Households with a tradition of putting a Terry’s Chocolate Orange in their Christmas stocking may be in for a shock this December.
The historic chocolate, which stretches back to 1767 in York and is known for its “whack and unwrap” method, has doubled in price. And not only that – it’s also shrunk.
The Terry’s Chocolate Orange being sold this Christmas weighs 12g less than it did this time last year. Its size has decreased by 8% this year, on top of a 10% decrease back in 2016.
In December 2022, the treat cost £1.24 across major supermarkets. Now, it sets you back £2.25, which is an 81% increase. If you factor in the size reduction, you’re actually paying 96% more, according to market research from Assosia.
Other sweet favourites have been leaving fans feeling ripped off too. Some snacks, like Penguin bar, are now described as “chocolate flavour” instead of chocolate, because they contain more palm oil and shea oil than cocoa.
The reason is the soaring price of cocoa, making it much more expensive to manufacture the products.
Toffee Crisp and Blue Riband are no longer classed as chocolate after their reformulation pushes them below the threshold. In order to be labelled as milk chocolate in the UK, a product needs a minimum of 20% cocoa solids and 20% milk solids.
Club’s classic advertising slogan citing its chocolate content is no longer in use, replaced by: “If you like a lot of biscuit in your break, join our Club.”
Toblerone and Quality Street boxes have succumbed to shrinkflation, sparking worries that the Grunch has struck this Christmas season. A whole 20g has been shaved off a bar of Toblerone, reducing it from 360g to 340g.
The reason people with a sweet tooth are paying more for less is simple. Everything that goes into making chocolate has surged in cost, from the cocoa and sugar to the transport and wages.
