• [Liverpool Echo Icon]
• What's On
• Food & Drink
• Marks & Spencer

I tried M&S retro 80s chocolate bars and one thing genuinely surprised me

M&S has brought back four retro chocolate bars from the 80s, inspired by popular branded alternatives, but do they taste the same? Social News Reporter Alice Sjoberg got stuck in to find out

Whenever Marks and Spencer releases a new product, it often ends up going viral on social media, as shoppers can't help but share their thoughts - whether it's the recently popular White Chocolate and Raspberry cookies, Peppermint flavoured chocolate, or cleaning wipes that can handle any stubborn stains. One of the latest releases - or re-releases - from the supermarket involves bringing back some of their most popular chocolate bars from the 80s.

Shoppers can once again the nostalgic packaging and flavours of four chocolate bars which were last seen on the shelves when everyone was wearing leg warmers; Jet, Sparks, Now! and Coconut Grove. All of these are modelled after other well-known chocolate bars, which made me wonder just how different they are.

This is what I set out to discover, as I tested all four bars against branded equivalents. Starting with the price difference, the 50g M&S bars are priced at 1 each, making them marginally pricier than the branded alternatives, which I picked up from my neighbourhood corner shop for between 75p and 89p apiece.

The M&S chocolate bars were also mistakenly left outside my post box for multiple hours - which, during a heatwave, clearly isn't ideal for chocolate. However, following several hours in the refrigerator, they were ready for me to tuck into and measure against their branded counterparts.

Coconut Grove vs Bounty

I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of a Bounty bar, or coconut-flavoured things in general. But after trying a bite from the Coconut Grove bar, I was genuinely impressed.

When placed alongside the Bounty bar, the Coconut Grove clearly boasted a more substantial coconut layer, and seemed to taste fresher somehow. The coconut in the M&S version was also noticeably whiter and contained pieces of shredded coconut, whereas the Bounty bar had a more crumbly texture.

M&S has also been more lavish with the chocolate coating, as the Fairtrade chocolate appeared thicker than Bounty's chocolate layer. All in all, I can't say M&S has succeeded in turning me into a complete coconut enthusiast, but I'd definitely choose the Coconut Grove bar over Bounty every time. Though ideally, I'd opt for a different chocolate bar altogether.

Jet vs Snickers

Again, Snickers isn't among my favourites either. While I love the concept of a Snickers bar and all the things in it - from the gooey caramel to crunchy peanuts - I'm always let down when I actually eat one. But would the M&S equivalent, named Jet, prove any different?

The most obvious distinction I spotted was the form. Rather than being a chunky chocolate bar like a Snickers, the Jet bar appeared more compressed - though I'm unsure how much of this resulted from the hours it spent melting in the sunshine. When snapping off a section, it was considerably stickier, with the caramel working hard to hold the bar intact.

Upon tasting it, I was genuinely impressed. While I've always found the flavour of a regular Snickers bar somewhat chaotic, the M&S version had everything more harmoniously balanced, and wasn't excessively sweet.

Again, I wouldn't rush out to buy it but then I wouldn't do that with a standard Snickers bar either. However, after roping in a devoted Snickers fan to give their opinion, even they conceded that M&S had absolutely nailed it with the Jet bar.

Sparks vs Mars

Much like the Jet bar, the Sparks bar is marginally thinner, yet wider when placed alongside the classic Mars bar. This gave the impression that the Mars bar offered a more generous filling-to-chocolate ratio compared to the Sparks bar.

But we all know flavour is what truly matters, and on that front, the Sparks bar takes the crown. While it tasted remarkably similar to the Mars bar, there was simply something about the Sparks bar that I found more appealing.

And despite never reaching for a Mars bar as my go-to chocolate in a supermarket, I'd gladly pick up another Sparks bar on my next M&S visit.

Now! vs Twix

For the final, and personally most important comparison, I put M&S Now! bar against my all-time favourite, the Twix. Could M&S possibly live up to my most cherished of these four bars?

The look-alike test was somewhat compromised as the Now! bar had been left to soften for several hours, causing the chocolate to merge into a single solid bar rather than the two, thin bars. However, as the day I purchased the Twix had also been sweltering, that had melted too, meaning the two still looked remarkably alike when placed side by side.

While the Twix boasted more caramel and a heftier chocolate coating, the Now! bar featured a chunkier biscuit centre, lending it a satisfying crunch. Surprisingly, the chocolate and caramel flavours were also more pleasing on the whole.

It might even have earned its place as my all time favourite chocolate bar, knocking Twix off the top spot.

Will you be trying the M&S chocolate bars? Which one do you think you'd like the most? Let us know in the comments...

[Alice Sjberg]

Alice Sjberg

Alice Sjoberg is an Social News Reporter working across all Reach Plc titles, having joined the company in December 2024. Alice previously worked as an Entertainment Evergreen Specialist at Dexerto, having also written for regional and national publications across the UK. She has a special interest in covering topics regarding social media, travel, relationships and food.

[Liverpool Echo Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.