Chocolate is one of history’s oldest sweet treats.
Historians believe the Olmecs – a lost civilisation in Mesoamerica – were the first to turn cacao beans into a rich, bitter drink as far back as 1900BC.
Fast forward to the 1500s, and chocolate’s fate changed forever when European explorers brought it across the Atlantic as part of the Columbian Exchange.
At first, chocolate was reserved as a luxurious delicacy for the elite, typically served in the form of a frothy drink. But by 1847 chocolate bars started to appear in solid form in England from Fry’s of Bristol.
Today, chocolate bars are mass-produced and have decorated sweet aisles with their bright colours and promises of a delectable treat for years. Some brand names have become national institutions, while others have mysteriously vanished from shelves.
To mark World Chocolate Day on 7 July 2025, here’s a look back at some of the chocolate bars that have delighted Brits for years.
While some chocolate bars have become permanent fixtures, others haven’t enjoyed the same fate
Some chocolate bars seem as though they’re here for good – can you even imagine a world without a Dairy Milk or Mars Bar?
Yet, plenty haven’t been as lucky. Perhaps one of the most well-known changes was the rebrand of Marathon to Snickers in 1990. This was part of Mars’s decision to align its British product names with their American counterparts.
A name change is one thing; complete discontinuation is another.
There’s a long list of bars that have disappeared into obscurity, leaving a plethora of heartbroken chocoholics in their wake.
The Cadbury Fuse is one of them. The chewy bar, consisting of peanuts, raisins, fudge, and cereal, launched in 1996 and quickly gained a fan base. Sadly, it was discontinued in 2006 to make way for new products.
Cadbury seemingly had more difficulty with some of its more “left-field” bars. Its other product, the Dream, was a white chocolate bar that first graced shelves in 2001. Despite building a cult following, Cadbury discontinued it only a year later due to a lack of popularity.
Several other bars have been consigned to the chocolate archives over the years, including the Mars Delight, Taz, and Time Out.
There was a glimmer of hope last year… Nestle’s Caramac – which couldn’t legally be classified as a “chocolate bar” due to its lack of cocoa content – had a strong 64-year run before facing discontinuation in 2023. Following public uproar, the bar was briefly returned to shelves in July 2024.
While it didn’t return for good, it does show that there might still be some hope for the fan favourites of the past.
Shrinkflation has resulted in smaller chocolate bars for the same price
If, at any point in your life, you’ve expressed dismay with friends and family at the rising price of chocolate bars, the word “Freddo” has likely come up.
A beloved childhood treat, the small chocolate frog has become an unofficial mascot of inflation, so much so that people now refer to the “Freddo Index” to illustrate rising living costs.
Data shows that following Freddo’s humble 10p price tag in 1994, it rose to staggering new heights of 25p by 2015. Today, in 2025, a Freddo costs an average of 31p.
It’s worth noting that the size of a Freddo hasn’t actually changed much over the years (in the UK, at least).
Other bars haven’t been so lucky. Many have fallen victim to “shrinkflation”, when your favourite bar quietly gets smaller, while the price remains the same, or even rises.
This seems to be occurring across the board with some of the UK’s favourite sweets.
Twirl multipacks, for example, now contain only three bars instead of four, despite costing the same.
Similarly, Crunchie Rocks, Wispas, and Oreo Bites bags have all fallen in size from 110g to 100g.
Even Cadbury’s – a monolith of chocolate in the UK – isn’t immune to the practice, with its Twirl Bite bags dropping from 109g to 100g while still selling at £1.75.
While shrinkflation has resulted in general outcry across the nation, it isn’t entirely without explanation.
Cadbury’s parent company, Mondelez International, has pointed to rising costs across the board, including those for cocoa, dairy, transportation, and energy, all of which are adding pressure to maintain profits.
Considering how much cocoa prices have spiked in recent years, even reaching historical highs of $10,000 per metric ton earlier in 2024, there might be some justification behind shrinkflation.
While our favourite bars might be shrinking — or vanishing altogether — chocolate remains as popular as ever.
Now you just need to decide which bar you’ll be enjoying on World Chocolate Day!