Nestle has decided to discontinue the Caramac Bar after being produced in Newcastle for 27 years.
Photograph of chocolate bars in a supermarket taken by the reporter.
The Caramac bar has been made in Nestle’s Factory in Fawdon, Newcastle for nearly 3 decades. However, following a decline in sales over the past years the firm has decided to end production this year.
Fans have been left devastated at the news that they will no longer be able to purchase the caramel-flavoured bar. A petition to save the bar on Change.org has already received nearly 30,000 signatures since the 8th of November.
Other lovers of the caramel treat have headed to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their sadness, using the hashtag #savethecaramac. One user wrote “Nooooo! As my true friends will know, this is devastating for me!!! I can eat 3 bars in a day! I will have to fill the cupboard, however, if anyone wants to donate bars to my Caramac trauma fund please feel free”
Nestle released a statement to fans at the start of November stating “We are very sorry to disappoint fans, unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue Caramac. We know fans will be disappointed to see it go. Still, this change will enable us to focus on our best-performing brands, as well as develop exciting innovations to delight consumers’ taste buds”.
Chris, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, an employee for Nestle stated that “Nestle had attempted to rebrand Caramac and also introduced new products like Caramac munchies. However, this attempt at rebranding was not cost-effective, therefore Nestle decided to shut the facility down as it was more financially efficient”. Nestle has yet to respond.
Photograph of Munchies, a Nestle confectionary product taken by the reporter.
Unlike most bars, the Caramac bar lacks cocoa and is gluten-free, resulting in a distinct taste and texture compared to other bars. However, the niche appeal of Caramac has diminished with the introduction of similar caramel bars by other competitors in recent years, including Cadbury’s ‘Caramilk’ collection.
Originally hitting the UK’s shelves over 64 years ago in 1959, the bar was made in Norwich at the Mackintosh plant. This is where it coined the name ‘Caramac’, as it is a syllabic abbreviation of Caramel and Mackintosh.
Nestle then decided to move the production to Fawdon in Newcastle in 1966. However, 2 years ago Nestle announced the closing of the factory after the company moved production of sweet treats like Rolos and Fruit Pastilles to plants in the Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria and West Yorkshire.
This has left the future of the plant and its 665 employees uncertain. City Leaders hope that the Rownan Drive factory will be taken over by another large employer, however, no definitive confirmations for the future are in place.
The Caramac bar is not the only product discontinued by Nestle this year; the company has also decided to axe ‘animal bars’ after 60 years of production.