Cleaning Crew Discovers a 35-Year-Old Chocolate Bar, and the Physical Evidence of Shrinkflation Is Turning Into a Viral Nightmare for Mars Inc.
The good, old days…
A 35-year-old Mars Bar, discovered during a house clearance in Scunthorpe, has become the internet’s latest viral sensation – and a PR nightmare for Mars Inc. According to the BBC, the chocolate bar, with a best-before date of 1991, weighs 62.5 grams, a whopping 56% heavier than today’s 40-gram version. The side-by-side comparison has sparked outrage over shrinkflation, with users across social media calling out the stark difference in size.
Victoria Gordon, who runs the cleaning service Pocket Rockets, stumbled upon the relic while clearing out a hoarder’s home. “We were rooting through everything, and it was all decades old,” she told BBC Radio Lincolnshire. “This Mars Bar stood out because it was nearly the whole length of my hand. I was like, ‘Wow, look at the size of that!'”
According to CTV News, Gordon initially considered tossing it but decided to keep it after her TikTok video, titled “How big is this Mars Bar from 1991,” racked up over 40,000 likes and 1,500 comments. She’s now joking about taking it on a UK tour, calling it a potential “gold mine.”
The discovery has reignited frustration over shrinkflation
Shrinkflation can be described as the practice of reducing product sizes while keeping prices the same – or even increasing them. Gordon, who also handles crime scene and biohazard cleanups, said the reaction surprised her.
“People are really disgruntled about shrinkflation. I knew products were getting smaller, but I didn’t realize just how much until I saw them side by side.” She added that the cost of living crisis has made consumers hyper-aware of these changes. “The price of everything’s increasing all the time. We’re getting squeezed more and more.”
Mars Inc., the company behind the bar, has responded to the backlash with a statement acknowledging the size change. “Over the last 35 years, we have made a number of updates to our bar sizes and pack formats to reflect consumer demand, alongside considering wider external factors such as manufacturing costs and the price of cocoa,” a spokesperson said.
The company, which also owns brands like M&Ms, Snickers, and Whiskas, emphasized that the recipe itself hasn’t changed. Still, the explanation hasn’t stopped the online uproar.
The viral Mars Bar isn’t the first time shrinkflation has gone under the microscope
Earlier, similar comparisons surfaced for products like Toblerone, where gaps between triangles widened for a while in 2016, and cereal boxes that shrank while prices stayed the same. But the Mars Bar discovery feels different. It’s not just a rumor or a Reddit post. It’s physical proof, sitting in Gordon’s hand, that what you bought decades ago was undeniably bigger.
Gordon’s TikTok followers – she goes by @pocketrocketscleaning on the app – have been quick to share their own shrinkflation horror stories. Some recalled childhood treats that seemed massive compared to today’s versions, while others joked about the bar being “vintage” enough to sell as a collector’s item.
One user even suggested Gordon auction it off, though she’s not sure what she’ll do with it yet. “Maybe someone could do a scientific experiment on it,” she mused. “I don’t know if it’s edible, and I don’t want to be the one to try it.”
The timing of the discovery couldn’t be worse for Mars Inc.
The company, founded in 1883 by Frank C. Mars, has built its reputation on iconic products like the Mars Bar, which was first handmade in Slough, Berkshire, in 1932. Today, the bar is still produced in the same town, but the size reduction has left a sour taste for many consumers.
While the company cites “unprecedented cost pressures” and supply chain issues as reasons for the change, the viral comparison makes it hard to ignore the optics. A 62.5-gram bar from 1991 next to a 40-gram bar in 2024 is a stark visual that doesn’t need much explanation.
Gordon’s experience highlights how social media can turn everyday discoveries into cultural moments. What started as a routine cleanup job has become a symbol of broader economic frustrations. “I almost put it in the skip,” she admitted. “I’m glad I didn’t.” For now, the bar remains intact, a time capsule of a time when chocolate bars were bigger; and maybe, just maybe, life felt a little less squeezed.
(Featured image: Asim18)
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