Nestlé launch poll to decide new addition to KitKat range (From York Press)

Nestlé launch Facebook poll to decide new addition to KitKat range

8:15am Saturday 26th January 2013 in News By Mike Laycock & Alex Willmott

Luke Smith taste tests the four new varieties of Chunky KitKat

THE election campaign has started – and already 60,000 votes have been cast.

But chocoholics across the country aren’t lining up behind politicians and parties, but rather their favourite KitKat Chunky bar.

York confectioner Nestlé has launched a Facebook poll to decide which of four different limited editions should become a permanent part of the KitKat range.

Two of them, Chunky Mint and Chunky Coconut, are made at the factory in York, while the other two, Chunky Hazelnut and Chunky Choc Fudge, are manufactured in Sofia, Bulgaria.

A similar poll last year, which received a total of 600,000 votes, elected Chunky Peanut Butter.

A company spokesman said the new campaign was set to exceed last year’s, with 60,000 votes already cast in the opening weeks and high excitement on the social networking site. “The flavours are finely balanced and we expect a close finish,” he said.

“Mint and choc fudge are neck and neck on 30 per cent each.”

The contest, which started on January 14, is being backed by a £5 million media campaign across TV, digital, outdoor, radio and mobile and will run for eight weeks.

A UK wide tour will also bring the competition direct to shoppers and the flavour with the most votes by March 15 will be crowned the winner and unveiled as the nation’s new Chunky Champion.

Tasters favour sweet treat in mint condition

THE Press decided to put the four bars to the test by inviting chocolate lovers from across York to the offices of The Press for a tasting session.

The panel gave a ringing endorsement to the York-made Mint bar, with five out of the six testers giving it eight out of ten.

The lowest-rated bar was the fudge Chunky, with an average vote of six out of ten, with coconut and hazelnut both getting an average of seven. But Luke Smith, 33, of Oakland Drive, was an exception, going for chocolate fudge. “The mint is good, but it’s just a typical chocolate and mint combination.

“When I tasted the fudge, I just thought ‘Boom, this is excellent’.”

Michelle Proctor, manager at the York Cocoa House, said her favourite was coconut, although she thought all of them were very good. “Sadly, I lost my last-ever baby tooth on a Kit Kat Chunky six years ago, but it’s still a great bar of chocolate,” she said.

A group of people visiting The Press to learn more about careers in the newspaper industry also gave their views, and again many liked the Mint version.

Tamsin Trevorrow-Earl said: “The Mint bar has got a really fresh taste.” Jodie Coupland said: “Chocolate can be a bit sickly but the Mint is refreshing.”