Cadburys anger after Crunchie Easter egg cut sparks debate over shrinkflation
cadburys has ignited anger after admitting some Crunchie Easter eggs now include less chocolate, a change was driven by “higher costs” as shoppers found smaller bars and higher prices on supermarket shelves this Easter.
Cadburys Ultimate eggs: what’s inside
Cadburys has also rolled out a range of premium “Ultimate” Easter eggs, sold in several major supermarkets for between £13 and £16. These extra large eggs weigh between 368g and 398g and come in multiple flavours: the Crunchie version (385g) is a Dairy Milk shell with honeycomb pieces embedded and includes eight individually wrapped Crunchie pieces; the Biscoff (368g) blends Dairy Milk with Lotus Biscoff biscuit pieces and contains eight individually wrapped Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff chunks; the Mini Eggs (374g) is a hollow milk chocolate shell studded with small pieces of Mini Egg sugar coating and includes a small bag of whole Mini Eggs; the Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut (398g) contains fruit and nut pieces throughout the shell and includes two bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut.
Public reaction and admission
Cadburys admitted the change to the Crunchie egg was a result of “higher costs, ” a move that left some customers fuming when they opened boxes expecting a full-sized bar. Natalie Norton, a food retail worker from Coventry, posted on social media: “Erm Cadbury, what the hell? Where’s my Crunchie?” She said the single treats-sized bar left her and her mother with only a “bite each. ” Other shoppers described the premium eggs’ pricing as “robbery” and compared some oversized products to a “rugby ball, ” underscoring mixed reactions to the new ranges and pack formats.
Quick context
Which? has found that Easter eggs are being hit by both rising prices and shrinkflation, with the Which? food price inflation tracker showing the cost of chocolate up 12. 6% year on year versus an average supermarket food inflation figure of 5. 6%. That squeeze helps explain why Cadburys and retailers are changing pack contents and launching higher-priced, larger-format products at the same time.
What’s next
Retailers, manufacturers and consumers are likely to keep watching how pack sizes, inclusions and pricing evolve across seasonal ranges; for now cadburys faces a fraught Easter season where both premium launches and admitted reductions in chocolate content have become a major talking point. Further customer feedback and retailer stocking choices will shape whether these changes stick or trigger wider adjustments in the market.
