Nestlé has made the “difficult decision” to discontinue two of its popular chocolate biscuit bars, and fans are gutted about it.
That’s right – whether we like it or not, it’s time to say goodbye to Breakaway bars and Yorkie Biscuits.
Breakways, in particular, have been an absolute staple of childhood snacking for countless Brits over the past couple of decades.
First manufactured all the way back in 1970, the chocolate digestive biscuit bars have made their way into many a school lunchbox, or stuffed into pockets for an on-the-go sweet treat – but as of next month, they will no longer be produced.
Nestlé says this decision has been taken due to a decline in sales, and in an effort to “make way for investment and innovation” across the company’s wider portfolio of products.
ADVERTISEMENT
The brand says it knows fans will be “disappointed” with the choice to axe the product.
Nestlé makes ‘difficult decision’ to axe popular nostalgic chocolate biscuit bars / Credit: eBay | Wikimedia Commons
Speaking on the reason behind Breakaways being discontinued, a spokesperson for Nestlé UK & Ireland said: “We know fans will be disappointed to see it go, but it’s time for us to say goodbye to Breakaway, as we have seen a decline in the sales over the past few years, and unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue it.
ADVERTISEMENT
“By saying goodbye to Breakaway, we can focus on our best-performing brands, as well as develop exciting new innovations to delight consumers’ tastebuds.”
Thankfully though, it’s not quite the end of the road just yet, as before Breakaway fans begin their grieving process, they can head to their Sainsbury’s store throughout February and March to get their hands on and stock up on the chocolate-covered biscuit bar while stocks still last.
It’s not only Breakaways that we have to part ways with either sadly, as Nestlé has also taken the decision to axe Yorkie Biscuits alongside them.
ADVERTISEMENT
Both Breakaways and Yorkie Biscuits will stopped being produced from the end of next month / Credit: Nestlé
Somewhat less commonly-found than Breakaways, Yorkie Biscuits – which are also not to be confused with the actual Yorkie chocolate bars, which Nestlé says is “staying for good” – are another sweet treat to be discontinued due to declining sales.
But despite having to say goodbye to two nostalgic snacks, Nestlé has assured shoppers that it has “plenty of exciting new products” lined up for 2024.
The brand also announced that new hazelnut-flavoured Blue Ribbands are on the way this month.
Hitting supermarket shelves very soon, and hoping to soften the blow and fill the gap left by the two losses, the Blue Riband Hazelnut takes the classic Blue Riband bar that we all know and love, and fills it with a smooth hazelnut filling layered between the wafers.
So make sure to keep your eyes peeled next time you’re doing a big shop.
Featured Image – Nestlé
Shopping
One of Manchester’s biggest vintage shops to close after a decade
Daisy Jackson
One of the biggest and best vintage shops in Manchester has announced its imminent closure.
Thrift Shop, which is part of the legendary Cow Vintage family, has said that the landlord of its store has ‘chosen not to renew our lease’.
The beloved vintage shop has been in its spot just off Piccadilly Gardens for a decade, with colourful rails stuffed with pre-loved denim, coats, dresses, accessories, and more.
Ahead of its closure this week, Thrift Shop has announced details of a major closing down sale, aiming to get rid of all its stock.
Initially touted as two for £10 on all thrift items, they’ve now slashed prices even further and are offering three items for £10.
That does exclude their ‘premium’ items, where you can snap up big labels like Carhartt and Levi’s.
Sharing the sad news of its closure online, Thrift Shop Manchester wrote: “We are gutted to announce the closure of beloved Manchester store.
Thrift Shop Manchester is throwing a huge closing down sale
“Last week we found out our landlord chose not to renew our lease after over ten years in this unit.
“To bid our farewell, we’re doing a MASSIVE closing down sale to get rid of all stock !!!! All Thrift items will be 2 for £10 until our last trading day on 30th May!!
“We’ve absolutely loved serving you for all these years, so long, farewell and, as always, get thrifty.”
In the comments, fellow independent retailer Thunder Egg – which just had to move out of its Oldham Street store (but is still in Afflecks) – commented: “So sorry to hear this, retail landlords in Manchester are absolutely in their sh*tbag era right now.”
Thrift Shop Manchester will close for good on Saturday 30 May.
Demolition and regeneration plans for former Manchester shopping centre to begin next month
Emily Sergeant
Plans to demolish and regenerate a former shopping centre in a Manchester suburb are set to kick off from next month.
Following planning approval at the end of 2025, major plans to transform the former Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre into a ‘thriving’ new destination to live and shop are set to commence with demolition in the next couple of weeks.
If you’re unfamiliar with the plans for the new Chorlton neighbourhood, they include 262 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, all with access to outdoor space through balconies and gardens, 53 affordable homes – with 49 of them being available for social rent – and around 3,500 sq metres of public open space with fully walkable routes and outdoor seating areas.
A mix of flexible retail spaces, including a new ‘Makers Yard’ suitable for smaller start-up businesses will also be included, alongside new tree planting.
Phase one of the project will involve the dismantling the former shopping centre and neighbouring Graeme House buildings.
According to developers, the first step will be to close the precinct car park at the end of this month, before new hoardings are installed around the site to close the area off to pedestrians and vehicles for safety reasons.
The demolition work is expected to begin in mid-June, and be completed by August.
Where possible, materials from the existing buildings will be reused during construction of the new neighbourhood in a bid to help reduce the number of vehicles needed to remove materials from the site.
“Demolition marks another major milestone for the project, which will completely transform the former shopping centre,” commented Georgina Lynch, who is the managing director at Manchester-based developers, PJ Livesey.
“Our demolition contractor will carefully manage any issues throughout the work, and we will continue to stay in regular contact with local residents and businesses as the demolition progresses.”
Emily Sergeant -
8th February 2024 
