Heaven for some, hell for others, Mars’ coconut-filled and chocolate-covered Bounty is always the most controversial chocolate in the tin at Christmas time – and its creators have finally acknowledged this with the creation of a return scheme.
Mars, the maker behind the Celebrations tin and its ‘most hated’ coconut-filled candy, has seemingly accepted the poor old Bounty’s fate after a recent survey found 52% of people admitted to leaving them for last and 32% chuck them away after Christmas.
So now, instead of letting them go to waste, Mars has launched a Bounty return scheme that will allow Christmas chocolate lovers to swap their unwanted bars out for alternatives in January 2022.
Celebrations has launched a Bounty ‘return scheme’ for ‘most hated’ chocolate in tin / Image: Open Food Facts
Those who find themselves strongly opposed to the soft coconut and chocolate delight will be able to exchange the bars for Maltesers at selected Co-Ops in major cities including Manchester from 17 January.
To really hammer home the poor old plight of the Bounty, and perhaps even create some sympathy for the unloved chocolate bar, Mars has even gone so far as to create an advert in an attempt to sway public opinion and save it from getting axed from the tin altogether.
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Called ‘The Lonely Bounty’, the tongue-in-cheek 1 and a half minute advert depicts a tearful, rejected Bounty man spending Christmas all alone – that is until his equally-hated Christmas counterpart appears holding cards covered with a Love Actually-style message of hope.
A Love Actually-style message of hope saves the day as the brussel sprout and Bounty find one another / Image: Mars / Youtube
Soundtracked by a mournful cover of In the Bleak Midwinter, the ad begins with the Bounty looking for love online but finding no matches.
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We see him sitting alone in a park, at a school play, then a romantic restaurant, where he blows out his candle all alone before he’s finally shown sobbing on his sofa.
It seems all hope is lost, then there’s a sudden ring on the doorbell. It’s the brussel sprout, who in a nod to one of the UK’s favourite Christmas films is holding up a card reading “call me old fashioned”.
The next proceeds to say “but I wouldn’t go out with any of these guys”, before showing a picture of all of the other (more popular) Celebrations chocolates.
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Ultimately, the pair find love and walk off down the street hand in hand – showing that whilst many dislike a Bounty for some, there’s nothing better.
Mars added following the ‘return scheme’ announcement: “No Bountys will be sent to landfill as a result of the returns.”
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Georgina Pellant -
10th November 2021 
