to think Thorntons are kidding themselves?

[Storytown]

Apparently Thornton's sales are down this Christmas because of problems at their distribution centre. AIBU to think that really, they need to accept it's because their chocolates aren't very nice anymore? Don't know what's changed but there's nothing special about them these days IMO. I remember them being very special indeed.

Thorntons profit warning

Hotel Chocolat rule. I think Thorntons have had their day. They don't have a USP.

I used to go in to the shop and buy 6 truffles as a treat. Wouldn't even think of doing that now. Although we did enjoy the huge box of 'pudding' flavoured chocs they did last Xmas.

They are vile. Even the dcs wont eat the box I was given.

Thornton's standards have deteriorated, their range is limited and their brand is devalued by being available in supermarkets. Competitors have taken their place. They need to upgrade and re-brand.

I agree that the quality has gone downhill, and also the brand image.

As others say, you can pick up a box now for £4 - not luxury pricing. I think you can still get the more expensive selections, but they have been de-valued.

I like them. But they've lost their prestige and I think that happened when you could buy them in Sainsburys.
I think we have become more "discerning" as a nation re: chocolate, now its considered quite awful to actually like sweet chocolate and brands like Hotel Chocolat and Prestat have raised the bar.
It's a shame imho, because its all just cocoa and fat and sugar. In whatever quantity is your preference. I don't like that its become sniffed at to like sweet sweets, personally.

YANBU. Thornton's chocolates used to be a special treat but now they are just massed produced synthetic tasting sweets that are no more luxurious than a bar of dairy milk.

I used to LOVE Thorntons - especially the cheap(er) bags of broken Easter Eggs and the Mint Toffee. Thorntons used to feel really special.
Now I LOVE Montezuma's chocolate. Though I don't actually eat chocolate much!

They are shit now. My parents still insist on buying them at Xmas for us kids because they think it's classy, and I can't say it to them but I wish they wouldn't because I don't like them at all. I pass them onto ds but even he doesn't really like them and so I end up chucking them out in October when they've gone mouldy.

Does anyone remember the little nougat cake thing they used to do with continental chocolates in the middle? Now, that was really lovely. 47 slightly different types of so-called 'praline' in a shitty box from Tescos? Not so much.

YANBU. My first ever job was in a Thorntons, about 15 years ago. Most of the chocs we sold were out of the cabinet, and they would show up freshly made and looking gorgeous. There were strict sell by dates, and everything had to be displayed a certain way. Nowadays, the branches are just full of dusty old stock. Mass produced crap that's no better than the boxes sold in supermarkets. They would have done better staying as a small brand that specialised in luxury, rather than big £4 boxes of chocs from Tesco.

I could really go for an old fashioned Alpini right now.

I agree Amanda. I do wonder when everyone stopped liking good old milk chocolate and started wanting dark chocolate, chocolate with sea salt, chocolate with chilli etc. I'm a Cadbury dairy milk sort of person, or was before kraft. The ILs were yesterday discussing a wonderful dessert that had been made without sugar, I just wondered why.

I very rarely eat chocolate, dont like most of it but I do like their Continentals, they are still nice. Those boxes of chocolates they sell in WHSmith etc are absolutely foul though, and when were last there for some toffee for my dad the kids were given a free chocolate button. 2 spat them out and the third did manage to swallow it but said "thats disgusting!" :o

Green and blacks leaves an aftertaste and bloody hotel chocolat is the emporers new clothes of the sweet world

Agree about hotel chocolat - always looks much nicer than it tastes. And Green and Blacks tastes like mud and sticks. Cadburys is shit now it's all oil and bollocks. I much prefer those 'free trade' chocolate bars you can get nowadays. Although the king of chocolate bars is Marmite chocolate. Fucking lovely stuff.

Meh. Chocolate is chocolate. Send it all my way.

emperors new clothes
This is so true. Marketing rules. We are all slaves to it and Thorntons have been its victim.

Got to disagree re: Hotel Chocolat. I think Thorntons' stuff tastes very sweet and there is now better stuff widely available. I still like the taste of Cadbury's dairy milk I think because it's remembered from childhood but wish Kraft had left the bars the same squared off shape.

I really like Milky Way stars if I'm having milk choc. tbh. I think it's nicest of all.

Has Thornton's changed... Or have we changed? Have our tastes changes to darker less sweet chocolate?
I can remember going into the shop with my mum to pick chocolates from the counter. Or getting a her a box for Xmas.
The charm has gone now you can get it in pound land?

I still love an Aero.

Thornton are shit.

Hotel chocolate doesnt taste nice. Its too bitter. Has a horrible after taste. Was ok when it first came out but its now awful. It looks pretty and agree employer new clothes. Thorntons is rubbish and judging by everyone here everyone agrees. Terrys chocolate orange was ruined when they left york. Thinking its different water. I love strawberry creams but thats linked to my childhood. Cadburys is ok but lost some of its magic now its kraft. The best chocolate us from Bruges. dumon chocolatier! But thats only what my taste buds say!

I agree, the chocolate tastes rather samey now. I would much rather just have a bite of Cadbury.
It seems everything Thorntons is unreasonable (although this case is the supermarket...) I was doing the christmas food shop and saw the Thorntons chocolate santa/reindeer/snowman stacked on the shelf, still their premium price of £8 are they taking the piss, its about 150g of chocolate and there sat a broken one, I mean completely shattered and the supermarket had reduced it according to their 'damaged but all still there' price of removing 10%. So, £7.20 for the fowl tasting chocolate remains of a stamped on snowman!!!

it's not been the same since they did away with the plain chocolate apricot parfait

I buy them in preference to QS/Roses as I hate the toffees, and ds2 has braces so cannot eat the toffees
But I get them for pennies at Home Bargains.#cheapskate :o

Didn't Thorntons get into trouble a few years back, and there was a management buy-out? IIRC it was about then that the taste changed - I guess because of economies on the ingredients? Agree that it used to be a treat, and now the chocolate's horrible and all the Continentals taste the same.