Dear Britain, we've got a question: when did the family chocolate tub start looking like it had been on a diet?
Those big tubs and metal tins used to be part of the ritual. You'd lift the lid, find your favourites, put the empty tin away for biscuits or sewing supplies, and somehow it would still be in the cupboard ten years later.
But the numbers behind the modern sharing tub are getting hard to ignore.
What's changed in 2026?
In August 2026, trade publication The Grocer reported that standard Cadbury Roses and Heroes tubs had reduced from 550g to 475g compared with 2025. That's 75g less chocolate, or approximately 13.6% less.
It also reported examples of unchanged £7 pre-promotion shelf prices. If you're paying £7 for 475g instead of 550g, the arithmetic is revealing:
- 550g for £7: about £1.27 per 100g
- 475g for £7: about £1.47 per 100g
- That works out at around 15.8% more per 100g for the smaller tub, assuming the same price.
Promotions change the comparison, of course. Tesco's autumn 2026 listings show 475g Heroes and Roses tubs, while 600g metal gift tins are separate products. A tub isn't the same thing as a metal tin, and different pack sizes and offers need to be compared like for like.
Remember the actual tins?
The tradition goes back decades. Nestlé says Quality Street was launched in 1936 and its early tins combined colourful wrappers with a much wider selection of sweets. In a 2020 range announcement, Nestlé listed a 650g tub alongside separate 800g, 1kg and 2kg tins.
That's part of why shoppers remember a different experience. The packaging, number of pieces and family ritual all mattered — not just the contents.
Maybe this is the year we try something different
We're not suggesting everyone should abandon their favourite supermarket chocolates. They're familiar, convenient, and they often go on promotion. Nor will independent chocolate always work out cheaper per gram.
But if you're frustrated by smaller tubs, you do have choices.
- Compare price per 100g, not just the tub price. Bigger-looking packaging doesn't guarantee more chocolate.
- Read the ingredients. Look for the cocoa ingredients and the sort of fillings you actually enjoy.
- Buy what people will eat. A smaller selection of genuinely loved chocolates may be a better treat than a giant tub with half the flavours left behind.
- Consider an independent chocolatier, local maker or specialist shop. Ask about ingredients, sourcing and what makes the chocolate distinctive.
- Reuse a good tin. A reusable container filled with a carefully chosen assortment can be more memorable than another disposable tub.
What we're trying to build
At Salahuddin, we're working towards bringing back familiar British chocolate experiences: real cocoa butter, carefully developed recipes and some of the nostalgic creams and caramels people remember.
We're a small, independently owned business, not a miracle cure for supermarket shrinkflation. But perhaps there's room on the table for something made a little differently.
So here's our challenge for 2026: before reaching for the same tub on autopilot, compare the weight, read the label and have a look at what an independent chocolate maker is offering.
You might still choose the tub. Fair enough. At least you'll know what you're paying for.
Further reading and price sources
- The Grocer (26 August 2026): reported size changes to UK chocolate tubs
- Tesco: current chocolate tub and gift tin listings and weights
- Nestlé UK: the history of Quality Street and historical tin sizes
- Salahuddin: the wider story of chocolate shrinkflation
Price examples reflect reported and listed 2026 pack sizes, not a guarantee of current retailer prices. Always check the price per 100g at the point of purchase.
