Cadbury Chocolate
I know it is a bit unusual to post something unrelated to tea, but I feel it’s my duty to provide some info that many people might not be aware of—English Cadbury chocolate and American Cadbury chocolate are not the same!
The English Tea Store website has a great article about Cadbury’s history. Toward the end, the article mentions that the manufacturer of Cadbury brand confections was licensed to Hershey. This means that most of the chocolate in the USA that bears the Cadbury name is actually produced by Hershey—just take a look at the back of any Cadbury bar at your local supermarket, and you’ll find the Hershey name in much smaller print!
British Cadbury Candy Bars
While it might not seem like a big deal, the proof is in the taste. The first time I tasted English Cadbury was on a trip to New Zealand about 6 years ago. What caught my attention was the much larger number of different varieties of Cadbury available there—they not only have Dark and Dairy Milk options, but also more “exotic” blends like Fruit and Nut, Tiffin, and Golden Crisp. Needless to say, my interest was piqued enough to try one. To my surprise, the chocolate itself actually tasted sweeter, creamier, and much more distinctive than the Cadbury I’d had in the US. My whole family bought a bunch of bars and we were busting them out of the freezer for special occasions over the next several months!
Cadbury Creme Egg
Although licensing the manufacture of their chocolate to Hershey probably makes sound business sense to Cadbury, many American customers are really missing out on the unique flavor of real English Cadbury. Thankfully, we have a few good sources like English Tea Store that provide authentic Cadbury at reasonable prices. For a very small fee you can purchase a bar from the supermarket and compare it with one from English Tea Store to see what you’re missing out on!
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36 comments
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May 2, 2009 at 10:42 am
Carole Bourne
I also know that to be true from WAY back when I would send my Mum in Plymouth UK a large bar of plain milk chocolate , she wrote saying it tasted “funny” the funny difference being I pointed out we use English cows milk they eat English grass etc so it makes it taste like the chocolate I was brought up with ,CREAMY and DELICIOUS.
Hence having very few and far between local “Brit”stores that are all over Florida and California and not wanting to pay the HIGH price of a bar imported from the UK I look forward to the parcels my sister now sends the family over to enjoy each square by square .
May 5, 2009 at 9:07 am
Tommy McLaughlin
Carole–
You bring up a great point. It’s incredible how different chocolate from America tastes when compared to the UK. You’re not the first one who’s made the claim that UK chocolate is creamier than its American counterpart, and I’m sure you’re not the last
It’s a shame how few true “Brit” stores there are in America, personally I’d like to see alot more. I understand it can sometimes be a bit costly to purchase imported chocolate, so I’d like to maybe help you out. If you use the coupon code “ets5off” at checkout at our store, we’ll give you $5 off your purchase. I know it’s just something small, but we’re trying to do everything we can to help everyone through these tough times. Who says you can’t have a sweet tooth in a tough economy?
–Tommy
May 19, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Ann Byer
YES!!! finally a place where i can tell everyone how awful American chocolate is. At first my co workers didn’t belive me, then on a trip back to England i brought them some cadbury’s chocolate and it was the biggest mistake of my life, because since then everytime i go to England they give me money and orders to bring back chocs for them….
April 15, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Patricia Coker
I’m British from Oxfordshire England originally. (I’ve lived in the USA for almost thirty four years now. (My husband was in the military, and we travelled to several different states, over the years).
I agree totally. I was disgusted with the taste of American Chocolate. (I got some Valentines candy from my husband and YUK!!). There is no doubt that cadburys is the best.
However I was unaware that although it is made by Hersheys over here, It tasted a bit different. (I thought the company had been given the exact same recipe, but I guess not). Anyway, the milk is much creamier in England too. (I miss the top of the bottle cream LOL).
May 5, 2009 at 9:24 am
Carole Bourne
Thank you Tommy
July 9, 2009 at 6:39 am
Karen
Australian chocolate is different to both English and US chocolate. An English friend who came to Australia said English chocolate is smoother and sweeter than ours. Would love to try the difference… just have to find a shop that sells English or US chocolate!!
August 7, 2009 at 10:10 am
Nancy Stone
There is SUCH a difference!! English and Australian chocolate does not have parafin in it. American chocolate has the parafin to keep it from melting, but oh, the loss of goodness!! I don’t mind the melting at all when I can get such sweet and creamy chocolate as English chocolate. We always look forward to our packages from family at home. Thanks for giving us a goo English online store.
December 1, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Anne Barton
And I thought I was just being a chocolate snob, imagining a difference where there wasn’t one. Thanks for this thread. It’s good to know I was right after all, ha ha! I for one am so upset by this whole take over business that I’m going to write to Cadbury stating my preference for British chocolate remaining British. Explaining that, if all else fails, I may just have to boycot – that will make them think twice. Well, maybe if we all do it…
December 2, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Carole Bourne
I heard about Cadbury being taken over ,that is NOT on….ALL ex Pats UNITE leave Cadbury chocolate where its ALWAYS BEEN
December 9, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Dianne
yes, I had to think that it would be taken over by an American company because our chocolate can’t hold a candle to the Brits.
January 17, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Victoria
I’ve been saying the same for years! Don’t let English candy be Americanized!! As kids, my sisters and cousins used to wait for parcels from English relatives because we knew the good stuff was coming! When I find a store that sells Flakes or Turkish Delight by Cadbury’s UK, I stock up and share with my sisters (sort of share, that is!). The only good chocolate in the US these days is made by small, independent candy makers.
December 6, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Pat Henderson
Apparently the bid to take over Birtish Cadbury is coming from Kraft Foods, which I understand to be owned by an American tobacco company.
I can’t think of any worse fate for Cadbury than to be controlled by such an organization. The Cadbury board of directors seems to feel the same way as they immediately rejected the Kraft offer. So now share holders are being approached to approve the sale over the next two months.
If this hostile take-over goes through, I’m relunctantly extending my personal boycott of all things bearing the Kraft label to British Cadbury as well.
I just hope Cadbury can fight off this undesired take-over bid.
This isn’t about a free market, this is about sheer greed.
December 22, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Kate
Oh! how pleased I was to find you. I lived in Ireland for a time and got to know how truly wonderful Cadbury chocolate was. I was so disappointed when I tried the American version. Hang in there Cadbury, we don’t want to lose something so unique and wonderful.
January 4, 2010 at 9:58 pm
T.G. Norton
Hello, I can tell there is a lot of difference between the two Cadburys. I lived in Japan for a number of years and they had the British Cadbury. Also the British Kit Kat is far superior to the American Kit Kat.
January 5, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Barbara
You are all so right! Not even the pricey Godivas can compare to Cadbury’s chocolates. Even the wrappers are better quality than American ones. I will henceforth spend all my candy money on nothing but proper English chocolates! Rule Britannia!
February 1, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Mandy S
I miss British chocolate. Have been in the states since 1988 and still crave for a box of roses, milk tray and and all the other delicous chocolates from England. Am concerned that Krafts want to take over Cadbury’s. Will they change the choc recipe? Or will they make some of the British chocs available in the states? Either way, I feel sorry to see a British company taken over by a non-british company. I always thought Cadburys was untouchable. Sad, but this is a sign of the hard times, many are facing.
April 1, 2010 at 1:47 pm
diane
thank you for posting this I have been telling my family this and they don’t believe me. there is such a difference in the U. S. and English chocolate. They actually think Hershey owns Cadbury.
April 20, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Meb
I have tried US, UK and Aussie Cadbury and the best is from NZ I must admit!
May 8, 2010 at 9:57 am
Paul
I was fortunate to live in the UK years ago . When I returned to the States and bought a Hershey bar it tasted like I was chewing on a candle! Old Jamaica bars were the best.
May 8, 2010 at 11:43 am
mary cohen
I have not been able to get the bars of English Cadbury chocolate in any of my local supermarkets for about 3/4 weeks. Is this because of the takeover by Nestles? Also Hershey chocolate is blah, when they make the Cadbury bar its not creamy and it is also gritty, with a lousey taste. I am so disapointed. I do hope that this situation is rectified soon as I am having withdrawral symptoms.!!
May 8, 2010 at 11:44 am
mary cohen
I have not been able to get the bars of English Cadbury chocolate in any of my local supermarkets for about 3/4 weeks. Is this because of the takeover by Nestles? Also Hershey chocolate is blah, when they make the Cadbury bar its not creamy and it is also gritty, with a lousey taste. I am so disapointed. I do hope that this situation is rectified soon as I am having withdrawal symptoms.!!
August 2, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Gail
Yes, British Cadbury chocolate is very different than US Cadbury. I was so disappointed when I bought a bar of US Cadbury it is not at all creamy and delicious like what I grew up on. I was afraid that they would have changed the recipe and yes they did. So disappointed. Give me the original British Cadbury chocolate any day.
August 2, 2010 at 2:00 pm
sandra
Slightly off-topic: A few yrs ago I was introduced to a Cadbury mousse flake on a British or Virgin flight from London to NY. You open it up and it’s got 2 compartments – one has a mousse-like dessert, the other compartment has chocolate flakes to put into the mousse.
It’s one of the most incredible desserts I’ve ever had and since then I’ve been trying with no success to find a company here in the US that sells it – a company like this one that sells imported goods from the UK.
Can anyone here help?
August 19, 2010 at 11:06 am
Alan
The only desert type product I can think you mean are the Cadbury Desert which has two compartments and on one it has a thick milk chocolate sauce and in the other it has the other element, which depends on the variety you have bought (eg Flake, wispa, etc). I dont recall any mousse type products being available unless they were specifically produced for airlines. I dont know anywhere specifically that sells them abroad but a search on the net may help.
October 14, 2010 at 5:29 am
Kalinda
I’ve had this mousse dessert as well! It was on a Qantas flight though, and I’ve never seen anything like it in shops here in Australia. Perhaps it is a product that is specifically made for inflight meals.
January 10, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Celiwyn
Born and raised in the USA – but my favorite favorite thing in the world was when an aunt would mail me “real chocolate” for Christmas.
Glad to see someone found some proof in the pudding to my special Christmas treat.
January 18, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Jules
Agree with all the comments being a Brit transplanted here. A couple more comments
- Interesting the Cadbury’s creme egg (CCE) picture you have on the blog is not a Bristish CCE. CCE’s are one of my all time favourtie treats and only the American made ones have green in the wrappers. A true British made CCE has only red, yellow and purple on the wrapper.
- The flake pudding isalso one of my faviourite and available in the UK – would be great to have it here, that and the Cadbury 3 layer choc pudding – yum!
March 4, 2011 at 11:00 pm
DeeCee
I have to agree also. Ive lived in America since 2002 and miss my true Cadbury’s, although not the same I can compromise on the American Cadbury’s products. That being said, each year my children go back home to visit they bring back supplies to keep us going til the following trip..lol. One chocolate which I crave is Cadbury’s ‘Jamaican Rum’ was a huge fav of mine.
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October 29, 2011 at 1:58 am
BillyBob
Glad I found this topic. I’m American and believe in the quality of many American products. But not American chocolate (nor cars, but that’s another topic). My most cherished memory of England was a visit to a candy store. This was back in the 1970s, but I’m due to visit again soon. The amazing varieties of Cadbury’s chocolates! And all of them smoother, richer and finer than anything I’ve ever found in the US — before or since. It’s sad that the Hershey (or Kraft?) product that passes for Cadburys here in the US is so poor in comparison to the UK version. I just hope the quality of the UK variety hasn’t diminished over the last 40 years, because I intend to ingest as much chocolate as I can handle on my next visit.
October 29, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Vicki Chism
Thank you for another vindication of my whole family regarding English sweets vs. American. It’s in the type of sugar…cane or corn plus quality ingredients. Sigh.
Vic
October 31, 2011 at 11:58 am
Alan
If you ever get chance you must try the Cadbury Wispa Gold! Its absolutely delicous.. its got a Wispa base (aerated chocolate) with a layer of gorgeous gooey caramel all covered in milk chocolate. Devine!
December 14, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Cat Patrick
I’m glad to find others (especially fellow Americans) that recognize the difference between American Cadbury chocolate and REAL Cadbury chocolate! I have memories of delicious Cadbury chocolate when I was visiting Australia. I can buy UK Cadbury chocolate at World Market but the selection is limited. I also buy a stash of chocolate when I visit Canada from time to time.
The original Cadbury creme filled eggs were so delicious but now that Hershey makes them in the U.S., they’re gritty and tasteless. Sigh, indeed.
Cadbury used to make mint chocolate, but I didn’t see it the last time I was in Canada. Does anybody know if this flavor was discontinued?
thank you English Tea Store!
December 19, 2011 at 11:54 am
Lola
I know that American chocolate is different! It’s like eating wax. I remember growing up in England having chocolate there and then moving to the US and having chocolate here, yuck. We couldn’t wait to get English chocolate sent to us at Christmas. What a treat it was. But it seems that in the last few years that English chocolate doesn’t seem to taste the same either. On my latest trip to the UK (this year) I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Flakes, I practically ate them all before I got home. It’s a shame that Hershey’s had to change the recipe. But sometimes that’s the American way, take something great and ruin it. I was heart broken when Cadbury was sold. I will say that I’m proud to be an American, just make better chocolate!
December 19, 2011 at 1:16 pm
A.C. Cargill
I doubt that Hershey sought to ruin Cadbury when they made it here in the U.S. Also, I doubt we are actively trying to cheapen or lessen quality – just different standards. Thanks for reading and have a great holiday season!