility, following ventilation layout specifications
  
• Designed air pressure regimes to achieve negative pressure in the kitchen, ensuring air flows from clean tasting areas into the kitchen zone for optimal hygiene and control
  

MVHR Systems for Ancillary Areas

To meet energy efficiency goals and improve UK energy management, we installed ceiling-mounted MVHR units in areas that did not require humidity control, such as:

• WC core
• Reception
• Offices
• Collaboration areas
• Focus rooms
  

Each MVHR unit included a plate heat exchanger with bypass for effective heat recovery, helping the client reduce operational energy usage.

Heating & Cooling Systems

• A VRF R32 system was installed to give independent temperature control in each sensory tasting room
• A separate DX system was integrated to manage the cold store’s cooling requirements
  

This dual approach enabled maximum control and comfort in both standard and temperature-sensitive zones.

Design & Delivery

We took the lead in engineering by converting the Stage 4 consultant’s design into a fully functioning HVAC turnkey solution. Our in-house design team produced all mechanical drawings, ensuring seamless execution from concept to completion.

Equipment Partners

• Weatherite supplied the custom-packaged AHU
• Toshiba provided equipment and technical support for the VRF and split systems

Here What Our Clients Had To Say

"We had the opening of the new Consumer Research facility yesterday which was a great success and I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you and your team for all of your hard work to get the facility opened. The team have worked tirelessly and we really couldn’t have opened yesterday without their efforts so just wanted to say thank you."
— Taryn Tyler, Project Controller – UK&I – Mondelez International

Outcome & Energy Efficiency Impact

By combining commercial ventilation systems with innovative climate control solutions, we’ve shown how it’s possible to meet UK energy management goals without compromising on comfort. The sensory facility at Cadbury Mondelez now stands as a leading example of energy efficiency and technical excellence. Get in touch to see how we can help your business achieve the same results.