Expert says Nestle is ‘ageist’ for getting rid of Caramac bar – as fans demand its return

Distraught fans have slammed Nestle for ‘appealing to the youth’ and ignoring older customers after revealing the beloved Caramac has been discontinued – with one brand expert slamming the confectionery giant as ‘a bit ageist’.

The sweet treat has been axed by the brand, which claims it’s not as popular as other treats in their range.

But it’s been a lifelong favourite for many Britons, with some now demanding that Nestle reverses its decision.

Speaking to FEMAIL, brand and culture expert Nick Ede said that the demise of Caramac is a ‘shame as it was a staple for so many years’.

‘It is important for brands to evolve and create new product but to many Caramac was a heritage one and very popular. It made its name for itself after the war and was super popular with baby boomers but it seems to have fallen out of favour or flavour should I say!

‘It feels that Nestle are being a bit ageist towards the product and have left it on their product shelves to die. 

‘They could revive with clever marketing and brand awareness for the TikTok generation but if the demand isn’t there then this will be another piece of nostalgia that bites the dust.’

The caramel-based bar – which is made from condensed milk and treacle and doesn’t contain cocoa – first appeared on shelves in 1959, making it a staple for Generation X and beyond. It was created by confectionery firm Mackintosh’s before the brand was taken over by Nestle in 1988.

Adverts saying it was ‘as smooth as chocolate and as tasty as toffee’ dominated airwaves in the fifties and sixties.

Taking to social media today, hundreds of fans have moaned it’s their ‘dad’s favourite’ or that the sweet treat ‘reminds them of their grandparents’.

‘My dad’s favourite always get cancelled,’ one foodie wrote on Facebook.

‘It’s appealing to the youths, I always associate caramilk with my grandparents,’ another added.

The discontinuation of Caramac after 64 years follows the axing of other post-war staples including Toffo and Tooty Frooties.

Toffo was a British brand of toffee, produced by Mackintosh’s, that was discontinued in 2005, at the same time as Cadbury’s favourite Spira – a milk chocolate bar in a helix shape.

A year before Toffo was launched in 1964, Rowntrees launched Tooty Frooties, which was then cancelled in 2018.

A Nestle spokesman told MailOnline ‘We are very sorry to disappoint fans of Caramac. 

‘There has been a steady decline in its sales over the past few years and we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue it. 

‘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 our consumers’ tastebuds.’

One outraged user on X, formerly known as Twitter, questioned ‘Caramac being discontinued Is this some sort of sick joke???’ alongside crying emojis.

The brand responded: ‘We’re sorry to hear you’re disappointed. Unfortunately it wasn’t as popular as others in the range, so it’s been discontinued’.

Another person wrote ‘woke up to the news that Caramac is being discontinued and it quite frankly has ruined my day,’ meanwhile one simply said, ‘Rest in peace Caramac’.

The announcement prompted one fan to reminisce on their childhood, writing: ‘My earliest memory of Caramac was having a Caramac Easter egg as a kid, contained two (maybe three) bars. Eating the whole lot at once and being so sick.’

Others replied ‘loved it soo much,’ and ‘can’t believe my fav choc is to be discontinued’. A user called the treat ‘a true classic’.

Fans have been suggesting alternatives to the sweet treat.

First up is ALDI’s vegan blonde chocolate Moser Roth.

‘Caramac is being discontinued but ALDI do a cruelty free version for about £1.80 and it’s deeeeeelish,’ one person wrote on X, as they shared a picture of the chocolate bar.

For those Caramac lovers looking for a little bit of luxury, the golden blonde chocolate from M&S is also an option.

One person wrote on X: ‘Public Service Announcement: Following the withdrawal of Caramac bars, I recommend the following from M&S which is a slightly posher version.’

And Cadbury’s Australian import Caramilk was also lauded as tasting just like the discontinued candy.

Sharing a photo of a Caramilk bar on X, someone wrote: ‘This is basically a Caramac. I was pleasantly surprised when I had one the other week.’

But fear not Caramac superfans, as there are a few ways you can grab the last of these beloved candy bars.

Caramac bars can no longer be found for sale online at Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons, and while they still appear on the Sainsbury’s website, they are out of stock.

The forgotten bars of yesteryear: Other popular chocolates which fell by the wayside…

Mars Delight: 2004-2008

On May 15, 2020 Elizabeth Oliver launched a petition to bring back Mars Delight. 

She wrote: ‘I believe this is one of the best chocolate bars that I have ever tasted and the dismay I felt when Mars took the decision to stop the production of one of my most savoured treats.

‘I, with the support of those who share this passion for the chocolate that I love so much hope that Mars will bring the production of this amazing chocolate bar back (or at the very least a box I can get hold of).’

Unfortunately, only 25 people have signed her petition so far .  

Time Out: 1992-2016

Time Out bars were on the shelves for just shy of a quarter of a century before they were withdrawn in the year of Brexit. 

Taaha Rehman wants the snack returned to the shops and has launched his own petition. He wrote: ‘The birth of my first child, my wedding day, making my first million; all are moments that can be dwarfed by the magnitude of the might [original] timeout bar.

‘The delicious, smokey, wafer laced with chocolate inside sandwiched by another layer of the famous Cadbury chocolate, ment a bite of this wasn’t a snack but, an experience. To call it a mear chocolate bar is itself a form of mild sacrilege.’ 

Unfortunately, only 210 people share his view.  

Cadbury Spira: 1989-2005

Carla Jack in September 2018 launched her petition to bring back the Cadbury Spira bar. 

She wrote: ‘I think its time Cadbury started bringing back some of its golden oldies. I remember going swimming with school and using my locker money after to buy spira for the bus back to school. It was a classic, along side marble, dream and taz bars. Cadbury need to bring back some of these classics, lets see if there is anyone out there who feels the same.’

Unfortunately, only 280 people share her opinion.  

Cadbury Snowflake: 2000-2008 

John Malogony launched his petition to bring back the Cadbury Snow Flake in June 2018. 

His appeal has been far more successful in attracting support than for those seeking the return of the other snacks. 

He wrote: ‘In 2008 Cadbury broke hearts by discontinuing the Snow Flake (or Flake Snow). The bizarre decision still baffles people to this day and it needs to be rectified.

‘Say it with me now: BRING. IT. BACK! BRING. IT. BACK!’

He has attracted 7,257 supporters, though this probably is not enough for Cadbury’s to reintroduce the product. 

Cadbury Aztec 1967-1978

The Aztec was a chocolate bar manufactured by Cadbury’s from 1967.

It consisted of nougat and caramel, coated with milk chocolate, and was packaged in a deep purple wrapper.

Cadbury’s introduced the Aztec to rival the Mars Bar, but it was taken off the market in 1978.

There was a brief revival in 2000 with the Aztec 2000, but it was once again discontinued shortly after. 

Cadbury Dairy Milk Marble 1976-2012

Despite being discontinued over a decade ago, B&M reintroduced the Dairy Milk Marble as a limited-time offering last year. Unfortunately, it did not become a permanent addition. 

Dairy Milk Marble was reportedly the number one request across Cadbury’s Australian social media channels after it went off sale – and a petition to bring it back received over 20,000 signatures.

‘Marble fans asked, and we’ve listened! It’s the chocolate Cadbury fans have been demanding we bring back and we’re so excited to see it return into people’s homes and we wanted to ensure that they heard this great news first,’ said Cadbury Marketing Manager Katrina Watson.

The treat, which features a milk chocolate and white chocolate blend with a hazelnut praline centre is only available in Australia, having been discontinued in 2012. 

Milky Way Crispy Rolls: 1994-2022

Over 8,400 people signed a petition to save Milky Way Crispy Rolls after they vanished from supermarket shelves last year – however, this was unsuccessful.

The retro chocolate bar, manufactured by Mars Wrigley UK, added crunchy wafer rolls to the classic, creamy Milky Way.

It was produced for a total of 24 years before being discontinued in 2022.

KitKat Caramac: 2005-2007

A seamless blend of two favourite chocolate bars, the KitKat Caramac combined the KitKat’s wafer with a sugary caramel coating.

The limited edition chocolate bar was sold in 2005 and 2007, but hasn’t been seen since.

Fox’s Echo Bar: 2001-2011

Fox’s Echo Bar made its debut in the early 2000s, but was discontinued after a few years.

It included a combination of milk and white chocolate atop a crispy biscuit base. Additionally, a mint version was available.

Following the discontinuation of the bar some 12 years ago, Fox introduced the Velvety Bar as a replacement, although it didn’t manage to win over fans. 

Cadbury Taz Bar: 1994-1998

Similar to the Freddo bar available today, the slab of Cadbury chocolate used to resemble Loony Tunes character, Taz The Tasmanian Devil.

The 90s cartoon character, created in milk chocolate and caramel, was released alongside a relaunch of the Freddo Bar in 1994.

Although it was a popular choice for pocket money treats, being priced at 5p, the Taz Bar was discontinued after a few years.