Easter and Chocolate go together, but Lindt has created a problem with a surprising warning.
The famous Swiss chocolatier is closely associated with the Easter season, largely because of its popular golden bunnies.
But you might reconsider adding one of the gilded sweet treats to your basket this year, as the chocolate brand has stated that it has to increase the prices of its products.
Lindt’s 100g chocolate bunnies currently cost £3.75 in supermarkets like Sainsbury’s and Waitrose and £3.50 in Tesco. The exact amount of the higher prices has not been announced, but the manufacturer has indicated that the cost of some raw materials has gone up by 114%.
In an interview with French publication Actu, Gilles Rouvière, who represents 70 iconic brands including chocolatiers Lindt, Ferrero, and Nestlé, confirmed the price increases and explained why they are happening.
The rise in prices has been attributed to increasing costs of packaging, transportation, and wages.
‘The fault lies with heavy rains in Ivory Coast and Ghana, along with a significant drought, which disrupted the harvests,’ the General secretary of the chocolate union explained.
‘The difficult weather in these two countries, which are the main bean producers and powerful exporters, has caused cocoa prices to rise. In one year, the price per tonne increased by 114%, reaching an average of €4,500 over the year’.
The Lindt Gold Bunny was first introduced by the Swiss company in 1952 and was created by Rodolphe Lindt. It became a instant hit in Germany, before arriving in the UK in the 1990s.
Since then the Bunny has undergone several small changes over the years, with different packaging and ribbon options being added, as well as different sizes being released.
The company released a chocolate bar version earlier this year, which is available in Sainsbury’s for £3.00.
Certainly, Lindt has many other options for those with a sweet tooth looking for chocolate this Easter. You can also purchase a 195g milk chocolate egg for £10 at Tesco, Waitrose, and Ocado. And the iconic Lindt Lindor truffles, which usually cost around £4 at the major supermarkets.
However, based on the new warning, all of this is likely to change.
As many chocolate lovers already know, Lindt is not the only company raising their prices due to soaring production costs. In February, Cadbury fans (especially Dan Walker) were left in a complete state of shock after fans said the price for a 1kg bag of Mini Eggs was essentially the cost of a mortgage.
Mondelēz, who own Cadbury, defended the price hikes — including a staggering £17.50 for a bumper bag of Mini Eggs — saying they were a ‘last resort’.
A Mondelēz International spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘Making changes to the price of our products is always a last resort, however, costs across our supply chain have risen steeply.
‘Core ingredients we heavily rely on, like cocoa and sugar are a lot more expensive, while the cost of energy, packaging, and transport also remain high.
'As a result, we have to raise prices on our products to ensure we can still offer the brands people love while maintaining their great taste and quality.'
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