Australia’s sweet tooths have something to celebrate, with the return of a classic chocolate range to supermarket shelves.
Confectionery maker Mars Wrigley confirmed on Thursday that its “treasured” Celebrations chocolate boxes have returned to Australia, months after they were canned last Christmas.
“The consumer response demanding the return of Celebrations last year was incredible, so we are thrilled to bring Celebrations back to supermarket shelves around the country,” marketing director Ben Hill said.
“For decades, Celebrations has featured prominently at family gatherings, events and, of course, celebrations of all kinds. We can’t wait for everyone to enjoy them again and for hopefully many years to come.”
Celebrations are Mars’ answer to Cadbury’s Favourites. The red boxes include some of the global confectionery company’s most popular sweet treats, including Snickers, Mars, Galaxy, Milky Way, Bounty and Maltesers.
Thursday’s about-face comes after an uproar last November when keen foodies realised the festive favourites were missing from Australian supermarkets.
TikTok food critic Russ Eats, who had previously declared Celebrations his No.1 festive chocolates, brought the issue to his thousands of followers when said he’d struggled to find the range.
On Thursday, he hailed their return.
“Celebrations are returning… I’d like to think we brought them back, but I do think there were some problems,” he said.
Mars Wrigley blamed rising costs and supply challenges for the “difficult decision” to halt supply late in 2024 – although holding out a lifeline for the future.
“We know Celebrations is a much-loved brand that plays a role at many family gatherings, events and of course, celebrations. Therefore we are currently reviewing options to reintroduce Celebrations in 2025,” a spokesperson said.
“We hope to have positive news to share with Australian consumers over the coming months.”
On Thursday, Mars Wrigley said Celebrations would be back in Australian shops by “mid-July” and would retail for $16.
“[We] expect to see Celebrations across all major retailers, just in time for Father’s Day,” the company said.
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