Cadbury makes major change to festive treats after King Charles strips chocolate favourite of its Royal Warrant

Cadbury has made a historic change to its beloved Easter treats in an overhaul  following King Charles’s removal of the chocolate brand’s Royal Warrant. 

The British chocolatier has committed to ditching plastic packaging for the festive sweets in a bid to cut down on waste.

Its Easter Favourite Pouch, containing Mini and Crème Eggs, will now be sold in more ‘eco-friendly’ paper wrapping.

According to The Big Plastic Count – an initiative which aims to shed light on the amount of waste that accumulates each year – UK households throw away roughly 1.7 billion pieces of plastic every week. 

Out of all that rubbish, more than half is incinerated, while 14 per cent is exported and 11 per cent goes straight to landfill.

Of the almost 2billion pieces thrown away each week, only 17 per cent is recycled and so Cadbury is on a mission to make their products more eco-friendly.

Charlotte Parkes, senior brand manager for Cadbury Easter, told The Express: ‘We’re excited to be bringing retailers and shoppers our brand-new Easter Favourites Pouch and our expanded range of shell eggs across a variety of brands this Easter, with something to suit all tastes and occasions.

‘We’re confident our varied Easter 2025 line-up will generate excitement among shoppers and help retailers bolster their seasonal offerings, as well as helping to boost their gifting and sharing sales.’

The 335g Favourites Pouch is designed for sharing and is perfect for Easter eggs hunts or just to snack on. 

Packs can be found in major supermarkets with Ocado offering the sweet treats for £6, Iceland selling them for £5.50 and Tesco offering the slightly cheaper price of £5.25.

The move comes just one month after Charles – often nicknamed ‘Green King’ due to his focus on environmentalism – scrapped the company’s coveted Royal Warrant after 170 years – despite it being his late mother’s favourite chocolate.

Almost 400 companies were in the latest round of warrants announced this week, with Charles keeping 386 granted by his mother, ranging from Kellogg’s cereal to Moet champagne. Those unsuccessful, like Cadbury, were told by letter.

As is protocol, the brands were not given a reason why.

The warrants are awarded in recognition of the supply of goods or services to the royal household and senior Royal Family members.

The classic British chocolatier has overhauled its plastic packaging for its Easter Favourite Pouch, replacing it with a paper bag instead in an effort to be more environmentally friendly

Cadbury’s overhaul comes after its coveted Royal Warrant was stripped after 170 years (King Charles pictured at he House of Dorchester chocolate factory, 2015)

It is understood the supply of Cadbury products to royal households has decreased over several years. The King is also known for his healthy eating, preferring a piece of fruit or fibre-rich seeds over a bar of chocolate

It is understood the supply of Cadbury products to royal households has decreased over several years. The King is also known for his healthy eating, preferring a piece of fruit or fibre-rich seeds over a bar of chocolate.

Palace insiders, however, said at the time Royal Warrants reflect the consumption of the entire royal household, not just the King, alongside factors including sustainability.

But similar brands to Cadbury which still have a warrant include Nestle, upmarket Bendicks of Mayfair, which makes dark mint chocolates, and Prestat, one of London’s oldest chocolate shops.

Cadbury, which makes family favourites such as Dairy Milk, Roses and Heroes, is one of Britain’s most successful exporters. Originally manufacturing in Bournville, Birmingham, it is celebrating its 200th year in business.

A Cadbury spokesman said: ‘Ours is a much-loved brand that has been a part of British life for generations and remains the nation’s favourite chocolate.

‘While we are disappointed to be one of hundreds of other businesses and brands in the UK not to have a new warrant awarded, we are proud to have previously held one and we fully respect the decision.’

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

The decision by the monarch also comes after the company’s recent takeover by an American snack giant led to claims Cadbury had ‘betrayed its heritage’, by introducing bizarre new recipes and shrinking bars – while outsourcing its chocolate production abroad. 

The King’s decision to remove his patronage from the brand came despite it having been his mother the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite chocolate (Queen Elizabeth II pictured April, 2022)

From its humble beginnings as a small grocer’s shop in Birmingham, Cadbury has been delighting the nation’s taste buds for two centuries – while its adverts, including one featuring gorilla drumming to Phil Collins’ hit In The Air Tonight, have become cult British hits.

This year saw the beloved brand behind the likes of Dairy Milk, Flake and Heroes, celebrating its 200th birthday.

The confectionery behemoth was founded by the nation’s very own ‘Willy Wonka’, John Cadbury, in 1824 in Bull Street.

With a commitment to quality and innovation, Cadbury rapidly expanded, captivating Britons with its irresistible treats.

John started selling different types of cocoa and moved to a factory on Bridge Street, Birmingham in 1831.

After 1878 production moved from the Birmingham slums to a rural site four miles out of the city in a place called Bournville.

Taking the name of the model village Bournville grew into a haven for staff where they could live, work and play.

In 1902, Cadbury’s went on to produce a commemorative set of tins to celebrate the coronations of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

In 1955, Cadbury’s royal warrant was renewed by the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth – producing a similar coronation tin for the monarch.

But in 2015 a string of complaints including changing the recipe of the brand’s iconic Crème Eggs, shrinking bars, bizarre new recipes, and job losses hit the company following their American takeover.

It led to claims that Cadbury had ‘betrayed its heritage’ after the takeover, according to a 2016 TV documentary from Dispatches series – which claimed workers had been sacked and chocolate – including Dairy Milk – was being produced in Poland.