Toblerone, the iconic chocolate bar found at airport duty-free shops everywhere, is undergoing a bit of a makeover in the United Kingdom. Mondelez International, the candy company that makes the bar, is shrinking its product in the UK, removing roughly 10 percent of the chocolate in two different sizes, according to CNN Money.
The prices remain the same, but Toblerone bars that previously weighed in at 170 grams are now 150 grams. Four hundred-gram bars are now down to 360 grams. And as a result of the changes, Toblerone’s iconic shape, meant to resemble the Swiss Alps, now draws a closer resemblance to one of those spike strips at a rental car lot.
Obviously, UK residents are losing their minds over the change, and they’re blaming it on a familiar foe: Brexit. Many believe the decision to leave the European Union, which has already had various affects on the local food and restaurant industries, is now wreaking havoc on a beloved chocolatey treat.
America. We voted for the angry, short term, blame-game option. NOW LOOK AT OUR TOBLERONE. pic.twitter.com/4ak6wDDxcz
— Daniel Hardcastle (@DanNerdCubed) November 8, 2016
Brexit just got real.
— John Prescott (@johnprescott) November 8, 2016
Via @markcjgreenwood #toblerone pic.twitter.com/VyFT7KGDvv
OK - I've put it to the test. The new #Toblerone looks underwhelming at best BUT it makes the perfect toast rack... pic.twitter.com/tdROkdwsX7
— Will Foster (@wgsfoster) November 8, 2016
After Toblerone, more shocks as Stonehenge suffers from Brexit effect. pic.twitter.com/ANKFT6vEoU
— HaveIGotNewsForYou (@haveigotnews) November 8, 2016
look at this fucking austerity toblerone of the end times and weep https://t.co/hLmHS7he4Y
— Warren Ellis (@warrenellis) November 8, 2016
OKAY GUYS. Let's try to look at this positively. The new #Toblerone would make such a lovely bookshelf... Right? pic.twitter.com/CD2EDqRsCz
— Laura Ellen Anderson (@Lillustrator) November 8, 2016
Look at the bloody gaps in this Toblerone pic.twitter.com/jLUMn0g4Bc
— Think Defence (@thinkdefence) November 8, 2016
#Toblerone in another 3 years: pic.twitter.com/EUmhB5x1FP
— Lisa (@biscuitahoy) November 8, 2016
Chocoholics are just now discovering the shrunken candy bars, but Mondelez actually announced the changes last month. In a statement posted on Toblerone’s Facebook page, the decision was blamed on the rising cost of ingredients.
Toblerone remains one of the best value and most delicious Swiss chocolate products in the market. This is because we always work hard to ensure we offer value for money for our consumers, but like many other companies, we are experiencing higher costs for numerous ingredients. We carry these costs for as long as possible, 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, from the wider range of available Toblerone products.
And despite some Britons’ belief that this is another disastrous side effect of Brexit, a spokesperson for Mondalez tells the BBC that simply isn’t the case. Although, the spokesperson did admit the current exchange rate is "not favorable."
• Toblerone Changes Its Iconic Shape and Chocoholics Go Crazy [CNN]
• Toblerone Triangle Change Upsets Fans [BBC]
• What Will Brexit Mean for Food in the UK? [E]