NESTL Rowntree has raised prices on a range of chocolate products in the wake of soaring cocoa costs.

The recommended retail price of KitKat four-finger bars, for example, will go up by 2p from 29p to 31p.

The York-based confectioners said the price of cocoa had more than doubled since last year, and was now at its highest for 15 years.

And while it did not immediately respond to fluctuations in market prices, it had reluctantly had to increase costs to customers, in line with the rest of the confectionery industry.

A spokeswoman said the increase would vary from product to product, depending on factors such as the original price.

"Nestl Rowntree continues to offer consumers excellent value for money across a wide range of confectionery products," she added.

The increase in recommended retail prices, which do not have to be followed by retailers but generally are, came into effect on February 3. But the spokeswoman said it might be some time before they fed through into the shops.

The prices have been hitting the chocolate industry hard all over the city. One independent chocolatier said cocoa prices were rocketing, but they were trying not to pass on the increase to the customer.

But price increase were hitting the firm quite hard, and they were facing an increasing struggle to survive.

Updated: 10:40 Saturday, February 15, 2003