Marks & Spencer has brought back four chocolate bars from the 1980s – Jet, Sparks, Now! and Coconut Grove – and they have been compared to the branded bars they are inspired by. The 50g bars cost £1 each, slightly more than the branded versions bought from a local corner shop for between 75p and 89p.
How the Bars Compare
The Coconut Grove bar was compared to Bounty. It had a thicker layer of coconut, tasted fresher, and had more brightly white shredded coconut than the crumbly Bounty. The M&S version also had a thicker Fairtrade chocolate covering. The verdict: Coconut Grove would be picked over Bounty, though it didn't fully convert the tester to coconut.
The Jet bar, compared to Snickers, was gooier with caramel holding it together. The flavours were better balanced and not overly sweet. Even a Snickers lover agreed M&S had nailed it with Jet.
Sparks and Now! Impress
The Sparks bar, compared to Mars, was slightly thinner but wider. While the Mars appeared to have a more generous filling-to-chocolate ratio, the flavour of Sparks was preferred. The tester said they would happily buy Sparks again.
The Now! bar was compared to Twix, the tester's favourite. Despite both bars melting in the heat and morphing into single bars, the Now! had a thicker biscuit filling, making it crispier, and the chocolate and caramel tasted nicer. The Now! bar may have become the new go-to chocolate.
