Nestle has confirmed that its Quality Street cardboard tubs, trialled in Tesco stores over the past two years, will not be returning for Christmas 2026. The company said it is using experience from the 2024 and 2025 trials to make further developments, with the ambition to bring the tub back on a bigger scale in the future.
Two-Year Trial Comes to an End
The paper tub was first trialled in 60 Tesco branches for Christmas 2024, when 200,000 of them were made available. At the time, Quality Street said "a lot of care and hard work" had gone into the trial and it was "proud to be the first major manufacturer to trial a paper tub". The trial was repeated last year with additional cardboard tubs in selected shops, with Nestle calling the move "another step on Nestle's journey to reduce virgin plastic use".
The tub, which came in the iconic Quality Street purple, was described as having "a luxurious design and feel, and embellished with gold foil". Once finished, it could be placed in with household recycling.
Mixed Reactions from Shoppers
When the change was first reported, shoppers had mixed feelings. A post about the tub on a money-saving Facebook page drew hundreds of comments, with many questioning the shift towards paper boxes and wrappers. One commenter said: "Go back to tin and squeaky wrappers," while another added: "Tins are better anyway, can be recycled and often are, my gran had a few that were 20-30 years old keeping various odds and sods."
However, others were in favour of the change, with one remarking: "About time as a good move to be more environmentally friendly and hope the others follow."
What's Next for Quality Street
A Nestle spokesperson said: "We won't be trialling our Quality Street paper tub this year. We're using our experience from 2024 and 2025 to make further developments. Watch this space as we continue to explore its role with the ambition to bring it back on a bigger scale in the future." A spokesperson for Tesco confirmed that the cardboard tubs are not part of its Christmas range this year.
Meanwhile, John Lewis has axed all Quality Street products this Christmas, including the popular pick 'n' mix stations. The John Lewis website confirmed: "Quality Street will not be available in John Lewis this year, but we have lots of gifting options for you to explore." Nestle has announced a new collaboration with Monopoly, launching a special Quality Street x Monopoly tub with thousands of prizes, which touched down in stores nationwide on November 1.
