Rare Mars chocolates spotted on supermarket shelves – but shoppers are divided
AN unusual Mars creation from Down Under has divided shoppers after it returned to supermarket shelves.
Mars Pods, an Australian treat, were spotted in Iceland by a very happy customer.
Not to be confused with the Mars hot chocolate pods, these delicious snacks are a crunchy wafer biscuit topped with caramel and a helping of smooth milk chocolate.
They come in a 160g bag, perfect to share at your next BBQ or girls' night in.
They shared a snap of their discovery on Food Finds and sent other customers into a frenzy.
"New spotted in Iceland foods - Mars Pods", they wrote.
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Many flocked to the comment section to tag friends.
One wrote: "I'd like those," and another added an excited face emoji.
But not everyone was as enthusiastic, with one Facebook user writing: "Had them from B&M months ago. They were absolutely awful to be honest!"
Mars Pods are also available on Amazon.
Sales also vary from store to store, so just because one branch offers a product doesn't mean they all will.
With that in mind, it may be worth ringing your local store ahead of time to check stock levels to avoid a wasted trip.
This comes as Iceland announced the closures of two of its UK branches in June.
Its branch in the Kent seaside town will close on June 21, while the Scottish store is set to shut on July 12.
In a statement the major supermarket said staff at both sites have entered in to a "consultation process and will be offered opportunities at surrounding stores where possible".
But locals have not taken the news well, with one shopper at the Margate store describing the move as "another nail" in the town's "shopping coffin".
And a second chimed in: "Omg there’s nothing left!! Everything in Margate is closing".
Over in Inverness, shoppers have also voiced their concerns, with one stating it was "very sad."
It comes as customers in the area have complained about the parking operator on the grounds of which the store is situated, with many receiving fines and charges.
One shopper said: "Too stressful to park here so not choosing to shop there."
While another added: "Killed by the parking issues, about time it was sorted before all the stores close."
It's impending closure means that there will no longer be an Iceland in the northeast Scottish City.
The nearest shop is now in Aberdeen, while it has a warehouse store in in the city's Telford Street.
It's not the first store closure made by Iceland in the past few months.
Iceland pulled down the shutters permanently on its site in Welling at the start of the year.
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A site in Borehamwood and another in Exeter permanently shut around the same time.
The latest closures means Iceland has shut more than 20 stores since the start of 2023.
How to save money on chocolate
We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs...
Go own brand - if you're not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you'll save by going for the supermarket's own brand bars.
Shop around - if you've spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it's cheaper elsewhere.
Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you're getting the best deal.
Look out for yellow stickers - supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they've been reduced.
They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.
Buy bigger bars - most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.
So if you've got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.