CADBURY has issued a major update after pulling an iconic treat from shelves.
Shoppers have been hit by a shortage of Cadbury Drinking Chocolate in recent weeks after the product was temporarily pulled from shelves.
Retailers will once again be restocking the beverage this week, Cadbury has now confirmed.
It comes after baffled customers had been desperately trying to track down the iconic winter treat.
One said on X: “Is there an issue with your hot chocolate supplies? (Swirl into Milk version) searched high and low in all local supermarkets and there’s none on the shelves!”
Even cafes had tried to find the hot chocolate powder but to no avail.
Meanwhile Oliver’s Coffee House in Sherborne, Dorset, asked: “Hi there, has your drinking chocolate been discontinued?
“We usually buy the 2kg or 5kg tubs from @BookerCatering but they’ve totally vanished!”
Cadbury owner Mondelez confirmed to The Sun that the product had been withdrawn from shelves.
Companies withdraw products sometimes for various reasons, in this case, it was due to a quality issue, not a safety one, Mondelez said.
A spokesperson from Mondelēz International apologised to customers and said at the time: “Ensuring our consumers enjoy consistently high-quality Cadbury products is of paramount importance to us.
“We have identified a food quality issue in Cadbury Drinking Chocolate products meaning in some instances the texture and colour of the product may not look as expected.”
Since November, Cadbury has been trying to get the hot chocolate back on shelves.
Now, the chocolate giant has confirmed to The Sun that the beverage will be returning to retailers this week.
However, it did say that shoppers should check in with their local retailer to check if it’s in stock.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Cadbury said: “Cadbury Drinking Chocolate will start to be stocked back in major retailers this week.”
Despite the good news, Mondelez is unable to say for certain when each retailer will have the drinking chocolate back in stock, just that it has begun restocking it.
It comes after some shoppers found cheeky sellers flogging the powder on eBay for as much as £30.
CONSUMER reporter Laura McGuire explains what it means when a product is removed from shelves.
Manufacturers can pull products from shelves for a number of reasons.
In some instances, it may mean the item being sold is faulty and can pose a threat to shoppers.
And in other cases, an item may be removed from shelves because of an issue with the quality – this could mean it is not dangerous but not up to its usual standards.
If you are concerned about a product you have recently bought it is always worth getting in touch with the shop you bought it from or the manufacturer.
Cadbury has continued to sell a range of hot chocolate-related products such as Bournville Cocoa, Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolate and Cadbury Highlights for you
But if you are looking for a drinking chocolate variation you may have to look at getting an alternative.
M&S is selling drinking chocolate you can swirl into milk for £3.50 online at Ocado and in stores.
Tesco also stocks a range of similar products, such as the Twinning Swiss hot chocolate for £5.
Sainsbury’s is also selling a Maltesers Malty Hot Chocolate jar for £3.60 or £3 if you have a Nectar card.
We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…
Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.
Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.
Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.
Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.
They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.
Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.
So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.
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