CHOC SHOCK
Cadbury axes popular chocolate treat from shelves for good as shoppers rage ‘Christmas is ruined’
Read on to find out what other iconic chocolates have been pulled by the brand
CADBURY has axed a popular chocolate treat from shelves for good as shoppers raged "Christmas is ruined".
One customer took to X, formerly Twitter, to ask the confectionery giant about the absence of Festive Friends in shops.
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The bite-sized milk chocolate-covered biscuits come shaped like festive characters including Santa, snowmen and penguins.
The customer wrote: "@CadburyUK what's going on with the festive friends this year I can’t find them anywhere?
"Christmas is getting ruined and it's only September….. fuming. P.s don't try telling me the festive animals are 'the same'……"
Another penned: "@CadburyUK hello have you discontinued festive friends?"
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And Cadbury confirmed Festive Friends will not return this year but signposted shoppers to two alternatives - Animal and Festive Animal biscuits.
The Animal biscuits feature hippo, elephant and lion imprints all covered in milk chocolate, while the Festive ones are the same except the packaging is Christmas-themed.
You could get a 150g box of the Cadbury Festive Friends for £1.79 on the Cadburygiftsdirect website while the Animal biscuits are available from £1 across retailers including Iceland and Poundland.
A spokesperson for the company said on X: "Hi there. Our Cadbury Festive Friends aren't returning this year, but don't worry, we have our new Cadbury Festive Animals for you to try.
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"They are the same Animal biscuits you know and love, but with new festive shapes! We enjoy them best dunked in a hot chocolate."
Choccy fans took to social media to express their disappointment at the news.
One person said: "I've had festive friends since I was a child. Getting rid of them is like getting rid of Santa.
Cadbury lovers cry bring back fan favourites as brand takes trip down memory lane
"Animal biscuits are a darker biscuit compared to festive friends. They are also a lot smaller biscuit.
"They were the best item of the festive range. Why did you pick these over others?"
Cadbury's Dairy Milk was first introduced to Brits in 1905 and has become a household staple since then.
The choc-giant has sold a wide array of treats throughout its existence but not all of their products are still on the shelves.
Many fans have been saddened by discontinuations over the years as their favourite chocs disappeared from shops.
The most recent has seen its "nostalgic" Egg 'n' Spoon cartons vanishing from the shelves with fans outraged at the news.
ICONIC CHOCOLATES THAT HAVE LEFT SHOP SHELVES
Cadbury's Dream Chocolate bar: The popular bar was discontinued in 2002, but was relaunched in 2019 under the new name 'Cadbury White'.
Mars Delight Bar: Although it proved to be a firm favourite by sweet-toothed fans during its four-year stint in shops starting in 2004, by 2008 it was removed from shelves. Fans still long to see the treat make a return.
Nestlé's Caramac chocolate bar: The one-of-a-kind bar had been in shops for over six decades, but was discontinued last year due to continual slumps in sales.
Milky Way Crispy Rolls: They were pulled from shelves in 2022, and fans were so distraught by the news that a petition was started to bring them back, which currently has more than 8,500 signatures.
White Maltesers: The white chocolate version of the popular snack had a strong run lasting 11 years, but falling sales saw them discontinued in 2014.
Produced over a decade ago, Egg 'n' Spoons consisted of four chocolate eggs in a carton filled with vanilla or chocolate mousse and even a special Oreo variety.
But Cadbury, owned by Mondelez, confirmed last year that the egg cartons which contained their spoon "have been discontinued to reflect our fans' changing taste buds".
In the build-up to Easter egg season this year, Cadbury was still having to break the news to outraged fans on X.
Shoppers have also been disheartened when they realised an iconic Cadbury Caramel bunnies are now a memory of the past.
The chocolates were made with smooth milk chocolate formed in the shape of an adorable bunny and filled with soft caramel.
Sweet-toothed Brits have been brutally shut down by Cadbury after the company confirmed their "best" chocolate bar won't be back.
Fans were left heartbroken after the firm revealed there are "no plans" to bring back the fan-favourite snack.
The Cadbury Dairy Milk Toffee Popcorn bar was first released in 2012 but has been tough to find for fans ever since.
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But it's not all bad news as fans are offered a trip down the memory lane at a Cadbury "graveyard" stocked with all their famous axed treats.
The mouth-watering chocolate collection offers fans the chance to step back in time and be reunited with their retro favourites.
Why are products axed or recipes changed?
ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders.
Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether.
They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers.
There are several reasons why this could be done.
For example, government regulation, like the "sugar tax," forces firms to change their recipes.
Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs.
They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable.
For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018.
It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version.
Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year.
Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks.
While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.
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