To just want old chocolate back

[SideEyeSally]

I really rarely eat chocolate these days but thought I'd treat myself over xmas. All the ones I used to love and remember fondly Roses, Dairy Milk, Heroes, Quality Street just tasted greasy and dissapointing. My sister has suggested splashing out on high end Hotel Chocolate next year but I don't want posh chocolate I want cheap chocolate from 20 years ago. I would pay good money to a company that could sell me a perfect dupe of the Dairy Milk I grew up with.

I totally agree.

Cadbury’s Dairy Milk pure chocolate is still ok but NOT now used for Roses (they use unbranded couverture chocolate instead).
You have to pay a bit more to get decent chocolate. Best supermarket chocolate is Lindt, Aldi, Lily O’Brien and probably Rittersport.
You have to pay a lot for really great chocolate (Charbonnel Et Walker, the big Belgian brands, Fortnum & Mason etc). Don’t rate Hotel Chocolat - too fancy for me. Others would disagree!

I bought a tub of Quality Street for Christmas '23, and was really surprised at how awful they tasted. I binned them cos they were just too disgusting.

Try M&S, their mountain bar is how Toblerone was before it got reduced to oily slop!

Tonys and ritter sport are good and not too spenny.

The ‘oily slop’ is down to the palm oil. Never mind the environmental devastation it causes, it’s cheap. That’s why Cadbury’s et al use it. They don’t give a stuff how it tastes. Don’t buy it, vote with your wallets!

Cadbury’s little bars and freddos still seem old recipe.

When they get rid of palm oil in every sort of chocolate I'll be happier.

I totally agree. Had some revolting quality street at Christmas. Was so disappointed.
My DM had some Bendicks though (posh After Eights) and they were still good.

I don't rate Hotel Chocclat to be honest. I'd prefer Lindt or Aldi, or as a treat Montezuma.
Proper Belgium chocolates as a treat (but I would check for palm oil).

Absolutely agree, we’ve got to stop buying the stuff so they listen.
And agree OP, it is very sad and annoying what has become of Cadbury’s chocolate. I can’t eat it anymore.

Cadbury's dark milk does not contain palm oil and tastes more like the old cadbury chocolate as far as I can remember

We really like the m&s version of roses called big mix.

I was given some After Eights this Christmas and they were truly horrible; chewy and greasy, not crisp and minty as I remember them from the 80s. Glad to hear Bendicks haven’t gone down the dark path yet. I’ll try them next time.

I heard hotel chocolat was bought over & will now be as shite as the others.

oh god, after eights 🤮 it was like eating toothpaste in brown plastic. I’ve given up now, like what OP said - I just want ‘normal’ chocolate !

It all tastes awful. Crappy palm oil. What a shame.

Forgot the M&S ones were a bit better. Oh well, next year!

I did the same I brought myself some milk tray as a treat 🤢 I didn't enjoy one of them and as for quality street, what quality? they are awful even the wrappers are disappointing! I've just brought a reduced pouch of whisper minis they are almost the same as they used to be, still it all helps with the new year's resolution to cut out chocolate 😞

Another vote for M&S if you want old skool milk chocolate. The plain bars, mountain bar, “big mix” should definitely satisfy the itch.

Also, Hotel Chocolat have a January sale if you want to try some of their Christmas chocs now just to see how you find them!

OK I need to try this. I love I think it's called their big daddy bar, it's amazing.

I got a gift pack of Hotel Chocolat the other day and they were not nice. At all.

My favourites are Leonidas and Neuhaus.

I had some after eights as well that were vile!

Don’t bother with Hotel Chocolat.
Used to be our favourite for a little bit of good quality. But Mars have bought it, put the prices up, made contents smaller and my guess is quality will go down at some point too.
There are some great British independent manufacturers if you want a quality treat.

I agree. I’ve binned the quality street tub (shite packaging, all taste the same) as not even the kids will eat them and we’ve still got tubs of heroes unopened. In a moment of madness over Christmas I bought two boxes of hotel chocolate that were half price for £23, didn’t like them either, sounded nicer than they were. I keep remembering the huge metal tin of quality street at my grandparents, you could put your hand in and feel all the different textures and shapes. And then stuff yourself with them.

I’d still fight anyone for a chocolate orange, but the rest is just meh.

I did get some black magic as a gift last year and quite enjoyed them
Otherwise agree completely
Hotel chocolat all hype and not that nice
Lindt etc too sweet
Even orange creams aren't as good , fondant strangely hard .
Bendicks still good if you like dark

I agree; modern chocolate is often disappointing and can be horrible.
Lindt truffles are still excellent and the traditional Cadburys: fruit and nut, dairy milk etc. Star Bars and some other 'bars' still delicious.
Quality Street, Roses etc not worth eating.
Ferrero Roche disgusting but they always have been, Ambassador.

I was devastated to find out this Xmas that even Terry’s Chocolate Oranges have become inedible.

What was done to Cadbury’s Dairy Milk is a crime. How can you buy an incredible brand like that only to instantly wreck everything that made it so? If I think back really hard I can mentally ‘taste’ the old style Dairy Milk. As someone else said, what I wouldn’t give for those to return!

Crème eggs were still nice until a couple of years ago. Now full-on 🤮🤮🤮