A lovely brunch of coconuts

While the price of chocolate continues to rise at an alarming rate, the British Retail Consortium’s recent report says that a host of special offers in shops across the country in early March has made this beautiful product a major factor in an easing of overall shop price food inflation.

I confess that my admiration for chocolate knows few bounds and that my continuing ‘research’ into its vast array of goodies puts paid to any vague that I’ll somehow regain the trim physique of my younger days. There is discernment in my love – I’ll never be desperate enough to concede to the abomination of things such as Hershey bars – but I do spend my money across quite a range, from the familiar household names found in your local newsagent to the inspired creations of artisan shops.

But even today, there’s nothing to compare to a particular favourite that was taken from us in late 2022. The withdrawal of the dark chocolate Bounty bar is still painful to accept, many months since the announcement. Mourning has not broken.

While there are other food favourites that are sadly no longer available, and admittedly my describing it as ‘brunch’ is simply for headline purposes, the red-sleeved pair of jewels was in a league of its own, even after they stopped using an inner cardboard shield to protect it from being deformed on its journey from factory to counter.

I’ve seen the occasional online ad for a box of them, but it can be clickbait – the page exists but contents are permanently ‘out of stock’, or they are impossible to pay for at the checkout – and the few that are available are well past their prime. Or perhaps worse, marring the Mars name with fake chews.

I suppose I should at least try one of the few ‘substitutes’, if and when I find them, but will they really compare? I’m sure some will have an impressive combination of lush dark chocolate and sweet, sticky flakes of coconut but will they instil the same emotion as the original? Let’s not make the same mistake with Bounty as we saw happen to Porridge.