Build your own KitKat: Nestlé debuts high-end, handcrafted KitKat Chocolatory in UK

25 Sep 2019 --- Following the premiumization of KitKat chocolate bars in Japan, Nestlé Confectionery will launch its first direct-to-consumer offering in the UK with the introduction of the KitKat Chocolatory. The luxury handcrafted KitKats will be available in Britain before the end of this year and include the option for shoppers to visit an online store and “create their own break” by choosing from four types of chocolate and 14 ingredients to build their own eight-finger KitKat. Shoppers can then personalize the packaging, having it handmade to order, and delivered straight to their door.

“All across our business we are investing in our brands to develop the innovation that people are looking for. The introduction of KitKat Chocolatory is all about the demand for more luxury, premium confectionery and the opportunity to personalize a product which is a trend that continues to grow and grow,” says Stefano Agostini, CEO for Nestlé UK & Ireland.

The KitKat Chocolatory targets Christmas shoppers with its upscale handmade treats, which are customizable with up to 1,500 different flavor combinations. Consumers can choose from a range of chocolate varieties – milk, dark, white and ruby – and a host of diverse ingredients including shortbread pieces, salted caramel chunks, meringue, honeycomb and rose petals.

Customizable KitKat bars topped with rose petals.The range also boasts six “Special Edition” flavors including “Zingtastic Gin and Tonic” and “Springtime in Japan”. Meanwhile a further eight “Best of British” KitKat fingers are inspired by British flavors such as Dandelion and Burdock, Marmalade, Cherry Bakewell and Eton Mess.

Aside from the KitKat bar itself, KitKat Chocolatory packaging is also customisable both in-store and online with a personalized name or message appearing on the front of packs.

Each of the new KitKat Chocolatory products have been developed by in-house expert confectioners, while teams of people have also worked to deliver new packaging, digital content and the infrastructure required to deliver a whole new business model, notes Nestlé.

“KitKat is our biggest brand and this is the biggest news for KitKat since the introduction of the KitKat Chunky exactly 20 years ago,” says Rabia Khan, Head of KitKat Chocolatory for Nestlé UK & Ireland. “We know how much people enjoy experimenting with new and exciting KitKat flavors.”

KitKat Chocolatory launches online ahead of Christmas 2019, while products will be available in 30 John Lewis & Partners shops and York’s Chocolate Story – a visitor attraction in the heart of York, UK – starting tomorrow, running until December 24.

KitKat expands novelty offeringsMatcha green tea-flavored KitKat debuted in the UK earlier this year.
Outside of Japan, novel KitKat flavor varieties have begun to catch on in Western markets, with the introduction of matcha green tea-flavored KitKat. Matcha is a traditional drink made from powdered green tea that has been enjoyed for centuries in Japan, often as part of elaborate tea ceremonies.

In July, Nestlé created a unique new chocolate variety made entirely from the cocoa fruit, using only the beans and pulp as ingredients. The new chocolate, released through Nestlé’s KitKat Chocolatory in Japan, has been developed using a “natural approach” and patented technique which does not require adding any refined sugar. Nestlé hails its invention as a “breakthrough idea” with huge potential. The company continues to explore the possibilities of using the cocoa fruit in this way and is poised to innovate more products that provide a novel chocolate experience as more consumers seek natural and healthy options.

KitKat was invented in York in 1935 when the brand’s first four-finger bar was introduced as the “Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp” before the name “KitKat” (resembling the phrase kitto katsu, meaning “you will surely win” in Japanese) was adopted a few years later. In the 84 years since the brand’s launch, the chocolates have gained popularity in the gift-giving culture of Japan, where KitKat is considered lucky. Over 300 novel flavor varieties have been launched since the early millennium, including purple potato, edamame bean, wasabi, pumpkin and sake.

By Benjamin Ferrer