‘Disappointed’: Fans share reactions to the ‘new’ Quality Street chocolates

The makers of the beloved Quality Street chocolates have introduced some changes to the long-enjoyed treat, and fans are not pleased with the updates.

What changed?

For many, changing the shape and size of some of the nation’s popular Quality Street chocolates was a step too far.

Nestlé announced the shape changes to the Purple One and Orange Crunch in March, but shoppers realised they were lighter too. They are both now the same shape as the Caramel Swirl.

In its former Brazil-nut shape, the unwrapped Purple One weighed 9,59g. It now weighs 8,46g. The unwrapped weight of the new-shaped Orange Crunch also reduced slightly, from 9,06g to 8,72g, according to The Guardian. However, there has been no change to the overall weight of the box. A tub of Quality Street in 2024 comes in at 600g, the same weight as a tub in 2023.

Additionally, Quality Street replaced the plastic wrappers for recyclable paper – another change that consumers are not happy with.

One shopper airing their annoyance about the changes to the Purple One said Nestlé had ‘destroyed the shape, size, taste and texture’.

“The new-shaped The Purple One and Orange Crunch sweets are slightly lighter than the previous-shaped sweets, but the net weight of the tub remains the same.”
Nestlé spokesperson

Consumers react and they are not happy

Many people associate Quality Street with special occasions, whether as a Christmas treat or as part of Eid celebrations. For some fans, it symbolises the start of the holiday season or brings back childhood memories.

This year, however, many fans are unhappy and even upset about the changes made to these popular chocolates that have been around since 1936.

South African sweet legends

Over the years, many chocolates have disappeared from South African shelves that some people miss. The list of discontinued chocolates is quite long, but let’s reminisce about a few.

Tempo and Chocolate Log disappeared from our shelves not too long ago. In 2017, Cadbury replaced the Tempo Bar with its less-popular cousin Cadbury 5 Star. Manufacturers discontinued Chocolate Log in August 2020.

Other chocolates that bring back fond memories for many South Africans are Perky Nana, Inside Story, Take Two, Cabrio, Caravan, FFWD, and Holey Moleys.