Source: Mars

The range includes 32g single packs, 59g treat bags, 88g pouches and 163g ‘More to Share’ packs

Maltesers is moving into dark chocolate.

The Mars brand has unveiled a quartet of dark chocolate SKUs claimed to contain 65% more cocoa and 35% less sugar than its core milk chocolates.

The range includes 32g single packs, 59g treat bags, 88g pouches and 163g ‘More to Share’ packs (rsp: 66p-£2.79).

Mars said dark chocolate was the brand’s “most requested new flavour”, adding the NPD offered an “intense cocoa experience”.

It was “about time to finally create Dark Maltesers as fans have been requesting us to bring out this flavour for years”, said Maltesers brand director Leah Dyckes. 

They will roll out across the mults from 20 June.

Mars has expanded the Maltesers brand with a raft of spin-offs and new flavours over recent years.  

Last year, for instance, saw Maltesers roll out a range of Orange Buttons to tap the ongoing vogue for orange chocolate. The Grocer also reported that Mars was eyeing a potential spin-off called ‘Malts’ after Mars applied to register that name with the Intellectual Property Office.

Prior to that, in 2020 it added a line of mint flavoured buttons, and expanded into the biscuit aisle with a range of biscuits manufactured by Burton’s.

The news comes on the back of a solid year for the chocolate staple: Maltesers added £12.7m to its sales last year, growing 7% to £195.7m over the year ending 1 January 2022 [NielsenIQ].