Festive chocs that have risen the most in price revealed including Quality Street & Cadbury – are you paying 108% more?

CHOCOLATES that include festive favourites have soared in price by as much as 108% in the past year.

These sweet treats include big-name brands like Quality Street and Cadbury, as well as supermarket own-brand snacks.

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Many Christmas chocs cost at least 50% more than they did last year in some of the worst inflation across grocery items, research by Which? has found.

Despite supermarket food and drink inflation in general slowing to 8.3% in November, price rises on chocolate as a food category were almost twice as much at 15.3%, according to the watchdog.

This has been put down mainly to rising costs of key ingredients, like cocoa and sugar.

Supply issues and poor production have hit both of these in the last 12 months.

It’s important to note that Which?’s research does not include loyalty prices or special offers.

Several supermarkets will have deals on, especially at this time of year so make sure to compare when you shop.

Among the worst offenders is Asda, which was found to have increased the price of its own-brand Chocolate Caramel Chews by a whopping 107.7% since 2022 – up from 65p to £1.35.

A 336g box of Malteser Truffles at the supermarket soared from £5.15 to £8, an increase of 55.2%.

While a Quality Street box (220g) went up by 50% to £3 from £2 at the same store.

Elsewhere, Morrisons hiked the price of its Bolands Elite Chocolate Kimberley teacakes from £1.30 to £32.59 – a rise of 99.2%.

At Tesco, a 80g bag of Cadbury Snowballs went up to £1.50 from £1, increasing by 50%.

And the cost of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange soared at Asda by 50% to £1.50 from £1.

Matchmakers went up by 49.9% from £1.26 to £1.89 at Sainsbury’s.

Aldi’s Dairyfine Titan and Lidl’s Mister Choc Choco and Caramel Bars saw similar increases from 62p and 65p respectively on average to £1.09 and £1.08 – a rise of 75.8% and 66.8% respectively.

Here is the full list of price increases:

• Asda – ASDA Snack Size Chocolate Caramel Chews (6x38g) – from 65p to £1.35 – up 107.7% 
• Morrisons – Bolands Elite Chocolate Kimberley (132g) – from £1.30 to £2.59 – up 99.2%
• Aldi – Dairyfine Titan (6 pak) – from 62p to £1.09 – up 75.8%
• Asda – Green & Black’s Organic Classic Miniature Chocolate Bar Collection (180g) – from £3.59 to £6 – up 67.2%
• Lidi – Mister Choc Choco & Caramel Bars (6x38g) – from 65p to £1.08 – up 66.8%
• Asda – Mars Snickers, Twix, Maltesers & Milky Way Funsize Milk Chocolate Bars (20 pack) – from £2.50 to £3.99 – up 59.8% 
• Aldi – Dairyfine Jive (5 pack) – from 69p to £1.09 – up 58% 
• Asda – Nestle Black Magic Dark Chocolate Box (348g) – from £3.35 to £5.25 – up 56.6%
• Asda – Dairy Box Medium Chocolate Box (326g) – from £3.35 to £5.25 – up 56.6%
• Asda – Maltesers Truffles Chocolate Large Gift Box (336g) – from £5.15 to £8 – up 55.2%
• Ocado – M&M’s Brownie Bites Milk Chocolate Pouch Bag (102g) – from £1.30 to £2 – up 53.3%
• Asda – Cadbury Milk Tray Chocolate Box (360g) – from £3 to £4.50 – up 50%
• Tesco – Cadbury Mini Snowballs Chocolate Bar (110g) – from £1 to £1.50 – up 50%
• Tesco – Cadbury Mini Snowballs Chocolate Bag (80g) – from £1 to £1.50 – up 50%
• Asda – ASDA Milk Chocolate Turkish Thins (180g) – from £1 to £1.50 up 50%
• Asda – Quality Street Assorted Chocolate Box (220g) from £2 to £3 up 50%
• Tesco – Terry’s Chocolate Orange MinI’s Bag (125G) – from £1 to £1.50 – up 50%
• Asda – Terry’s Chocolate Orange Milk (157g) – from £1 to £1.50 – up 50%
• Sainsbury’s – Quality Street Matchmakers Zingy Orange Chocolate Box (120g) – from £1.26 to £1.89 – up 49.9%

Despite the higher prices this year, both Cadbury owner Mondelez and Quality Street maker Nestle have reported an increase in sales this year as cash-strapped shoppers turn to more basic gifts and treats this Christmas.

Which? Retail editor Ele Clark said: “Festive selection boxes are one of the staples of Christmas, whether you’re buying a last-minute gift or sharing chocs with your loved ones in front of a classic seasonal film.

“We’ve seen large price hikes on some festive favourites this year, so to ensure they’re getting the best value for money on their Christmas chocs, shoppers should compare the price per gram across different pack sizes, retailers and brands.”

A Mondelez International spokesperson said: “We understand the ongoing challenges faced by shoppers in the current economic climate which is why we look to absorb costs wherever we can.

“However, we are continuing to incur significant increases in input costs across our supply chain which has meant we occasionally have to make difficult decisions, such as slightly increasing the price of some of our products.

“We have carefully considered the approach we take across our product portfolio in the UK to ensure we continue to make the best quality products at the best value prices.”

Nestle said: “Like every manufacturer, we have faced significant increases in the cost of raw materials, energy, packaging and transportation, making it more expensive to manufacture our products.

“We are doing everything we can to manage these costs in the short-term, but in order to maintain the highest standards of quality, it is sometimes necessary to make minor adjustments to the weights of our products. We also aim to make any long-term changes to prices gradually and responsibly.”

A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said: “While prices can go up and down for a range of reasons, we’re committed to offering our customers the best possible value. We have invested millions into keeping prices low on the products we know our customers buy most often and the cost of these items have stayed well below the headline rate of inflation.

“The vast majority of our customers are members of Nectar and have the opportunity to benefit from a range of savings, including with Quality Street Matchmakers Zingy Orange Chocolate Box which are available for just £1.25 with Nectar Prices.”

Meanwhile, the BRC says that falling inflation shows supermarkets are lowering prices.

British Retail Consortium economist Harvir Dhillon said: “The continuing fall in food inflation is a clear sign of supermarkets’ efforts to deliver the best value they can for their customers.

“Food inflation has fallen significantly in recent months and many food retailers are introducing further discounts in the run-up to Christmas as they seek to support their customers with the rising cost of living.

“Chocolate has been hard hit by soaring global cocoa prices, which have almost doubled over the last year, reaching a 46-year high.

“The cost of cocoa has been badly affected by poor harvests in parts of Africa.”

Asda, Lidl and Tesco declined to comment to Which?, and it didn’t hear back from Aldi, Morrisons or Ocado.

The Sun has reached out to all of the supermarkets for comment.

What other ways can I save on food shopping?

Don’t forget about these easy tips to slash a few pounds off your weekly shop.

Get a loyalty card

Signing up for a supermarket loyalty card can often help you to get cheaper prices on essentials.

If you have a loyalty card, you may find you can get extra points or discounts, particularly if you buy petrol from the same supermarket.

The Sun recently compared the best supermarket loyalty cards in this handy guide.

Asda promises shoppers extra perks, as well as competitors Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

But it’s worth comparing loyalty schemes – and remember you don’t have to stay loyal, despite the name.

Know when to shop

Heading to the shops when products are marked down and bright yellow discount stickers are applied can save you serious dough.

If you shop in the evening, you are more likely to find goods that have been marked marked down.

But each branch of a supermarket will have its biggest discounts at slightly different times of day.

We put together a handy guide to what time supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Tesco and Lidl reduce their prices.

Make a list

One of the most common mistakes shoppers make is going out underprepared.

Making a list will help to stay focused on getting the items that you really need, rather than being drawn into impulse purchases.

Another tip is to choose a smaller trolley – or a basket, if possible – to shop with.

A bigger trolley will look emptier even after you’ve finished trawling the aisles and can encourage you to pick up more items.

Swap to own brand

Ditching items with labels like “finest” in favour of “own” or “value” can be worthwhile.

The Sun regularly tests supermarket own brand products to see if they can beat the big brands.

Tesco‘s milk chocolate digestives were recently given a score of 10/10 and gave it top marks for both taste and price.

That compares to 7/10 for the branded version (£1.90 for 266g at the time).

We’ve tried dozens of supermarket copycats of top snack brands – seven winners better than Cadbury and Mr Kipling.

You can also try checking frozen alternatives to fresh fruit and vegetables and looking on the lower shelves where customers are known to find better deals.

Meanwhile, The Sun revealed the exact amount Quality Street, Celebrations and Roses have shrunk over the years.

Plus, the cheapest place to buy your favourite Christmas chocs this week – and it’s not Lidl or Morrisons.

You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk