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Waitrose has had to almost double its order of the Heston from Waitrose Ultimate Chocolate Bar to keep up with demand.
Each year, Heston’s unique creations for the grocery chain have whipped up such interest that some products have been offered on eBay for up to 15 times their retail price and this year, it’s all about his take on the classic chocolate bar.
Waitrose reports that Heston’s £9.99 Ultimate Chocolate Bar has sold 46% more to date than last year’s two frozen puddings combined – the Black Forest Buche and Strawberry and Lychee Gateau. In response, orders have been increased by 80% to keep the supermarket’s freezer cabinets stocked and ensure the frozen desserts remain available to customers throughout the festive season.
The six Michelin-starred chef’s creation was inspired by his favourite chocolate bars from childhood. The multi-tiered bar features layers of chocolate caramel mousse, crunchy chocolate biscuit, gooey salted caramel and nougat mousse.
Of his dessert, Heston said: “Chocolate is the ultimate feel-good treat so this Christmas, I wanted to pay homage to all the popular treats that I, and I’m sure most of us, enjoyed as a child. There’s nothing more nostalgic than thinking about all the crinkly, brightly-coloured chocolate wrappers in the festive treat bowl, and my Ultimate Chocolate Bar Dessert incorporates the best of our classic chocolate bars. With a crunchy base, caramel middle and nougat mousse topping, this kaleidoscope of tastes, flavours and textures will hopefully bring chocolate lovers excitement and delight in every bite.”
Waitrose frozen dessert buyer Emma Sayer said: “We’ve seen a real trend for nostalgia this year and this is no more apparent than at Christmas time. As every chocolate lover’s dream, the Heston from Waitrose Ultimate Chocolate Bar is proving to be a hit, so we’re delighted to say we’ve been able to double our order to keep up with customer demand.”
