THE cost of a KitKat and other top chocs has risen as Nestlé experiences big increases in the cost of raw materials.

The York confectioner says it is doing everything it can to cushion the impact of inflation on food but it's a 'passenger to the geopolitical and macroeconomic situation like everyone else.'

A spokeswoman said: "Like every manufacturer, we are experiencing significant increases in the cost of raw materials, including energy, packaging and transportation, making it more expensive to manufacture our products.

"We are doing everything we can to manage these costs in the short-term, but in order to maintain the highest standards of quality, it is sometimes necessary to make minor adjustments to the price of our products."

She said Nestlé was working very hard on efficiencies to mitigate the impact on consumers but had to protect its margin to stay successful.

Asked how much products such as KitKats had risen by, she said: "Final pricing is always at the discretion of individual retailers."

But personal finance expert Laura Rettie said Nestlé had reported increasing prices by 6.5 per cent in the first half of this year, adding: “Sadly this is just another in a long line of businesses that are being forced to hike their prices."