First the value of the pound plummeted, and now Toblerone bars have less chocolate in them; when will the horrors of Brexit end?
Today the internet has been abuzz with criticisms regarding the new shape of the Toblerone, which now features fewer triangular chocolate segments in favor of those boring, flat bits that divide each of the bar’s “pyramids”. The change to the bar has been a result of its makers, Mondelez International, seeking to lower its weight and, as a result, its cost. Though Mondelez has stated that the change to the bar isn’t a direct result of the EU referendum, but rather that it is due to the rise of ingredient prices, with so many companies altering their products and their prices as a result of Brexit many have laid the blame at the foot of the Leave camp’s door.
But if Brexit is to blame for the Toblerone’s price hike, it won’t be the only product to have suffered as a result of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. Here are the most ridiculous post-Brexit price increases and changes so far:
Marmite
They say that you either love it or hate it, but no one was pleased when it was announced that Marmite would be receiving a price hike in the wake of Brexit.
Marmite’s owners Unilever raised issued a notice to supermarkets that it would be raising its product by 12 per cent, which led to Tesco stating that it would not comply with this alteration. As such, Unilever’s products disappeared from the shelves of the company’s stores, including Marmite.
After both companies’ stock prices fell following the controversy, which was labeled #MarmiteGate across social media, they eventually reached a resolution to the issue to ensure that Unilever products would continue appearing on Tesco’s shelves. The two companies have yet to reveal the details of this resolution, though Marmite lovers shouldn’t be surprised if they find that that the divisive food item soon becomes more expensive when they conduct their weekly shop.
Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s is also owned by Unilever, so the ice cream brand also received its own price increase as a result of Brexit. Weirdly, less people were concerned about this than they were the Marmite controversy, even though Cookie Dough ice cream objectively tastes better than the yeast extract spread.
Other products impacted by Unilever’s price hike included Magnum ice creams, Bovril, Colman’s Original English Mustard and chicken and mushroom flavoured Pot Noodle. It wasn’t a great day for fans of weirdly specific food products.
Apple Products
For tech enthusiasts this was perhaps the most unfortunate result of Brexit, with Apple announcing that the decline of the Pound Sterling had led to them altering the prices of a huge selection of its products. This ensured that the iPhone 7 was 16% more expensive than its predecessor upon launch, with its other hardware being increased by as much as £600.
Apple CEO Tim Cook justified these huge price jumps by explaining that they were perfectly normal when adjusting for inflation, the fall of the Sterling and taking into account VAT, but such huge increases on a wide number of products inevitably rubbed many up the wrong way.
Walkers Crisps
Another major iconic British food suffering the after effects of Brexit has been Walkers Crisps, with “fluctuating foreign exchange rates” leading to the manufacturer raising the price of its standard 32g bag from 50p to 55p and its larger bags from 75p to 80p.
Many complained about this change due to Walkers using British potatoes to manufacture the crisps, though the company said other items such as frying oil and packaging material were not made in the UK.
Birds Eye Fish Fingers
The go-to food for 10 year olds and drunk adults everywhere, Birds Eye announced that it was considering cutting down on the number of fish fingers it included in each box as a result of the EU referendum. Though a decision has not yet been made, Birds Eye has stated that it has been speaking to retailers in regards to the change, meaning we may soon have to put up with slapping fewer of these awful food abominations in a sandwich whenever we return home from a night out.
Gym Towels
Perhaps the most curious victim of Brexit is the gym towels handed out by the Holiday Inn, with the hotel chain announcing that it would be bringing to an end the free towel service it offered to customers following their gym sessions. A note left in the Portsmouth Holiday Inn’s Spirit Health Club told customers that they would “unfortunately no longer be handing out free towels upon entry … because since the UK voted to leave the EU the pound has dropped significantly.”
