To be a little shocked and disappointed that Green and Black's Organic Chocolate is now owned by Mondelez International?

[BlackBeltInChildWrangling]

I thought that Green and Black's was one of the last bastions of good mainstream chocolate, especially since Dairy Milk doesn't, (IMO and that of the DCs), taste as nice these days. What now for Green and Black's - palm oil and bits of Oreo and so on being added?!

It was bought out by Cadbury in 2005, who were taken over by Kraft in 2010, becoming Mondelez in 2012, so it’s been a while.

Really?! I'm obviously out of touch. I only know now because I received a voucher after emailing about Dairy Milk quality/the greasy taste of a gift, and saw Green and Black's listed on the voucher.

I don't like G&B choc, it's too harsh

I discovered this after inadvertently buying 2 bars after being given a (nice tasting) gift box. The bars were disgusting sugar and palm oil crap and so bad they went in the bin. I looked it up and found out that it is no longer made by a reputable company.

I buy Waitrose own brand now, and will do so unless they add palm oil or change the recipe and it becomes nasty.

Do Iceland have own brand chocolate? It might be a good thing if they do, with their new view on palm oil.

This is really old news, sorry! A friend of mine used to work for Cadbury; she said some of the G&B team weren't too impressed after the takeover when they had to leave their plush offices and relocate to Cadbury in Uxbridge.

They kept it quiet because they wanted people to carry on thinking it was a small ethical organic brand, I guess......

Go check out Cocoa Runners online and order some proper chocolate

Old news, eh?! Story of my very small (but busy) life, where chocolate is an occasional guilty pleasure, never mind for the DCs!

I dumped G&B ages ago when Cadbury took them over. Divine choc is nice and I'm very partial to the co-op chocolate orange bar. Mmm.

I've moved away from G&B too, and am currently liking Divine chocolate bars (from Waitrose/Ocado).

A big fan of G&B's dark chocolate especially, so that's a shame.

Moser Roth from Aldi.

Sainsburys also sell divine

G&B tastes like gravy IMHO ...shame because, being dairy-free, it’s the default chocolate people buy for me as a gift

Like gravy?!

Yes, I seem to remember a very nice Divine Dark chocolate and raspberry?

I once bought an Aldi white/vanilla one to cook with, tasted a little piece or 3, (as you do), and it was very good indeed.

G&B dark chocolate used to be vegan, but they can't label it that now because they no longer fully clean everything between the dark chocolate manufacturing and milk chocolate manufacturing - when Cadbury took over, they worked out that it was cheaper just to flush the system with whatever chocolate they were switching production to - the end product looked and tasted the same, and it meant that they were able to produce more and cut costs, but there's a slight risk of contamination. No idea if that's still the case, mind.

Lidl and Aldi still have decent choc ... hope they won't go the same way.

blackbelt yes it’s got a strange ‘savoury’ taste to it that I haven’t tasted elsewhere...Lidl much better in my opinion, especially the orange and almond one (when it’s in stock!)

I realise how lucky we are to be discussing such a first world problem, but it's the little things that keep you going, quite often, isn't it?

Thanks for the tips everyone. My current shopping list of things to try in future:
Divine
Waitrose own brand
Lidl orange and almond
Cocoa Runners (though assume this is more of a gift/big treat option)

I saw Co-op orange chocolate on offer in the garage this evening and was tempted! I'd always been a fan of the Co-op brand, (as had my late dear parents), but have been put off more recently. Things like them leaving me to be savaged by the cowboy parking company who operate their small store car park, buying up an old village pub nearby to turn it into a convenience store, buying up the small family funeral firm we used for my late DM, the banking arm being less ethical IMO now etc. Even used to be insured by the Co-op! I might give their chocolate a miss as my views might impact negatively on the taste experience!

Aldi Moser Roth was going to be on the list, but I've just seen some reviews online which are critical of recent changes to the recipe/taste, (and bar size).

My plan is to use the voucher for G&B's, probably for the last time. It's a fiver, not over generous but not to be sniffed at. It should buy a box of the small variety bars and a larger bar, when both are on special offer. Should last a while, if we're polite and restrained!

Then it's off to chocolate pastures new...