Double Decker Dilemma

[cleverdick]

Well, we can all go on this forum and say "do you remember this product or that product?"  And then bemoan the fact that it doesn't exist any more, and go on to say that UK chocolate has too much soya and not enough cocoa blah blah blah, and how terrible it all is.

But what does that achieve?

I believe that it would be useful to know what went wrong, how it went wrong, and what we can do to stop it getting any worse if we all wake up.  If that means taking a broader look at the industry and how it is controlled then so be it.  (It would be good to get some industry insiders on this forum.)

Perhaps some people just aren't interested and are content to lament the past.  Me, I'm just trying to zoom out a little, that's all.

[oldspice]

Well, cleverdick, blaming the Fabians for the current state of our chocolate is hardly a move forward. It basically boils down to economics. More profit is made if the contents are cheap. Interesting products such as we had in the past meant more expensive manufacturing costs. Smaller companies were taken over by bigger companies, interested only in the brand name and how much they could squeeze out of the brand without losing too much customer loyalty. Capitalism, such as we have today, delivers cheap and nasty goods to the peasants (such as me) and niche products to the elites at a vastly inflated price to convince them and their egos that they are still elites.

[GimmeTheSoddingChoc]

I'm not picking on anyone in particular, just giving an example of one possible way in which our beloved chocolate industry has gone to the wall.

The Fabians (of which Blair is a member) recently suggested that pensioners have it too good and should pay more tax.  So if that's what you mean by equality then what can I say?  Like as not they may have also said that "UK-made chocolate is too good; let's dumb it down so that it's not unfair competition against the rest of the EU".  Or whatever.  That's the point I was trying to make.  The fact that Rowntree Mackintosh, Terry's et al have gone and Cadbury is a shadow of its former self is probably not an accident.  This sort of agenda does not originate in Parliament.

I'm not blaming the Fabians specifically, just suggesting that it was a policy decision by one of their type.

I never said A WORD about equality and I am not going to enter into a political debate on a website devoted to the love of chocolate.

Yes, you did mention equality.

For crying out loud, why are you picking on the Fabian Society? What on earth have they got to do the a chocolate bar? Fabians have integrity and genuine belief in equality.

Just saying, like...

[cleverdick]

I'm not picking on anyone in particular, just giving an example of one possible way in which our beloved chocolate industry has gone to the wall.

The Fabians (of which Blair is a member) recently suggested that pensioners have it too good and should pay more tax.  So if that's what you mean by equality then what can I say?  Like as not they may have also said that "UK-made chocolate is too good; let's dumb it down so that it's not unfair competition against the rest of the EU".  Or whatever.  That's the point I was trying to make.  The fact that Rowntree Mackintosh, Terry's et al have gone and Cadbury is a shadow of its former self is probably not an accident.  This sort of agenda does not originate in Parliament.

I'm not blaming the Fabians specifically, just suggesting that it was a policy decision by one of their type.

I never said A WORD about equality and I am not going to enter into a political debate on a website devoted to the love of chocolate.

Yes, you did mention equality.

For crying out loud, why are you picking on the Fabian Society? What on earth have they got to do the a chocolate bar? Fabians have integrity and genuine belief in equality.

Just saying, like...

Yes, I didn't really like to mention that!

I don't believe it's just about economics.  If it was, then it would not still be possible to buy superior chocolate as a mainstraeam product in France, Italy, Germany and north-eastern Europe (where economies are also suffering).

As far as I'm concerened there has been a deliberate attempt to dumb down the UK chocolate industry (as with so many other things), and there will have been a conscious decision behind it.  It's certainly not random, or due to a "change in British taste".

So we have to ask why.

(Have British people's taste buds become that much more acute in two generations, such that the manufacturers have to tone down the flavour in case it's too strong?)  I don't think so.  Do you?

[oldspice]

When I say it's about economics, I don't just refer to the current recession. What I mean is: big, global companies want to buy a brand that has strong customer loyalty to capitalise on the brand and sometimes, yes, to dumb it down or eliminate it altogether because it threatens other, lesser brands.

Companies such a Kraft and Nestle are not concerned with a superior product. All they want is a strong brand name and an OK product so that they can make millions in profit. You only have to look at how Nestle has destroyed the taste and texture of strong, well-established favourites such as Aero, Yorkie, Lion Bar and so on to see this at work. A small minority of people will avoid these brands due to their dumbing down, but sufficient amounts of people will stay with them, and of course, new generations have no idea that these products were once much tastier.

There will always be a premium market, as for any product, and some people will be able to afford to indulge themselves now and then - or more regularly if they are fortunate enough.

Ok, so I did mention equality - it's of no importance because I still do not think the Fabians are to blame for the current appalling state of our once-much-loved chocolate bars. It's just a silly suggestion.

[GimmeTheSoddingChoc]

Greedy multinationals with no care for a product. That's who I blame. There was a time when Cadbury, Fry, Rowntree and Mackintosh were names to be held in high regard. Some no longer exist and others are a shadow of their former selves.