Kinder Bueno tops National Chocolate Week poll, as indulgence set to become a winter trend

Britsuperstore analysed over 4.5 million UK search results​ to reveal Kinder Bueno attracted over 500,000 searches over the past year, with a 6% search volume increase since the previous year.

A deeper dive also reveals that more than two-fifths of Brits confess to being chocoholics, and as many as 45 % would really struggle to try and give it up.

The results (below) also show that dark chocolate is the most searched for type of chocolate with an overall search volume of over 170,000, and Cadbury’s leads the way as the UK’s most popular chocolate manufacturer with over 580,000 searches in the past 12 months.

Paul Morris, European Sales Manager at premium Colombian brand Luker Chocolate said: "The UK chocolate market is currently thriving, with new and innovative products cropping up constantly. Plant-based chocolate is already firmly established in the sector, offering dairy-free products that delight planet-conscious consumers. Market interest is peaking in products that use alternative sugars - like coconut sugar - or use no sugar at all and are instead sweetened with ingredients like stevia​."

Morris told ConfectioneryNews that indulgence will be a major trend as the northern hemisphere moves into the winter months with more products released in the lead-up to Christmas. The top flavour pairings in the UK are hazelnut and caramel, which are appearing in most new product launches this year, said Morris.

"As with the rest of the industry, it's clear that consumers are unwavering in their commitment to sustainability. They want products that are ethically sourced, and for companies to provide proof points to back claims up. We encourage chocolate brands to source high-quality ingredients from suppliers working closely with farmers. Better yet, they should source from those using innovative agricultural techniques, which help to generate more income for farmers, support local communities, and nurture the environment. This is what it takes to be truly sustainable in cocoa​.

UK’s Most Searched Chocolate Bar (12 Months)

1.         Kinder bueno - 523,340

2.         Snickers - 283,149

3.         Carama - 237,564

4.         Dairy Milk - 175,561

5.         Mars Bar - 163,970

6.         Yorkie - 162,082

7.         Kitkat  - 159,559

8.         Freddo - 155,925

9.         Bounty - 155,841

10.       Twix - 133,417

11.       Bournville - 126,507

12.       Curly Wurly - 125,628

13.       Flake - 124,378

14.       Double Decker - 111,239

15.       Aero - 110,061

Most Searched Type of Chocolate (12 months)​

1.         Dark Chocolate - 178,228

2.         White Chocolate - 158,611

3.         Milk Chocolate - 545,43

Top 5 searched for chocolate brands (12 months)​

1.         Cadbury - 580,389

2.         Toblerone - 499,804

3.         Nestle - 383,146

4.         Lindt - 249,945

5.         Galaxy chocolate - 80,658