Quality Street fans face two major changes this Christmas 2026: John Lewis has confirmed it will no longer offer its Pick & Mix station or stock any Quality Street chocolates, and Nestlé has axed its paper tub trial.
John Lewis ends Pick & Mix and Quality Street stock
For the first time in eight years, John Lewis will not run its dedicated Quality Street Pick & Mix station, which had allowed shoppers to build their own boxes since 2018. The retailer has confirmed the service is gone this year, prompting reactions from fans describing themselves as ‘devastated’ and ‘gutted’ in social media posts.
John Lewis will also stop stocking Quality Street chocolates entirely. A message on its website reads: ‘Quality Street will not be available in John Lewis this year, but we have lots of gifting options available for you to explore.’ Customers will instead be able to buy chocolates from brands such as Hotel Chocolat, Butlers, and Tony’s Chocolonely.
Nestlé shelves paper tub trial
The second change concerns packaging. Nestlé has confirmed the paper tubs, which were trialled at Tesco for the last two years in more sustainable packaging, will not return in 2026. The tubs featured gold foil for a ‘luxurious design and feel’ and were fully recyclable.
When the paper boxes were introduced in 2024, some shoppers were sceptical, with one user on X, @bejokex, saying: ‘They taste different in paper. Won’t be buying!’ Another, @ShorehamReads, asked: ‘How is my Grandma going to store her sewing kit in there for the next thirty years?’ A few also called the move ‘one change too many’ following the switch from shiny wrappers to paper ones on the sweets.
A Nestlé 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.’
The news follows Cadbury’s introduction of a major change to Heroes this year, allowing fans to customise their boxes for the first time. However, customisation is only available online, not in supermarkets, through Cadbury’s new virtual shop, which also offers a Cadbury Pick & Mix option with a Heroes Pick & Mix or a Cadbury Postal Selection Box featuring larger 180g bars such as Fruit & Nut or classic Dairy Milk.
