It was bad enough when great glacial valleys appeared between the peaks of Toblerone bars, and the shrinkflation fairy spirited away 15% of the Maltesers in each packet overnight. Outrage has now greeted the launch of a new confection: the Whip, which comes without the crowning walnut in name or in the chocolate flesh.
The food writer Debora Robertson, who recalled spending her pocket money on Walnut Whips in Woolworths when she was little, tweeted for many when she wrote:
They've taken the walnut off the top of the walnut whip so now it's just a whip and I don't know who we are anymore.
— Debora Robertson (@lickedspoon) August 15, 2017
“What? Sacrilege. Can we blame Brexit?” one reader responded in shock.
The broadcaster James Whale said: “So now I’m going to have to go into the local newsagent and ask for a Whip!”
Another said: “So what do I now save till the end? Everything is ruined.”
Hannah Muirhead tweeted:
Never really been a walnut girl but i feel removing them from the walnut whip truly is the beginning of the end for society as we know it
— Hannah Muirhead (@HCIM90) August 16, 2017
Walnut Whips were first introduced in 1910, originally made by Duncan’s of Edinburgh. Nestlé claims one is eaten in the UK every two seconds.
True believers have already pointed out that they had long since lost the hidden second walnut in the base, shrunk considerably in size and developed smoother sides.
The company has previously offered alternative flavours to the classic vanilla, but all have been topped with half a walnut.
A Nestlé brand manager, Alison Clinton, insisted the shorn treat – promptly nicknamed the Walnot Whip by The Guardian – had been introduced in the interest of consumer choice. “These new products will offer consumers more choice, enabling them to share their favourite products with their family and friends.”
The vanilla and caramel versions of the new Whip, a cone of milk chocolate with a fondant filling, will go on sale this week with a mint variant to follow next month. They cater to those who do not like nuts but are not suitable for those with allergies.
One nut importer told The Guardian what is surely the true reason behind the new versions of the treat: the faltering value of sterling, rising transport costs, and poor crops in some walnut-growing regions have pushed up the price of walnuts in Britain by about 20% this year.
Social media users suggested nutty chocolate lovers might have to start stock piling their favourite treats.
What next after #walnotwhip? #notella and #dairymilkwholenot - should we be stocking up to avoid the #nutcrisis? https://t.co/OB1jvtBeYt
— Charlotte Pearce (@char_gdretail) August 16, 2017
Nestlé promises the walnut-topped version will still be available in single packs, and in six-packs at Christmas.
