Quality Street brings back fan-favourite Honeycomb Crunch axed in 2018 - but only in select UK stores

Quality Street has announced the return of a fan-favourite flavour that was discontinued in 2018.

The Honeycomb Crunch has been reinstated after being removed from tubs and selection boxes four years ago. The popular flavour comprises shards of honeycomb pieces encased in a milk chocolate shell, but it will only be available in certain stores.

Chocolate fans will be able to get their hands on it in 18 John Lewis pick ‘n’ mix stations nationwide, where shoppers can create their own Quality Street tins made up of flavours of their choice.

Quality Street announced the return of the flavour in a Facebook post, writing: “It’s that time again…..We’re BACK in John Lewis & Partners with a NEW tin and an exclusive sweet…the Honeycomb Crunch!”

Some Facebook users were thrilled to see the return of the honeycomb choc, but others would have preferred to have seen a different flavour make a comeback, with many calling for Coffee Creme to be brought back.

The Coffee Creme was a decadent dark chocolate containing rich coffee fondant and it came wrapped in a brown paper. It was a popular flavour in the 90s and fans are keen to see it make a return.

One Facebook user wrote: “Every year I type the same thing… bring back COFFEE FONDANT”. Another said: “I’m not buying any until you bring back the coffee cream.”

A third added: “Can’t stand honeycomb crunch, it’s boring, bring back coffee creams."

Last year, Nestle asked members of the public which retro chocolate they would bring back given the choice. Voters could choose between the Vanilla Octagon, the Almond Octagon, the Fruits of the Forest Creme, the Jaffa Toffee or the Coffee Creme.

In December 2021, the brand announced the Coffee Creme as the overwhelming winner with 8,146 votes and said it receives more enquiries about the flavour than any other discontinued Quality Street. The Almond Octagon came second with 5,312 votes, followed by Fruits of the Forest Creme with 2,623.

Emily Grimbley, assistant brand manager for Quality Street said at the time: "Many Quality Street fans have an old favourite, and our survey has shown that when it comes to our sweets, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

"Although the Coffee Creme hasn’t featured in the mix since the turn of the millennium, it’s clear that it still holds a special place in the nation’s heart."

Nestle made no guarantee that the winning flavour would be brought back and instead opted to reinstate the Honeycomb Crunch for this year.

Customers who would like to indulge in the returning Honeycomb Crunch will only be able to buy it in John Lewis stores with a pick ‘n’ mix station.

There are 12 different Quality Street chocolates to choose from in total, including The Green Triangle, Toffee Penny, Strawberry Delight and The Purple One, to fill a 1.2kg tub priced at £14.

Shoppers who bring their own tin from home can refill it for £10, but it needs to be a former John Lewis exclusive tin to qualify. A 330g Quality Street cracker is also available to fill with chocs for £5.

Quality Street senior brand manager Jemma Handley said: "We are delighted to announce the return of our beloved pick and mix stations at John Lewis for 2022, complete with a delicious new flavour sweet.

"Best of all, you can tailor the contents precisely to your liking, whether that means nothing but purple ones, a tin full of the new honeycomb crunches, or a feast of fruit crèmes."