Confectionary company Mondelēz International has discontinued the dark chocolate version of its popular Toblerone bar in the UK.

Citing changing consumer tastes, Mondelēz International has confirmed that it will no longer sell dark chocolate Toblerone bars in the UK. In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said: “We continuously adapt our product range to ensure it meets changing tastes whilst supporting growth for our customers and business, and as a result, made the difficult decision to discontinue our Toblerone Dark (360g) bars in the UK.”

Unmistakable design

Jean Tobler opened a confectionary shop in Bern, Switzerland in 1868, and expanded to set up his own chocolate factory in 1899. The original Toblerone bar, with its white nougat pieces and unique shape, was created in 1908 by Theodor Tobler, Jean’s son, and his cousin Emil Bauman. They named the bar by combining the founder’s name, Tobler, with the Italian word for honey and almond nougat, torrone.

In 1969, the dark chocolate variety was launched, and by 1970, an image of Switzerland’s Matterhorn mountain was added to the bar’s distinctive triangular packaging. To comply with ‘Swissness’ legislation, the Matterhorn was replaced by a more generic mountain image in 2023, after some of the bar’s production moved from Switzerland to Slovakia.

“We understand that this may be disappointing for some customers.”

In the statement, the Mondelēz spokesperson continued: “While we understand that this may be disappointing for some consumers, we continue to invest in Toblerone. We also have an exciting pipeline of innovation ahead.”