CHRISTMAS wouldn’t be complete without a large tub of choccies for the family to enjoy.
M&S has launched its own contender with a massive 700g selection of Mini Bites.
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But with everyone feeling the pinch, some brands have reduced their sizes, meaning fewer chocs.
Celebrations have shrunk from 600g last year to 550g, while the price is up by 50p.
Laura Stott totted up the contents of some famous family favourites to find out how they compare.
CADBURY ROSES 550g, £6 – 51 chocs
THE popular blue tub contained fewer chocolates to share than some of its competitors.
There were a good number of signature Dairy Milk minis, hazelnut in caramels and orange cremes.
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But fans of the signature truffle will have to be quick as there are only four in the box I opened.
The container is the same weight as last year, but will now cost you an extra 50p.
QUALITY STREET 600g, £6 – 65 chocs
MORE chocs than any other tub – and at 600g, the purple offering is the second-biggest on the shelves, as well as being the same size as last year.
That said, the price has increased by 50p from 12 months ago.
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There were plenty of Fudge and Orange Cremes to enjoy and a decent amount of the famous Purple Ones, although Green Triangle devotees may feel short-changed with just four up for grabs.
MARS CELEBRATIONS 550g, £6 – 59 chocs
THERE’S not much to celebrate in terms of size, with the tub shrinking from 600g in 2023 to 550g this year, while the price is up by 50p.
If you love Snickers, Mars Bars or Milky Ways you’ll find lots of each.
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Sadly, though, there was only one Snickers in this tub, which was inedible due to the damaged packaging, while the Maltesers and Galaxy Caramel count came in at just five each.
LINDT ASSORTED 337g, £10 – 27 chocs
POSH and pricey, Swiss Lindt choccies are larger than the average individual wrapped cocoa treat, which explains why you get fewer in this sharing box.
There’s a fairly even amount of each different type of truffle, with just one fewer salted caramel compared to the others.
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An expensive option though.
There were:
- 7 Milk (red)
- 7 White
- 7 Coconut (pale blue)
- 6 Salted Caramel (dark blue)
MALTESERS ASSORTED TRUFFLES 200g, £5.75 – 21 chocs
MARS, which makes Maltesers, describes this variation on its familiar brand as “the malt crunch you know and love, plus a creamy truffle filling, all wrapped in our finest white, dark and milk chocolate”.
If you like your chocs in your sharing box to be a little lighter, then Maltesers fit the brief, but the 200g packet is rather small.
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There are twice the number of milk choc balls than white and dark combined, so you will have to move quickly if those are your favourites.
CADBURY HEROES 550g, £6 – 60 chocs
THERE is plenty to scoff in this giant tub of perennial family favourites, which contains 60 individual chocolates.
The weight is the same as 2023, but this year there is a 50p increase in price.
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With 11 each, there were more than double the number of Dinky Deckers and Fudge than the other chocs.
Twirl was the lowest with four, while Dairy Milk, Dairy Milk Caramel and Creme Egg were five each.
MARKS & SPENCER MINIBITES SELECTION TUB £10, 700g – 48 chocs
NEW for Christmas this year, M&S has launched a giant sharing tub of its much-loved mini bites.
At £10 it’s pricey, but the 700g tub is the biggest supermarket selection around, with 48 good-sized chocolate treats inside.
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There are only three different types of treats but the spread is pretty even – 15 Chocolate Mini Rolls, 16 Caramel Crispies, and 17 Cranberry Clusters – so there are plenty to go round.
TESCO FINEST FREE FROM TIFFIN SELECTION BOX £5 – 12 chocs
THOSE with dietary requirements or intolerances which prevent them enjoying standard dairy-based chocolates can feel rather left out at Christmas, so this free-from sharing pack is a great alternative.
And the even amounts of Cranberry and Orange, Belgian Choc and Rocky Road Tiffin in the box means there won’t be any arguments about who gets what either.
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