Thornton's Chocolate Shops Closing

[DianaT1969]

Not surprised.
Sorry for anyone losing their job.
Will anyone on here miss them?

When I was 17 (1983) my bf’s mum worked in the Burnley Thornton’s and used to bring bags of chocolates home for us. It was the best thing about that relationship 😂

I think @thelake is right about Hotel Chocolat being the new Thornton’s.

Hotel Chocolat is still only available from HC, afaik, so they are seen as more premium. Lindt have their shops where you can buy products and flavours not available from other retailers.
Hotel Chocolat are also found in Waitrose and John Lewis, and possibly Ocado?
Lindt are everywhere. They have pick and mix lindor in a few of our local Sainsburys now! The main difference is their products are actually good.

Yep, you can get HC from Ocado

Though I stumbled into the Lindt store in New York (pre-C19) and was genuinely amazed to see the huge range of flavours of lindor truffles you can pick from

There’s one in Boston too. Chocoheaven.

I am sorry for the staff but I have never been a huge fan. They used to be a big deal at xmas for DH family but I agree that once they devalued their brand they were on their way out

No surprise at all. Their chocolates are grim and greasy.
Competition from places like Montezuma’s was always going to put them at risk.

It all went downhill when they got rid of their fondant mice and strawberry pigs. The generic box of chocolates they do are very bland; the only nice ones were the summer fruits but you rarely see them.

Thorntons probably don't mind being seen as an everyday tesco purchase rather than a high end treat. I prefer it to lindt lindor which I find sickly sweet.

I like the new Continental box with the Gianduiotto and other new praliney ones.

I think they went downhill when they were bought out and no longer British owned.

Like others have said, they devalued the brand. They were something special but they let it become just another brand of mediocre chocolate.

@LubaLuca

I'm not at all surprised. They have no reason to keep the shops open when their products are for sale in every supermarket and discount store. They lost their USP years ago when they went mass market and lowered the quality to fit a lower price point.

Agree entirely Also more upmarket and superior brands like Hotel Chocolat have moved into their spot.

Sad to see another high street shop go. Hotel Chocolat is very overpriced and not that special. Give me a box of Thorntons any time.

Hotel Chocolat is nowhere near as nice as Thornton’s in its heyday.

I find it really tasteless. Looks nice but doesn’t deliver.

@BitchAssBitch

Though I stumbled into the Lindt store in New York (pre-C19) and was genuinely amazed to see the huge range of flavours of lindor truffles you can pick from

Oh golly if I Ever go to New York again will have to look that up

@Windchangeface that’s the supermarket choice to sell for less than they paid

Friends bakery used to supply Morrison on occasion and they sold the products for less than they paid for them

Loss leader I think it’s called, gets people in and you purchase other items

You don't need to go that far - the one in Manchester is pretty good.

I disagree about HC it's a lot better than Thornton's whose stuff is far too sweet and the texture is nowhere near what it used to be.

I don't know if the range is the same, but there are pick and mix Lindt stores in the UK.

Obviously closed right now, but there's one in Leeds (yes I am in Leeds for the PP who asked) and also in a lot of the outlet malls. At least a dozen different Lindt balls and a load of other stuff.

I disagree about Hotel Chocolat being overpriced. They're so far above Thorntons and generally a little cheaper than the good chocolatiers that their products are on a par with.

One of our lovely relatives always buys us a big box of Thorntons for Xmas (the box with the chocolate tree) and my heart sinks that they've been duped into thinking they're buying us something luxurious which is actually really crap quality (see also:Bayliss and Harding gift sets!). Not Great Aunty's fault, she's lovely and the fact she thinks of us is truly lovely and very much appreciated. I just get cross that the product is pretending to be high quality when it's anything but.

Thorntons used to be a luxury but these days the mass produced stuff in the shops is no better than the crappy Milk Tray mush. Why are boxed chocolates all smooth fillings these days!? They are so bland, sickly sweet and boring.

Ha ha, great minds Jackie.

That's a shame. I really like their Alpini, Viennese and Vanilla Truffle chocolates and bars. It was fun to take DD to the shop and buy her something personalised or something from the chocolate fountain. We have a Hotel Chocolat cafe shop nearby but their stuff isn't nice imo, there's a local Lindt shop too and I'm not keen on that either. Maybe I'll just stick to M&S Swiss chocolates, there's a dark chocolate with cocoa nibs in the boxes and it's the best chocolate ever.

I'm always disappointed with HC. It looks better than it tastes.

Gown down hill, better companies out there

What I will say is, we had a box of Chococo chocs at Christmas and really enjoyed them. Think it'll become a bit of a festive tradition here to get a box each year....

So there are still great chocolatiers on (some) high streets.