Toblerone lovers in the U.K. were shocked after opening their favorite chocolate box and seeing that a huge chunk of each triangle was missing - there were big gaps in between each peak. Despite a prior announcement on Toblerone's official Facebook page on Oct. 15 about a change in the chocolate's size, fans were not expecting that Mondelez International will destroy the product's trademarked appearance.
Smaller Weight, Same Old Toblerone?
Back in October, an announcement was made that there will be changes in the size of two Toblerone variants. According to the company, they are trying to deal with the burgeoning costs the best way that they can, "but to ensure Toblerone remains on-shelf, is affordable and retains the triangular shape, we have had to reduce the weight of just two of our bars in the UK."
During last month's announcement, the company assured consumers that they will only decrease the weight of the chocolate. Hence, it was quite a shock when consumers saw that the chocolate's appearance looks more like a bike rack than the Matterhorn in the Alps which is the inspiration behind its shape.
Toblerone Travesty: Mind The Gap
Mondelez International's decision to decrease the weight of the chocolates had some negative reactions but the last straw was when they destroyed Toblerone's signature look. Many fans aired their woes on social media. Some consumers even threatened to boycott the chocolate brand until they bring back its normal appearance. Although the U.K. market was the only one affected by this change, fans from all over the world expressed the same sentiments.
In reply, Mondelez International's External Affairs Head Gemma Pryor issued a statement that the company had to choose between increasing the price and changing the shape and they went with the latter. At the moment, surging prices is among the biggest issues in Britain after it decided to cut its ties with the European Union. However, Pryor defended that this choice has nothing to do with "Brexit."
In an effort to address the public outrage, Toblerone's Facebook administrator also posted that they will not compromise when it comes to quality. Furthermore, the recipe did not change and the chocolates are still manufactured in Switzerland. The post explained that the 400-gram bar is just 360 grams now and the 170-gram bar is down to 150 grams. However, they emphasized that the change is only applicable in the U.K.
