Cadbury has faced mockery from shoppers over its new Christmas chocolate range, with many pointing out that the products look suspiciously familiar.
New products revealed
The confectioner recently previewed two new items on Instagram via @newfoodsuk: a Dairy Milk Smash Bauble (£2.70) and Cadbury Biscoff-filled Baubles (£3.29 for a pack of three). The Smash Bauble is a hollow chocolate ball containing chocolate buttons, while the latter is essentially a spherical Biscoff-filled Creme Egg. Both are available to buy online now at Cadbury Gifts and are expected to hit supermarket shelves soon.
Shoppers' reactions
In the comments, many were quick to compare the new items to Easter eggs. @emj_pgh wrote: 'Repurposed, relabelled left over Easter egg, anyone?' Similarly, @rootinhooton said: 'Basically an Easter egg.' @go_chill_yoself proclaimed: 'Brand new? They just changed the shape from an egg.' And @alexrood shared: 'They're taking the p*** now… Easter under the guise of Christmas!!'
Others were outraged that there were hardly any buttons inside the bauble, branding it a 'rip off', and some wished Cadbury had filled the product with chocolate Snowballs instead, as it would have been more festive. Not everyone was upset, though, as @thiccnick3rd 'loved' the idea of Christmas Easter eggs and @gingerninjadoeslife thought they were 'absolutely genius'.
Cadbury's response
Metro reached out to Cadbury for comment. A spokesperson for Mondelēz International said: 'It seems it's never too early for a little festive magic! We can confirm the rumours are true: the Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons Smash Bauble and Cadbury x Biscoff Filled Centres will be joining our Cadbury Christmas line-up this year. Whilst some of our eagle-eyed fans may have caught an early sneak peek, we're keeping the full details of our festive range under wraps for now. We'll be unveiling them nationwide soon, so watch this space!'
Dairy Milk alternative
In related news, a recent taste test conducted by Metro pitted supermarket own-brand bars against Cadbury Dairy Milk. Milk Chocolate from Morrisons (£2.30 for 200g) came out on top for the supermarket bars, with an overall score of 74 out of 100, the same score that Cadbury Dairy Milk received, placing the two in joint first place.
The Morrisons option was described as having an 'amazing' taste, which was 'sweet and creamy' but not too intense. Those who tried it said it tasted 'very similar' to Cadbury and was almost indistinguishable in terms of its smooth texture and delicious chocolatey scent. The main difference was the appearance, with testers feeling the Morrisons chunks looked richer and glossier. The Morrisons bar also doesn't contain any palm oil, as per the ingredients list, and it's cheaper.
