Chocolate fans have faced a number of blows over the past year. The latest came this week when Cadbury confirmed it was axing the Dairy Milk Winter Orange Crisp chocolate bar.
But others to disapear from the shelves since last November include the Caramac car and the children’s favourite Animal Bar. Fans of all three have called for a rethink – and Caramac was brough back temporarily on sale in Iceland stores following a limited run.
But they are not the only ones that can see us reminiscing about the great goodies of the past. One study by AEG asked Brits which food items they missed most and chocolate was a clear winner with the Cadbury Dream Bar, last made in 2002 coming out on top.
Others making the list incuded Milky Way Crispy Rolls, Mars Delight, Cadbury Spira and Mars Planets. We’ve taken a look at 25 of the treats from years gone by which have remained in people’s memories long past their shelf-life. Here’s some of the favourites from the past that many wish would return to sweet counters.
Caramac
Mackintosh’s introduced Caramac in the UK in 1959. The name is a combination of “caramel” and “Mackintosh”. While looking like a chocolate bar but not made with cocoa it meant it had a unique flavour. In 1988 Nestlé took over the company and manufacture continued until last November when the firm confirmed it was being discontinued as a result of declining sales. There was an outcry with a rush to buy up any which remained available then in July this year it went on sale again for a limited time in Iceland stores.
Secret
Manufactured by Rowntree Mackintosh during the 1980s and 90s it was made up of a creamy mousse centre encased in bird’s nest-styled chocolate. Packaged in gold wrapping with purple and white writing it was a hit with many. Since its demise in 2003 there have been petitions calling for its return but the pleas have so far fallen on deaf ears.
Animal Bars
Mackintosh launched its Animal Bar just four years after the Caramac. These were small bars of real chocolate which had no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives making them ideal for little children. Each had a game inside with the chocolate itself featuring a picture of two animals. News that it was being discontinued came at the same time as Caramac’s demise however some people were still able to get their hands on it in B&M stores earlier this year.
Time Out
Time out was two fingers of chocolate wafers manufactured by Cadbury. It was launched in 1992 but then in 2016 it was discontinued across most of its markets, again with the firm citing declining sales. It was replaced with single-bar version called Time Out Wafer which has more wafer and less chocolate than the original Time Out.
Applause
This was a fruity bar was made up of tasty biscuit base topped with a layer of soft caramel with raisins and apple covered in milk chocolate. It was launched in 1989 but was out of production before the millennium.
Nutty
The Rowntrees bar was a chewy fudge and caramel bar encased in peanuts. They became a popular treat during the 1970s however most have forgotten about them today.
Cabana
Cabana was a chocolate bar produced by Rowntree’s in the 1980s. It combined coconut, caramel, cherries inside a milk chocolate outer layer. It was discontinued in the early 1990s.
Texan
This chocolate covered nougat and toffee bar was manufactured during the 1970s and 80s. It had as bold orange wrapper and was advertised with a cowboy who told viewers “sure is a mighty chew”. It was discontinued in the 80s but was brought back as a limited “nostalgia” edition by Nestle in 2005.
White Maltesers
This sweeter alternative to the milk chocolate Maltesers was a vsariation of the long-running brand. They were on sale for 11 years before being discontinued “due to a lack of sales” in 2014.
Dream
White chocolate fans loved this Cadbury bar. It was originally launched in the UK in 2002 but disappeared from the shelve due to lack of demand. It did come back in 2019 under the name of Cadbury White, initially as an Asda exclusive but has since been made available elsewhere.
Mars Planets
These small sweets were launched in 2007 by Mars. They were a mixture of three flavours in one bag – chewy caramel, soft nougat and surprisingly crispy. While popular with many they were discontinued in 2007. And it seems they are still in people’s memories as they came 5th in the AEG poll of which chocolates people want back.
Trophy/Banjo
This bar was launched under the name of Trophy in the 1950s but two decades late it changed its name. It originally featured two chocolate-covered wafer fingers but was discontinued in the 1970s. Then in 1976 it returned to the shelves under the name of Banjo and along with the name change the revamped bar came in two flavours – peanut, in a blue wrapper, and coconut in red. It finally disappeared during the 1980s.
Golden Cup
These deliciously decadent Mackintosh bars were milk chocolate with a soft toffee centre which oozed out when the bar was broken into. The bar was around for about 20 years but was scrapped in the 1980s.
Topic
ThisMars-made bar was made up of hazelnuts, nougat and caramel covered in chocolate. It was launched in 1962 with a slogan which became a household favourite of “a hazelnut in every bite.” It disappeared quietly in 2021 sparking furious reaction from fans when they realised it was gone without warning.
Vice Versa
Nestle launched these chocolates in 1991. They were similar to Galaxy Minstrels but came in two varieties. One was milk chocolate encased in a white coloured sugar coating while the second was white chocolate in a brown sugar coating. They were discontinued but then had two relaunches in 2004 and 2012 but are no longer available to buy.
Cracknel
This chocolate-covered Mackintosh bar came in three flavours of orange, peanut and mint. It came in two small squares of crunchy filling held in a wrapped tray. TV adverts told viewers: “Mint Cracknell takes you somewhere cool and green.” They were also once found inside Quality Street tins.
Spira
Spira was first launched in the mid 1980s, featuring two spiral fingers of milk chocolate. It was aimed to attract 15 to 24-year-olds but falling demand meant it was scrapped in 2005. However since its demise it has been at the centre of petitions and social media groups calling for it to be brought back but it hasn’t reappeared on the shelves to date.
Maverick
Nestle’s brightly wrapped bar. packed with caramel, raisins, biscuit and toffee pieces, was covered in milk chocolate. However it had a short shelf-life being discontinued in 2000, just three years after its launch.
Toffos
Toffo’s were individually wrapped sweets made by Mackintosh’s. They were avaialble in a variety of toffee flavours, from plain to mint, strawberry and banana. They were discontinued in 2005, but then revived by Nestle. While they are no longer available in the UK they can be found abroad, being produced in the United Arab Emirates.
Bar Six
These six fingers of chocolate covered wafer and hazelnut cream wrapped in bright orange paper were a hit in the 1970s. The Cadbury bar disappeared from shops during the 1980s.
Aztec
Cadbury launched this bar in 1967. Inside a deep purple wrapper was a chocolate bar covering nougat and caramel. it was initially made as a rival to Mars Bar but was axed in 1978.
Mars Delight
Mars aimed to get a share of the diet market with this attempt at a lighter version of the traditional Mars Bar. It was discontinued in 2008, just four years after it was launched. However it had many fans and one petition garnered 5,000 signatures calling for it to be reinstated but to no avail.
Spangles
Spangles were a fruit-flavoured boiled sweets made by Mars from 1950 to the early 1980s. The original versions were sold in a paper packet with individual unwrapped sweets but these were later awirched to being wrapped in cellophane. The sweets were made in the shape of a rounded square with a circular dip in the middle of each. They were initially discontinued in 1984 but made a brief reappearance in 1995 before going for good.
Drifter
Rowntree’s launched this bar in 1980. It was made up of two fingers of chocolate-covered wafer and caramel. Nestle contined to manufacture it after taking over Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988. It was discontinued in 2007 but reintroduced a year later. It had a revival but after sales fell it was discontinued once again in 2019.