With the recent announcement from Nestle regarding the demise of their famous Caramac bar, many Norfolk confectionery fans expressed their sadness while sharing their memories of the brand being manufactured in Norwich from the 1950s up until the 1990s.

First created in 1959 and made with ingredients including treacle and sweetened condensed skimmed milk, Caramac was made by Rowntree Mackintosh until the chocolate factory’s closure in 1996 – the site is now home to the Chantry Place shopping centre on Chapelfield Road.

But fans of iconic British confectionery need not panic just yet – because a ‘posh’ version of Caramac is made by Maldon Chocolates Ltd, who are based in Snettisham in West Norfolk. Their ever-popular, slightly salted caramel chocolate bars are rumoured to be even nicer than the famous Caramac and are handmade by their expert chocolatiers – with no artificial additives. (There is also a Caramapple Bar – a delicious bar of slightly salted caramel chocolate, with a hint of apple and strewn with real apple pieces). Both bars make the perfect gift for lovers of Caramac and caramel-flavoured sweet treats for Christmas and beyond.

Maldon Chocolates Ltd was established in Maldon, Essex in 2015 and later relocated to West Norfolk in 2021. Founder and expert Chocolatier, Mike Simons, said: “Among the many things we make and sell, which are all unique to Maldon Chocolates, we have a couple of products which are not only extremely popular but serve as a reminder to people of days gone by and missed childhood. These include the Caramel bar, which we tell customers are a kind of “posh Caramac”; its apple infused variant (Caramapple) and the Maldon 4-Centres bars – which are our take on the old “Fry’s 5-Centres”, another product which has been sorely missed for more than 30 years. All our products are completely handmade and certainly keep us on our toes when it comes to meeting the demand.”

Shoppers can visit the Maldon Chocolates website to order or visit their shop at Poppyfields Retail Park in Snettisham, which will be open daily from now until Christmas Eve. Their talented team of chocolatiers also run chocolate-making experiences throughout the year and attend a variety of local events to highlight their beautifully made and unique chocolates. Look out for the team (and their delicious chocolates and sweets) during this year’s festive period!

Maldon Chocolates Caramel Chocolate retails at £3.95 per 100g bar – full product details are available at https://www.maldonchocolates.co.uk/product-page/caramel-chocolate-bar