Cheap chocolate and presents from MIL

Since Cadbury's was sold it's become awful due to excessive quantities of vegetable oil. The EU has a strict definition of chocolate Lidl bunnies comply with.

The recipes changed when they were bought and they even lost their royal warrant last year.

It's considerably better than Cadburys these days. She could teach her children to appreciate proper chocolate - which both Aldi and Lidl sell.

This 100%

I think @CurlewKate was being sarcastic.

Well, Cadburys is rubbish since it was taken over by an American firm, which changed the recipe, so I avoid it. I try not to buy Nestle chocolate because that firm used to 'donate' baby milk to hospitals in developing countries in order to encourage mothers to artificially feed babies instead of breastfeeding, which resulted in malnourished babies (milk was too expensive) and ill-health. If your MiL is my generation she may feel the same about that company.
Aldi do excellent chocolate which is inexpensive - a range of solidly chocolate chocolate 90% cacao solids, down to a good range of good-tasting milk and white chocolate - made by Moser Roth.
£20 for a present to a GC is my limit, as it happens. I have 9 children to cater for and consider that is quite enough for a present - usually books (esp as some must be posted).

Love it 🤣

Own brand chocolate is not necessarily rubbish. I tend to buy Aldi's plain chocolate range, which is as good as Green and Black's and miles, miles better than Cadburys, which I never buy. Your iLs probably enjoy buying things for the GC, perhaps a series of small delights as they collect gifts over the year. Just because you don't like these things doesn't mean your DC don't enjoy them. And what do you know about iL's finances? They are having to pay high energy bills etc. now, after all (and have for everal years) and their money may not stretch as far as you think it does. Gifts given with love are gifts for which thanks are due.

My late FIL asked me for ideas on what to get my eldest for his first birthday. He went with my suggestion (which was based on what DS was showing an interest in) spent a seemingly outrageous and extravagant 30 pounds 😱 and 5 years later that toy is still in active service, being used by youngest as well as our neighbours kids! DS remembers who bought him it, which is lovely as FIL is no longer with us.
By contrast, MIL gifts whatever nonsense she can find on sale. Mountains of it. Whether it’s age appropriate/decent quality/in any way relevant to her grandchildren’s interests is entirely not the point. It’s not about them, it’s about her enjoying a bargain hunt. Couldn’t tell you how much tat has come and gone from her while that carefully chosen, slightly more expensive toy bought by FIL goes on and on.
Also, I used to buy the Aldi chocolate for kids stockings as I think the packaging is very sweet, but kids think it’s rotten and I agree. So it’s one Lindt Santa now which they enjoy very much. And I love an Aldi brand swap as much as the next person so it’s not snobbery, it’s preference.
So I’m team OP 🙌 you’ve had a hard time on this thread but I totally understand your frustration.

You and your kids sound like insufferable snobs. Whatever happened to ‘Be Kind?’ Why are you trying to bring your children up to be be rude and ungrateful to their grandparents?

YABVU and ungrateful. Perhaps that’s the only shop they can get to/afford. Some people disagree with being constantly ripped off by branded stuff.

I would be incredibly hurt if somebody asked me to stop buying gifts for them, especially in the future as a Grandmother. I can imagine it brings GPs a great deal of pleasure to give to their GCs. Picture yourself as a future GM and being asked that 🙀 what type of GP wouldn’t buy these gifts for their GC?!

My 2 children only have 1 GP alive out of a possible 4 and would be so delighted to see them/receive any chocolate or gift from them.

The polite response to receiving any gift from anyone is to smile and say thank you. If you then must re-gift or donate it, do it quietly and tactfully, whilst always reiterating to your children how kind it is for anybody to buy them anything.

Give the chocolate away on Olio, or make chocolate crispy cornflakes cakes/cookies.
There is nothing wrong with the 2 for 20 toys in B&M. But either sell for cheap on Vinted or give away on Olio.

That sounds very snobby 😐

You cba to explain?

Sounds a bit lazy to me.

Cadburys don’t get a mention. Lidl and Aldi both do.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/mar/23/i-could-eat-the-lot-the-best-new-easter-eggs-for-2025

speechless!

It's not disgusting though. I know a lot of food snobs who buy Lidl chocolate and wouldn't touch Cadburys with a barge pole. Lidl chocolate frequently wins in taste tests and is considered good quality chocolate.

Some of our family do this too with the chocolate, I have started to tell them my son will not eat cheap chocolate so please don’t buy it. If they do we tend do melt it to put in a cake or something and feed it back to them.

Yeah tell the inlaws your kids don't like cheap shit

😂

Lindt chocolate costs a lot more than Cadburys and tastes loads better. You just jumped the shark. The Lidl bunnies are even better, Aldi and Lidl chocolate are far better than any other high street brand, I love Aldi milk chocolate.

What age are the children.? Could you just say DC are at an age where they like to shop for themselves. Perhaps they could have a gift card or a money envelope. Cinema vouchers etc. It's worth an ask.

and also the opinion of most people who have replied on this thread.

Lidl are a known brand.

Cadbury's have gone from being a top quality chocolate to being decidedly meh since they were sold. They are not a brand I buy anymore and I can get it at discounted prices.

You need to drop the attitude. Those gifts are chosen with love and possibly as much as they can afford. Two for ten pounds isn't 'cheap' it's normal for most families. Just to point out , your children sound as if they need guidance in appreciating their toys. If they don't play with what they have, put some away and then re-introduce them later. They sound overindulged and will never learn to appreciate the merits of good and bad manufacture of toys if they only ever get 'The Best.' Perhaps you could train your children to take care of their toys and choose a toy from their stores to give to a charity to celebrate their birthday, knowing they will be getting an excess for their birthdays.

Maybe ask them for vouchers for favourite shops/cinema or days out, or a national trust membership etc

Cadburys isn’t that expensive? Why don’t they get them that ?
You’re not exactly asking them to get fancy chocolate.
Sometimes it’s the novelty type chocolate that’s really not nice at