Shoppers at Tesco have been left in a state of disbelief and anger after encountering what many are calling a 'ridiculous' price tag on a classic British treat. The source of the uproar is a bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs, with customers taking to social media to vent their frustration over the soaring cost.
The Viral Moment That Sparked the Outrage
The controversy came to light when Welsh bikini competitor Nickie Noo Murtagh shared a video from her local Tesco on TikTok. She had intended to buy a packet of the iconic chocolate eggs, which for many signal the approach of Easter, as a final treat before resuming a diet. Her plans were quickly shelved when she saw the price.
In the clip, she displayed a 256g family pack of Cadbury Mini Eggs, revealing it was priced at £6.20. "No way am I paying £6.20 for a bag... WTF is this price?? Used to be a £1 right??" she wrote in the caption accompanying the video. Her followers were equally stunned, flooding the comments with reactions.
"What in the world!!! I love a mini egg but not for that price..." wrote one user, while another stated, "Least it'll stop me buying & eating them." Others described the cost as 'insane' and 'ridiculous', highlighting a widespread sense of shock at the checkout.
Tesco's Response and the Wider Price Crisis
When questioned about the pricing, Tesco pointed out that the 256g pack is currently on a Clubcard offer for £5.40. The supermarket defended its position, stating this price is competitive compared to other major retailers selling the same product.
However, the issue extends far beyond a single supermarket promotion. The root cause is a global crisis in the cocoa market. According to the Office for National Statistics, chocolate prices in the UK skyrocketed by over 17% in the year to October 2025.
This dramatic increase is driven by cocoa prices reaching historic highs. A severe supply shortage has been triggered by devastating harvests in West Africa, where the UK sources most of its cocoa beans from Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Why Are Chocolate Treats Getting So Expensive?
A combination of factors has crippled cocoa production. Extreme weather events, linked to the 2023 El Niño phenomenon, have caused both droughts and excessive rainfall. Furthermore, crop diseases like the Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV) have spread rapidly. The cumulative impact of these challenges, exacerbated by the broader climate crisis, has led to a global decline in cocoa production of more than 14%.
Faced with these soaring ingredient costs, major UK chocolate manufacturers, including Cadbury and Mars Wrigley, have been forced to take action. Their strategies have been two-fold: significantly increasing product prices and reducing product sizes, a practice widely known as 'shrinkflation'.
For British consumers, the result is a painful squeeze at the sweet aisle. Beloved products like Cadbury Mini Eggs, first launched in 1967, are becoming a luxury purchase, transforming a simple seasonal pleasure into a symbol of the ongoing cost-of-living and climate-related pressures affecting everyday shopping.
