The most popular Christmas chocolates are already on the shelves but it has been noticed that not only are they smaller but they carry a higher price tag with one now setting you back £16.50
Christmas often means abandoning the diets and reaching for some of our favourite higher-calorie foods. Whether it is luxury cheeses piled high on crackers or delux Christmas puddings laden with alcohol and topped with brandy sauce there are some things that are associated with the festive season.
One of these is the traditional array of chocolates which most homes have at least some of. These include the popular tubs of Quality Street and Cadbury’s Roses as well as the treats of Toblerone or Terry’s Chocolate Orange.
But The Grocer has found almost all of these are smaller for 2025 – yet the price has gone up, some by a third. One of the bigger treats will even cost you £16.50 at its rrp.
It found Quality Street has gone from 600g to 550g but the price in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons as of September 8 was £7 – an increase of £1 on last year. Asda however has reduced its price from £6 to £4.68.
Celebrations were 550g last year and priced £6 this year they are the same weight but now cost £7 in Tesco, they are just 500g in Morrisons and Sainsbury’s but cost £7. In Asda they are also now 500g but at a lower price than elsewhere at £5.24.
Cadbury’s Roses were 550g last year costing £6. This year they remain at are 550g but cost £7 in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons while Asda again has theirs lower at £5.24.
However for those wanting to buy a bigger tin of the chocolate selection with its popular orange and strawberry creams, Dairy Milk and Golden Barrels, the size has shrunk. This year is has gone down from 750g to 700g in Morrisons yet costs almost 18% more going from £14 to £16.50.
Meanwhile Toblerone which was 360g in 2024 and priced at £6 in Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons before any promotions, has dropped by 20g to 340g yet the price is now £7 in Morrisons and £6.75 in Sainsbury’s. Tesco, however, has held it at last year’s price.
But the one with the biggest increase in price is the every-popular Terry’s Chocolate Orange. The favourite has gone from 157g to 145g but it will now set you back £2 in Tesco compared with £1.50 last year – up a whopping 33.3%. Sainsbury’s is up just under a third from £1.95 to £2.50 while Morrisons is up 25% from £2 to £2.50.
One reason given for the changes is the cost of the raw materials and operations which have risen as a result of poor harvests in West Africa, as a result of bad weather conditions.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has said cocoa prices have risen by 43% since 2022. A Nestle spokesperson told The Grocer: “Each year, we introduce a new Quality Street range with formats, sizes, weights, and RRPS based on a range of factors, including the cost of manufacturing, ingredients, and transport and the preferences of our customers and consumers.
“We think our 2025 range and pricing is competitive with a good variety of choice for Quality Street fans. Final prices are at the discretion of individual retailers.”
A spokesman for Mars Wrigley UK, which makes Celebrations, previously told The Sun: “We know that the cost of living is front and centre for shoppers, particularly during the holidays, which is why we remain focused on providing great, high-quality snacks at the best possible value for money.
“We will always absorb pricing pressures where we can, but rising manufacturing costs – driven in part by well-documented increases in the cost of cocoa – have meant that we’ve had to adjust some of our product sizes. It’s not a decision we take lightly, but it ensures families can still enjoy their favourite Celebrations without compromising on quality or taste.”
