The Flavors Of Cadbury Mystery Bars Have Finally Been Revealed

The flavors of Cadbury chocolate bars have recently taken the confectionary spotlight, and not for the first time. Far from it. Hershey versus Cadbury taste debates raged after Cadbury ceded U.S. licensing rights to the chocolate giant in 1988, beginning what Business Insider called "the mysterious history of the two bars." No side won or lost the transatlantic chocolate war. It merely migrated to the sidelines to occasionally erupt among those who insisted U.S. and U.K. bars taste different. But this time, the Cadbury flavor debate is much less controversial. In fact, it's been more of a tasty mystery – one that's finally been solved.

In 2022, Cadbury U.K. announced the creation of two new chocolate bars but kept the flavors a secret, inviting the public to guess the hidden tastes via the Cadbury Mystery Bars website. U.S. visitors to the site received an "Oh No" notice stating their country was not participating in the mystery campaign. But that didn't dampen enthusiasm in Britain. According to Industry Update, at least 300,000 people rose to the challenge, submitting their guesses online. Part of the enticement was the chance to win a £5,000 cash or holiday prize.

After a summer of anticipation, nibbling, and even blind-test arguments, per the Mirror, participants finally learned the flavor identity of the two new mystery bars, revealed on Oct. 13, 2022.

From the 300,000-plus entries in the Cadbury Mystery Bars competition, 6,861 people got it right, according to Industry Update, a surprising number since the new flavor combinations are far from ordinary. The largest number of correct speculations came from London, Manchester, and Birmingham, the Mirror notes. The big reveal arrived on Oct.13, 2022: Mystery Bar 01 features rhubarb and custard flavors, and Mystery Bar 02 zings the tastebuds with a blue raspberry slushie taste.

Even though more than 290,000 people didn't correctly guess the flavors, at least some of the wrong answers seemed to go in the right direction. Taste testers for the Mirror detected sharp and fruity flavors and came up with such guesses as "sour apple." One taster guessed strawberry while another thought the answer was raspberry. A drawing will commence for the two cash or holiday prize winners. The heavily embraced competition showcases continuing British affection for the Cadbury brand, which has been embraced fondly for over 100 years (via Cadbury U.K.).