For many of us, the idea of being surrounded by chocolate all day, and coming up with ideas for new and delicious sweet treats, sounds like a dream – but for Lizzy Dinsdale, it’s a reality.
The 34-year-old has spent the last 14 years working with Mars Wrigley as a chocolate scientist, creating new products for iconic brands like Galaxy, Twix, Snickers and more.
She also plays a key role in helping to bring back some retro favourites that have been axed over the years – such as the recent return of Milky Way Crispy Rolls.
But how do they decide which discontinued snacks from the 80s, 90s and 00s to give another go? According to Lizzy, it’s all to do with us, the consumers, and how much fuss we’ve been making over a specific product.
‘We’re always listening to consumer feedback, so when we see a clear desire with people for a certain product to return, we take note,’ she tells Metro.
‘We don’t follow strict rules for product returns, but if there’s clear demand for a product then it’s definitely something we will consider. We even have a dedicated social team to monitor ideas and love for retro products, and online petitions definitely factor into this too!’
Lizzy recalls how petitions played a big part in driving the return of the Milky Way Crispy Rolls, with one particular petition reaching more than 8,000 signatures.
So if you do want to see a long lost chocolate bar come back from the dead, it could be word getting onto change.org and spreading the word…
However, it’s worth keeping in mind that when a nostalgic treat does get brought back, it might not taste exactly as you remember it, as the experts will likely have made some ‘improvements’.
‘Our main focus is ensuring the essence is the same, so that people trying it can experience the product that they know and love, to really capture that magic nostalgic moment,’ Lizzy explains.
‘But at the same time, we’re always doing our utmost to make improvements to the taste or texture of a product.’
If she had her way, there are two Mars Wrigley products Lizzy would love to bring back – the yellow Starburst flavour and the Galaxy Truffles from Celebrations tubs.
‘The Galaxy Truffles returning would be a dream come true and I know I’m not alone on that one,’ she says.
No matter how much you love a certain sweet or chocolate bar, its survival is never guaranteed and there are several reasons as to why your favourite product might end up getting axed.
Lizzy claims the most common reason chocolate bars don’t make it is that they can’t be scaled efficiently or consistently. This means a brand is unable to produce hundreds of thousands of them that all look and taste the same.
‘If we can’t do that, then we pause and relook at the recipe and process to see if we can make it work.’
Quality is also another big factor in this decision making process, and this is where Mars’ dedicated chocolate testers come in – yes, apparently that’s a real job. Where do we apply?!
Ultimately though, it might just be the case that the product doesn’t ‘fit’ with the established brand.
Lizzy adds: ‘From Maltesers to Mars and Snickers, our brands are the heart of Mars, and all have distinct and iconic recipes, textures and flavours, so it’s important that new products support what’s already out there and have a familiarity and distinctiveness to the brand.
‘If consumers don’t associate the new product with the brand or aren’t happy with it, we won’t continue with it. They call the shots!’
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