'Roll over in his grave': Daughter of the late creator of Freddo chocolates lashes out at Cadbury over the rising cost of popular bar.
Speaking to Sky News UK from her home in Melbourne, Leonie Wadin - whose late father Harry Melbourne developed the famous chocolate bar - said that her father was outraged at the bar continuously shrinking in size.
'Dad was disgusted with how small it is now and how much they charge for it,' the 74-year-old said.
'He'd roll over in his grave if he could see it now; he'd be disgusted. It was a penny chocolate.
'Since Dad died, I haven't bought a Freddo.'
Ms Wadin blames Cadbury for deliberately shrinking the popular bar while increasing prices.
Speaking to Sky News UK, financial expert Danni Hewson said the rising cost can be blamed on the similar rise in cost of the raw ingredients needed to make a Freddo since the days of Harry Melbourne.
"Both cocoa and sugar prices have shot up, with the former up more than 750 per cent between then and now, and raw sugar prices up almost 250 per cent," she said.
"So, finding that the price of a Freddo has jumped 200 per cent in the intervening period shouldn't surprise anyone."
In Australia, where the bar sold originally for a penny (42 cents in today's money) prior to the introduction of the dollar, it now can cost $2.
In a statement to Sky News UK, Cadbury said that it was aware of the cost of living problems in society and said that where possible it had attempted to absorb costs rather than pass them onto consumers.
"Freddo has endured popularity across generations since originally launching in the UK back in 1973, and continues to be a key part of Cadbury's range today,' it said.
"Whist it's important to stress that as a manufacturer we do not set the retail prices for products sold in shops, our manufacturing and supply chain costs have increased significantly over the past 50 years, and Freddo has become more expensive to make.'
"We have absorbed these increased costs wherever possible, however on occasion we have made changes to our list prices or multipack sizes to ensure that we can continue to provide consumers with the Freddo that they love, without compromising on the great taste and quality they expect."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
15 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Roll over in his grave': Daughter of the late creator of Freddo chocolates lashes out at Cadbury over the rising cost of popular bar.
The daughter of the creator of Freddo chocolate has said her father would "roll over in his grave" if he saw what the chocolate costs today. Speaking to Sky News UK from her home in Melbourne, Leonie Wadin - whose late father Harry Melbourne developed the famous chocolate bar - said that her father was outraged at the bar continuously shrinking in size. 'Dad was disgusted with how small it is now and how much they charge for it,' the 74-year-old said. 'He'd roll over in his grave if he could see it now; he'd be disgusted. It was a penny chocolate. 'Since Dad died, I haven't bought a Freddo.' Ms Wadin blames Cadbury for deliberately shrinking the popular bar while increasing prices. Speaking to Sky News UK, financial expert Danni Hewson said the rising cost can be blamed on the similar rise in cost of the raw ingredients needed to make a Freddo since the days of Harry Melbourne. "Both cocoa and sugar prices have shot up, with the former up more than 750 per cent between then and now, and raw sugar prices up almost 250 per cent," she said. "So, finding that the price of a Freddo has jumped 200 per cent in the intervening period shouldn't surprise anyone." In Australia, where the bar sold originally for a penny (42 cents in today's money) prior to the introduction of the dollar, it now can cost $2. In a statement to Sky News UK, Cadbury said that it was aware of the cost of living problems in society and said that where possible it had attempted to absorb costs rather than pass them onto consumers. "Freddo has endured popularity across generations since originally launching in the UK back in 1973, and continues to be a key part of Cadbury's range today,' it said. "Whist it's important to stress that as a manufacturer we do not set the retail prices for products sold in shops, our manufacturing and supply chain costs have increased significantly over the past 50 years, and Freddo has become more expensive to make.' "We have absorbed these increased costs wherever possible, however on occasion we have made changes to our list prices or multipack sizes to ensure that we can continue to provide consumers with the Freddo that they love, without compromising on the great taste and quality they expect."
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Freddo creator is ‘rolling in his grave' at new price, says daughter
The creator of the iconic Freddo frog chocolate bar would be 'rolling in his grave' if he could see the current price of the small Cadbury treat today, according to his daughter. A single 35g bar retails for $2 in Australian retailers such as Woolworths and Coles, after suffering a 100 per cent price hike in August last year that Cadbury said was due to the 'record global price of cocoa and increased input costs'. When the bar was first introduced by the MacRobertson's Chocolate Factory in Fitzroy in 1930, it cost just a penny to buy. And Leonie Wadin, whose father Harry Melbourne first crafted the frog-shaped bar, says its affordable price point was an integral part of the chocolate treat's integrity. 'Dad was disgusted with how small it is now and how much they charge for it,' the 74-year-old told Sky News. 'He'd roll over in his grave if he could see it now; he'd be disgusted. It was a penny chocolate. 'Since Dad died, I haven't bought a Freddo.' The popular treat-sized chocolate has become the poster child for 'shrinkflation' in recent years, with many consumers airing frustration as the size of their favourite snack items reduce in size, while the price either remains stagnant or goes up. Chocolate has been hit particularly hard by rising costs and inflation. The price of cocoa has more than doubled in the past year as poor weather conditions in West Africa, the largest cocoa-producing region in the world responsible for 70 per cent of supply, devastated crops. This has forced major manufacturers such as Cadbury owner Mondelez to pass on some of those costs to customers. But those who enjoyed the affordability that a Freddo once gave have been unimpressed by the seemingly massive jump in price, which last year went from $1 to $2, and some have been quick to agree with Ms Wadin's remarks. 'I got these as a child in Australia for 5c now they are $2 each,' one said on TikTok. 'Stop I can't believe he's $2 now! That's a joke!' agreed another. As one stated: 'The price of a Freddo these days is absolutely shocking.' Harry Melbourne was just 14, according to his daughter, when he was challenged by his boss at the MacRobertson's Chocolate Factory to create a new product to celebrate the company's 50th year. Sir Macpherson Robertson, his boss, was considering a mouse, but Mr Melbourne interjected, telling him the treat wouldn't sell 'because women and children are afraid of mice'. Instead, he suggested frogs – because local children 'delighted' at catching tadpoles – which later grow into the green creatures – in nearby ponds. Three days later, and the Penny Chocolate Frogs were born. These were later renamed 'Freddo' after Mr Melbourne's friend Fred, who worked in the packing department. By the time Cadbury bought MacRobertson's in 1967, Freddo was already a household name, and more than 90 million of the chocolate frogs are sold each year. As much as the modern Freddo price would upset her father, Ms Wadin said he 'never knew' its appeal had reached his native UK, adding he would have been 'so proud' of the chocolate bar's success. Mr Melbourne died on January 24, 2007, in Epping, Melbourne, at the age of 94. Ms Wadin, who has five children, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, has kept his memory alive by sharing his story. 'They're very proud of their great-granddad, they still buy them [Freddo bars], they love them,' she told Sky News. 'The Freddo has to be passed on, Freddo is never going to die. 'It will always be there … I just want it all passed down, so that the frog is always in our lives.'
West Australian
7 days ago
- West Australian
Allianz insurance detail results in Perth man Christopher Desmond being trapped in Albania after horror crash
A Perth man who has been travelling around the world on his motorbike for years was blindsided by his insurance company after a debilitating road crash. On July 15, Christopher Desmond, 72, was riding through Albania on his motorbike when tragedy struck. 'One minute I was riding along a country road and the next minute I woke up in an ambulance,' Mr Desmond said. 'I was driven by the ambulance to a point where I was picked up by an air ambulance and taken to Brasov Hospital. 'We are waiting to receive a police report to find out what actually happened.' Mr Desmond broke bones in his feet, hands, leg and spine — he has since undergone six surgeries. The adventurous retiree, whose daughters dubbed him a stickler for fine print, was shocked to learn his Allianz travel insurance policy did not cover his accident because the motorbike he was riding had an engine displacement of more than 200 cubic centimetres. According to the WA Department of Transport, motorcycles with an engine displacement between 125cc to 250cc are classified as learner motorcycles and motorcycles with engines above 650cc are considered larger motorcycles. Mr Desmond's Suzuki motorcycle has an engine displacement of 650cc. Allianz said they will not be offering Mr Desmond any financial support, leaving him to pay mounting medical costs. A spokesperson for the insurance company said this incident was a reminder for all their customers to read the terms and conditions of their policies. 'In order to help ensure our customers have the protection they need, we emphasise the importance of reviewing the terms and conditions of the cover which is clearly outlined within the Policy Information Booklet,' they said. 'In relation to motorcycle engine sizes, it is common for other insurers to limit their cover to an engine size between 125cc and 250cc, or charge more to cover larger engines and have additional requirements.' Mr Desmond told The West he would have happily paid more or switched insurance companies if he had known he was not covered. 'Allianz needs to stop hiding behind fine print and be honest with their advertising,' he said. 'They say they cover motorcycles, most people consider motorcycles to be something over 200cc, anything below would be a moped. '(I) should be covered fully.... I will be disputing this as soon as I am back home.' The Allianz spokesperson would not confirm why this detail could only be found in the fine print and did not answer when asked if they intended to conceal it from their customers. Mr Desmond's daughters are devastated that their father could not access an emergency evacuation flight to be with family during this difficult time. 'Dad is one of the strongest and most capable people I know,' they said. 'Dad lost his leg in a work train accident when he was 23 years old, nothing phases Dad, he is really tough when it comes to sickness and injuries and rarely complains about anything. 'Dad is really obsessive about details, always telling us to do our research and read the fine print, almost to a point it gets annoying, which is why the insurance thing is so odd that he didn't know about it. 'If he was covered, the insurance could organise someone to escort Dad home and he could potentially be home sooner with a medivac flight, without it, I will have to fly to Romania when he is fit to fly to help him get back. 'The insurance are only providing non-financial assistance which... really limits our options because of the costs involved.' The 72-year-old has been ticking countries off his bucket list since 2008 and is excited to continue on his motorcycle tour as soon as possible. 'It has always been my dream to ride a motorcycle around the world,' Mr Desmond said. 'I like seeing new things everyday. Experiencing new sights, new cultures, meeting new people and expanding my horizons.'
