It is the last Christmas for New Zealand-made Roses, with production set to move to Australia in 2018.

If life is a box of chocolates, it has been bittersweet for Cadbury workers.

On Friday, 85 full-time confectionary workers will end their employment at the company's Dunedin factory.

Cadbury owner Mondelez announced earlier this year it would stop manufacturing Cadbury products in Dunedin in March 2018, with the loss of 350 jobs.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Favourites will be made in Australia next year.

Workers had been "pumping out the boxes of Roses" in the lead-up to Christmas, machine operator and E tū union delegate Teresa Gooch said.

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Production of Roses chocolates, alongside other popular boxed treats like Favourites, would shift to Australia next year.

HAMISH MCNEILLY/STUFF Cadbury worker Teresa Gooch has worked at Cadbury's Dunedin factory for 17 years.

"There won't be any made for some time, by the time they get the machinery over to Australia."

Gooch, who had worked at the factory for 17 years, expected to be one of the last workers to finish at the site on March 28.

Workers had been completing Easter and Christmas orders and, despite staff being busy, "you can see the sadness around".

HAMISH McNEILLY/STUFF Dunedin's Cadbury factory is closing down in March 2018.

"Friday will be the day it really hits home for people."

Gooch said some staff had found new jobs following a recent job fair, while she might return to nursing.

The 80 full-time workers finishing on Friday follow 160 seasonal staff who left last week.

E tū industry coordinator food Phil Knight said the union was concerned about the demise of jobs, especially in provincial centres like Dunedin.

"These have been good, permanent, full-time jobs and those aren't always easy to find.

"We know some people are leaving Dunedin to get into jobs so it's very disruptive."