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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think Thorntons are kidding themselves?

105 replies

Storytown · 23/12/2014 16:43

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

OP posts:
HMF1 · 23/12/2014 18:27

I think Thorntons got heavily involved in producing own brand chocolates for supermarkets, they certainly produced chocolates for M&S. It is likely that the supermarkets will have very specific & possibly bland requirements & this may have filtered through to their own ranges.

GatoradeMeBitch · 23/12/2014 18:30

But it doesn't taste anything like it used to wowfudge! Cadbury's tastes rancid now. I wish eating it could make me summon up the memory of how it used to be but it can't!

SilentBob · 23/12/2014 18:30

I don't like any chocolate although I'd love to.

I'm aiming for pointless post of the year award.

MamaMary · 23/12/2014 18:32

The best chocolate is Cote D'Or, a Belgian brand that is not too sweet, nor bitter like Green N Blacks', just deliciously chocolately.

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 23/12/2014 18:39

CatsClaus - they still make apricot parfait, but they're called apricot delice now (they're my favourite, so I had a hunt for them!).

In fact, the only chocolates I'll buy from Thorntons now are apricot parfait and the marzipan in dark chocolate. Their toffee is nice though.

Lilymaid · 23/12/2014 18:45

It was good back in the 70s/80s when the chocolates were delivered to the shops weekly. Continental were good and there was a more expensive range that was also good. Then came the slide to poor quality, availability everywhere, not just their shops and financial problems.
I'd agree that the toffee is probably the best thing they do now.

PicaK · 23/12/2014 18:47

They just seem to have concentrated on reducing the cocoa content as much as possible.

lurkerspeaks · 23/12/2014 18:52

I agree - very disappointing especially the bloody classic collection - I have elderly relatives who always buy me a box because they think it is classy.

Left to my own devices I buy Prestat or C&W champagne truffles and the mixed boxes of choc, orange segments. I'm a sucker for the popping candy!

Stealthpolarbear · 23/12/2014 19:13

Have the Viennese truffles been ruined? I used to love them.

Rinoachicken · 23/12/2014 19:22

I used to love the 'Eden' chocolates (based on 7 deadly sins) and they were a lovely treat at Christmas/birthday etc. but then they randomly stopped them a few years back and the rest of thorntons just all tastes the same to me, don't buy them anymore.

ellenjames · 23/12/2014 19:23

We got some snow dog choc from there last year and it ended up in the bin, it was the worst choc I have ever tasted, and I have tried a lotGrin

ThereIsAPartridgeInTheKitchen · 23/12/2014 19:42

I was given a box of thorntons for my
secret santa present at work but now a pp's comment has got me worried that they were trying to tell me they aren't fond of me Blush.

I haven't ate any yet. Are they really that bad?

LoofahVanDross · 23/12/2014 20:30

ThereIsAPartridge They absolutely hate you.

Summerisle1 · 23/12/2014 20:33

It's just not nice is Thorntons. Most of it tastes the same regardless of it being a so-called selection and all of it is unpleasantly sweet and leaves a distinctly cacky aftertaste.

Mind you, the fact that it comes in enormous boxes that cost virtually nothing should be a giveaway. Really good chocolate comes in small quantities!

Summerisle1 · 23/12/2014 20:34

And yes, they are fooling nobody!

londonrach · 23/12/2014 20:42

Partridge unless you really want to eat them id regift them!

CrockedPot · 23/12/2014 20:48

A friend of mine bought some chocolates back from Latvia, they were absolutely gorgeous, like Thorntons used to be..I just don't think they make them like they used to.

catsmother · 23/12/2014 21:08

Am glad I'm not alone in thinking Thornton's is disgusting now. Years ago it did taste different, and seemed an indulgent treat. Agree that it all tastes the same now - which would be bad enough if it was nice - but it's not, just boring and waxy, with maybe the odd bit of nut thrown in for additional 'interesting' texture.

We too get boxes of the stuff from ILs at Xmas - and I confess I've been guilty of buying the big Tesco boxes when they're reduced even further in the post-Xmas sale because you think it's too good a bargain to miss and maybe, they might not be as bad as you remember.

But they always are ......

They used to do a variety of white chocolate 'summer' truffles which were great, really zingy flavours like lime and orange. Don't like any of their stuff now.

EssexMummy123 · 23/12/2014 21:33

I still like them, having been given Hotel Chocolate every birthday/Christmas for the past few years i quite enjoyed having Thorntons again - they're not as bad as cheap unknown brand chocolates.

DoubleValiumLattePlease · 23/12/2014 21:45

This is so interesting! My DH was given some Thornton's for his birthday by a work colleague. We were so disappointed in them - overly sweet, strange texture, indistinguishable flavours - that I wondered if I could do better. From a standing start of absolutely no chocolate experience I now make about 8 different varieties and have sold loads to friends and work mates. Each one has only around 3 ingredients and even if I say so myself they taste amazing. I really urge everyone to have a go!

windchime · 23/12/2014 21:56

DH's boss gave us a box of Thorntons chocs for Christmas today. We were a bit Xmas Shock. Tight bugger.

HellKitty · 23/12/2014 22:02

I bought myself a huge box of their caramel and toffee chocolates to eat when DP was on nights. Two chewy toffee ones and the rest were a mishmash of truffley shite. Can't even get the DCs to eat them.

Bowchickawowow · 23/12/2014 22:07

I like them. I do not have a discerning palate.

Mountainygirl · 23/12/2014 22:11

I used to love it. When I went shopping with my mum as a kid, she would let me go to the counter and pick out half a dozen chocolates and they were lovely. They have been awful this past few years, they taste like old, stale chocolate

TheBooMonster · 23/12/2014 22:13

I quite dislike their chocolate and DD can't have it anyway the woman on the counter knowingly informed me that yes all their chocolate had soya in without even checking, I suspect that she hadn't a bloody clue what soya actually was as she sounded quite proud but we tend to buy a box for DH's nan most years (unless I can get away with going to hotel chocolate instead). I went in there to grab the obligatory box for his nan this year and was quite surprised to find that despite having tonnes of loose snow dogs in their displays they only sell them in gift sets with the chocolate soya death filled men... it's customer service like that that's fucking their profits...