Lidl at war with ethical chocolate maker over alleged ‘copycat’ bars

Lidl has been accused of copying the design of a chocolate bar without matching the brand’s ethical standards.

Lidl’s Way To Go bar has replicated the asymmetric design of Tony’s products, but the chocolate brand has called for the supermarket to prove it has also sought to produce the product ethically.

Tony’s said the design of the irregular pieces in its bars was intended to draw attention to the inequality in cocoa sourcing.

A Tony’s source told The Grocer “it doesn’t feel right” for the supermarket to copy the distinctive feature without also honouring the brand’s principles.

Tony’s commits to “five sourcing principles” which its website states are using “traceable cocoa beans”, paying “a higher price”, “investing in strong farmers”, nurturing “long-term relationships”, and remaining “committed to quality and productivity”.

This means they pay a living income to farmers, commit to five years of sales with farmers while trading directly with them to ensure traceability in the supply chain, and investing in improving sustainability and quality of production.

‘It doesn’t feel right’

A Tony’s spokesman told the trade magazine: “If you are going to do a brand copycat our only ask is that on the sourcing side you copy Tony’s five sourcing principles too.

“We exist to end exploitation in cocoa, and our sourcing method is designed to deliver that.

“Our unequally divided bar serves as a reminder that the cocoa supply chain is unequal. So, to copy this mission ‘device’, but not our entire sourcing principles – or better yet, join Tony’s Open Chain – doesn’t feel right.”

Tony’s shares the five principles as part of an open chain initiative, which enables producers to adopt the standards.

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A Lidl spokesman said: “Way To Go is our Fairtrade-certified own-brand range and its core aims are to make the cocoa and other raw materials supply chain even fairer. We developed the Way To Go strategy and concept together with Fairtrade following a risks and needs-based approach.

“Lidl is committed to supporting living incomes in countries where high-risk raw materials are sourced. For the Way To Go quantities purchased by Lidl, we add an additional Lidl Income Improvement Premium (IIP) on top of the Fairtrade minimum price and the Fairtrade premium. This IIP is based on the Fairtrade Living Income Reference Price methodology and is composed of a direct payment as well as the financing of project activities in the cooperatives.”

The Way To Go bar costs £2.69 for 180g, while Tony’s chocolate bars of the same weight sell  for £3.50.

Taste test: Tony’s vs Lidl

Andrew Baker is a senior judge of the Academy of Chocolate and the author of From Bean to Bar (AA Books)

These two chocolate bars are deliberately similar.

Lidl has mimicked not only the Tony’s wrapper but also the mould in which the bar is made – uneven, steep-sided chunks.

The key ingredients, cocoa solids (32%) and dried milk, and their proportions, are almost identical, so it is not surprising that the bars also taste similar – bland and very sweet, enlivened by the crunch of small nuggets of salty caramel.

The main difference is in the texture, which also affects the way the bar melts in the mouth and the flavour is delivered.

The bars are the same weight but the Lidl one is longer and wider – and therefore thinner and less substantial. The chocolate also seems less dense than Tony’s and melts more quickly in the mouth meaning the flavour does not come through as strongly.

The Tony’s bar feels much more satisfying, the dense texture means it lingers longer in the mouth, giving the flavours more time to develop. In short, it’s a better bar.

Scores: Lidl 3/5; Tony’s 4/5

Winner: Tony’s