Thorntons massacre

[Crinkly]

I'm watching a Christmas In July Thorntons demo.

The new demonstrator (you g, blonde, acting confidently and naturally) is a great improvement on the usual lady (older, sometimes wears a highly suspect hair piece).

But her handling of the chocs is very off putting.
She's not wiping the knife, so there is dark choc getting smeared on white chocolate chocs, the knife appears to be wet, leaving the cut surfaces looking slimy or greasy, and i've just seen her transfer a jam smear onto another choc, leaving a thumb print.

I'm not usually a wimp (veteran of many a nappy change), but this is making me feel quite nauseous.
If i was Jacky, i wouldn't be able to eat any of the samples.
She is obviously made of much sterner stuff than I!

 

[JR's Ego]

Those Thornton sales pitches are the same as the 'walking into a bakery' effect, with the scent of hot bread. Watching those presenters stuff their little faces with gooey squares of heaven, does make most salivate, but the problem is... Thortons is NOT Thorntons anymore. In the 1980s Thorntons introduced a shop locally, where they sold various chocolates - e.g. an Alpini was at 10p each, picked up with silver tongs, and they let the customer try a sample. Ah the days of good customer relations. Now Thorntons fail because firstly gram for gram is hugely expensive and secondly, the recipe has changed (as have Cadbury - oh don't get me started on Cadbury Dairy Milk recipe) Thorntons and Lindt used to be a wonderful Easter treat for me, with Cadbury and the like a 'petrol station' 2nd. Now Aldi & Lidl chocolate surpasses most, at rock bottom prices.

I guess QVC use the old 'gift giving' excuse. If you need a Thorntons gift, run to Home Bargains. Huge box of Thorntons Classics - a fiver.

 

[May]

I love any choc but I love cadburys lol I ran into super drug this morning and said to the girl I reall need my choc fix but I've only got a ten pound note ...lol they never have much change in early in day lol....she said fine but her face didn't lol....:mysmilie_17 whisper bars are my fave x

 

[Brissles]

I agree with the above.

When I was a child Thorntons were one of the premier chocolatiers (although I much preferred Black Magic by Rowntree). Each choccy had a different centre that was recognisable, not this mulch that the menu says contains 'rum from Jamaica' or 'oranges from Seville' - I defy anyone who can actually taste these individual flavours ! because since the 'fashion' was to turn all of our chocolates into sludgy ganache, mousse, and glutenous mess, we've lost the sensation of biting into a nut cracknel, devouring a marzipan, or chewing (whats that ?) on a caramel. The surrounding chocolate has also changed its constituency and is much more greasy rather than creamy.

 

[JR's Ego]

I love any choc but I love cadburys lol I ran into super drug this morning and said to the girl I reall need my choc fix but I've only got a ten pound note ...lol they never have much change in early in day lol....she said fine but her face didn't lol....:mysmilie_17 whisper bars are my fave x

What IS it about those delicious bars? I really agree. Hope they dont change them, and also I'm surprised they havent added different varieties of this ... such as orange whisper, mint whisper. I think the fact that the original hasnt changed is a good thing

You and I... hungry, in a place with one whisper bar between us might present a problem! :mysmilie_13: actually I lie, I would offer the bar to you, but request (with puppy dog eyes) one bite

 

[JR's Ego]

I agree with the above.

When I was a child Thorntons were one of the premier chocolatiers (although I much preferred Black Magic by Rowntree). Each choccy had a different centre that was recognisable, not this mulch that the menu says contains 'rum from Jamaica' or 'oranges from Seville' - I defy anyone who can actually taste these individual flavours ! because since the 'fashion' was to turn all of our chocolates into sludgy ganache, mousse, and glutenous mess, we've lost the sensation of biting into a nut cracknel, devouring a marzipan, or chewing (whats that ?) on a caramel. The surrounding chocolate has also changed its constituency and is much more greasy rather than creamy.

Really good point... like a lot of things in this modern life, people are spoiled, with too many choices and its ruined everything
The other day I was watching Man about the House TV show, and Chrissie was presented a box of chocolates. A big single tray of Cadbury with a tapestry print on box lid (1976) and I thought of this when you mentioned Seville orange etc etc. People would expect to know the selection. I always made sure NO ONE would touch the coffee or orange creme.. if they did there would be dire consequences. A simple clean taste, delivered by the Milk Tray guy.... mmmmm lovely

I also remember kids making lanterns from the coloured wrappers of Cadburys Roses, and peeking through the Milk Tray chocolate plastic tray that held the choc in place, because it made everything look purple when you looked through it

 

[maymorganlondon]

I used to love Thorntons chocolates. Back in the day, my mum's favourite was the apricot parfait... I loved the diplomat and the alpini. They were a lovely treat, and I don't believe they were as soft and gooey as they are now. When I have had them more recently they definitely appear to have changed,and not for the better.

I would hope that the new owners - Ferrero will improve things. Although Ferrero Rocher have become a bit of a joke, I like the texture... and the Raffaello (coconut, white chocolate and almond) are my absolute favourite single chocolate, thankfully for my figure, although also a pity they only bring them out at Christmas...

I've had some really nice chocolate from Aldi recently - and they help you not be too piggy, with the Moser Roth range - each big bar contains 5 individual small bars.

 

[maymorganlondon]

What IS it about those delicious bars? I really agree. Hope they dont change them, and also I'm surprised they havent added different varieties of this ... such as orange whisper, mint whisper. I think the fact that the original hasnt changed is a good thing

You and I... hungry, in a place with one whisper bar between us might present a problem! :mysmilie_13: actually I lie, I would offer the bar to you, but request (with puppy dog eyes) one bite

Whispa Gold - the one with the caramel. But you're right - no flavours... yet.

Mind you with some of the ridiculous things Kraft (or should I say Mondelez) are now packaging as Cadburys, I'm afraid my wholehearted consumption of Cadbury has waned.
They've stuck Ritz crackers, Lu (whatever the heck they are), popcorn, pretzels, oreo to name but a few. Cadbury's is gradually morphing into something I don't want anything to do with. My body will no doubt thank the owners of Cadbury for this :mysmilie_5:

 

[Mazza]

Were they not just bought by Ferrero Rocher?

 

[maymorganlondon]

Were they not just bought by Ferrero Rocher?

Yes - indeed they have.

 

[JR's Ego]

OMG Im just about to put my wellies and wax jacket on. Destination.. 24hr Tesco to buy 3 get 1 free whispa pack and Ferrero Rocher 24 box

Anybody want something picked up whilst Im at the sweetie isle?

#whatthehell
:mysmilie_5:

Sorry for thread hijack OP

 

[maymorganlondon]

OMG Im just about to put my wellies and wax jacket on. Destination.. 24hr Tesco to buy 3 get 1 free whispa pack and Ferrero Rocher 24 box

Anybody want something picked up whilst Im at the sweetie isle?

#whatthehell
:mysmilie_5:

Sorry for thread hijack OP

LOL!

You can probably pick up some Thorntons while you're there... :mysmilie_13:

 

[donna255]

I always found Thorntons very sickly, a friend gets boxes of them at Christmas and tries to force feed me them.

Now Hotel Chocolat gorgeous stuff. I usually wait until after Easter and then go buy one of their Easter eggs at half price.:mysmilie_59:

 

[May]

What IS it about those delicious bars? I really agree. Hope they dont change them, and also I'm surprised they havent added different varieties of this ... such as orange whisper, mint whisper. I think the fact that the original hasnt changed is a good thing

You and I... hungry, in a place with one whisper bar between us might present a problem! :mysmilie_13: actually I lie, I would offer the bar to you, but request (with puppy dog eyes) one bite

You have got a really good Point there! ...awww you are generous to offer one bite ....I would too ....you have to have empathy with fellow lovers of Whisper bars :mysmilie_59:

 

[speckledhen]

I hate to generalise, but I'm going to..lol - I have found that Americans cannot 'do' chocolate, its the one thing I don't eat when I am over there because its so tasteless and lardy, and does not melt in the mouth. The writing was on the wall for me concerning cadburys when Kraft took over. I agree with the poster that praised Lidl and Aldi Belgian chocolate - its a tasty treat and is quality for an amazing price.

 

[Brissles]

Oh Americans have real trouble with sweeties at all. I remember going there years ago, and they didn't 'do' cream ! frozen yoghurt and I think there was frozen cream but pouring cream, no. Don't they have cows ????? and yes I found that Hershey chocolate leaves a (sorry about this) sort of vomit taste at the back of your throat .

I love the Charbonnay & Walker choccys, and their banana salted caramel truffles are to die for. Sooooooo expensive (John Lewis) but worth every mouthful.

 

[maymorganlondon]

Oh Americans have real trouble with sweeties at all. I remember going there years ago, and they didn't 'do' cream ! frozen yoghurt and I think there was frozen cream but pouring cream, no. Don't they have cows ????? and yes I found that Hershey chocolate leaves a (sorry about this) sort of vomit taste at the back of your throat .

I love the Charbonnay & Walker choccys, and their banana salted caramel truffles are to die for. Sooooooo expensive (John Lewis) but worth every mouthful.

The vomit taste is courtesy of Butyric acid. You also get it in parmesan cheese.

Hershey add it to stabilise the chocolate (I could put it in inverted commas as far away from our expectation of chocolate as it is).

In the USA, Hershey have the distribution rights for Cadbury's chocolate. It used to be possible for shops specialising in British stuff for homesick ex-pats to import Cadbury's chocolate from the UK... not any more - Hershey have really clamped down.

My favourite everyday chocolate is normally Green & Blacks, but I am trying to cut down/out the chocolate. This thread isn't helping....

 

[sharonk]

I love lindor caramel , those balls of gorgeousness are heaven... To share them is a sin��. Cadburys is rubbish now, they stick anything in it to cut down on the chocolate content and make it cheaper to produce....I mean, ritz crackers in chocolate�� whoever came up with that should be force fed it until they were sick, it shouldn't take long

 

[Summer1976]

Large bags of 'Thorntons' mishapes 99p in HomeBargains.

 

[louise66]

I don't eat chocolate, but Herons sell the continental bags of thorntons for 75p. Makes QVC seem positively money grabbing! If I did eat them I would, on principle, be loathe to pay the Q's prices.