Black Magic chocolates - any alternatives that taste like the old Black Magic?

[Hollieandtheivie]

My MIL likes a box of Black Magic at Christmas, but she's said for the last few years they don't taste the same. I have no knowledge about how they used to taste, so wondering if anyone has found something similar I can buy as an alternative? I think they hold a place in her heart as she used to eat them with her aunty so if I could get something that tastes closer, I'd be pleased. Any ideas? 😊

I'd check out a local chocolate maker. We use Gorvett & Stone in Henley, quite a few really nice, nicer than BM chocolates.

She’s not looking for nicer though, she’s looking for chocolates that taste the same or similar to BM.

You need dark chocolate without palm oil in.

So many chocolate brands arent what they once were. i know this is about Black Magic but i read somewhere that the M and S tin of chocs are nicer than Quality Street.

@BedlingtonLint yes nicer than todays horrid BM - more like the old BM of the 1970s, not made with palm oil.

Following out of interest. Old Black Magic were really nice, felt very posh and only had on rare occasions, now they are slimy and palm oily.
I think going posh is the only way to recreate them.

I love dark mints so a box of Bendicks mints would be my substitute. Also a good sub for modern slimy After Eights.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I've done a bit of goggling for palm oil free chocolates and I think these might be ok:

https://leonidasbrighton.co.uk/products/leonidas-heritage-dark-9-chocolates-box

Has anyone tried this company? I haven't heard of them before. I should mention that id be happy to pay up to £20 ish. I wouldn't want to get it wrong and make an expensive mistake with a large box. If I find something that she's happy with, I'll get her a big box next time.

Leonidas have been around a while and are good.
also agree that Bendinks are great

https://www.chocolatetradingco.com/buy/superior-selection-dark-chocolate-gift-boxes

I've also spotted these which look nice but can't double check the ingredients.

I would go with Leonidas if you're ordering online, because they can be trusted to handle them correctly. Not that I have any reason to think the other company won't. But I've been sent quite expensive chocolates in the past via third parties (not saying Amazon, but it was Amazon) where they obviously hadn't been stored properly and had become dry and hard. Disappointing and a bit embarrassing, when the present giver wanted to get me a bit of a treat.

That's made my mind up! Ill go with the Leonidas. I'll report back after Xmas with MIL's verdict. 🤞

I bought some Leonidas chocolate yesterday from a Belgium service station. It's a good choice if she liked Black Magic.

Just a quick update: I gave the leonidas box to my mil for her birthday instead of Christmas. She's just told me that they are like the old Black Magic! I'm delighted!! Thanks all. 😊

Great result!
Reading about Black Magic is such a blast from the past - I loved them and thought they were very sophisticated as a child (easily pleased). My favourite was the chocolate brazil.

These were my mums favourites I’d forgotten about the Brazil nut! Occasionally, if the weight was too low they’d add a small chocolate Neapolitan to make it up.

I miss the old black magic butterscotch :(

@Ilovemyshed Toffee and mallow, liquid cherry…

You have just reminded me that Black Magic was my Mum’s favourite, especially the one with the Brazil nut! We were only allowed to eat the occasional one, which was wasted as my brother and I didn’t like dark chocolate. But we ate them anyway. They were certainly considered posh in our house and only appeared at Christmas and on her birthday. She died in 1988 when I was a child and I had forgotten this memory. Thank you for the reminder. ❤️

I am older now than she lived to. I only remembered my Dad’s favourite was quality street which has never taken my fancy as an adult but I’m going to point DH in the direction of Leonidas as he was asking me for another present idea for Xmas…