Caramac scrapped: Nestle confirms 'difficult decision' to stop making the iconic bar

For more than 60 years Caramac proved a popular alternative to chocolate, but due to competition and falling sales, Nestle is ending production, ITV News' Sarah McKinley reports

Nestle has confirmed it will stop making Caramac bars.

The iconic sweet treat has been on UK shelves since it was introduced in 1959, but not for much longer.

Ususally found alongside its more chocolatey Nestle counterparts, such as KitKat and Smarties, the Caramac is a caramel flavoured bar.

Its name is derived from the syllabic abbreviation of caramel and Mackintosh's - the Norwich factory which originally manufactured it.

In 1996 Nestle moved production to its factory in Fawdon, near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Nestle said: "We are very sorry to disappoint fans, unfortunately we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue Caramac.

"We know fans will be disappointed to see it go, but this change will enable us to focus on our best-performing brands, as well as develop exciting new innovations to delight consumers’ tastebuds”

Fans of the bars have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their disappointment, using the hashtag #savethecaramac.

One user said: "Heartbreaking news that #Caramac is to be discontinued. One of the only sweet treats available when chocolate gives you migraines. Please reconsider."

Another reacted: "A crime has been committed here on this day."

While one particularly upset X user said: "Now, on top of everything, they’re discontinuing CARAMAC!!! This is an act of pure EVIL!!"

It comes as Nestle revealed a fall in sales volumes as shoppers were put off by higher prices in October.

The Cheerios maker said it increased its pricing by 8.4% for the first nine months of 2023 amid continued food inflation.

Nestle said KitKat continued to gain market share, as its confectionery arm, which also includes brands such as Smarties and Quality Street, saw high single digit growth, supported by higher pricing.

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