M&S festive chocolates 'better than Quality Street' have people Christmas shopping in September
Christmas may still be more than three months away, but some M&S shoppers have already started stocking up on one of the most important items on the festive shopping list, the tin of chocs.
Marks & Spencer's Big Mix has returned to stores for Christmas 2026, and shoppers are wasting no time getting their hands on them and sharing their delight on social media.
The question is, can your willpower last until the big day?
Find a really good hiding place for these, else you’ll be trawling the aisles in December and tasting nothing but disappointment.
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The festive assortment has even been hailed by some customers as being ‘better than Quality Street’ and other big names.
M&S is selling the Big Mix in a 650g carton for £7, while the larger 1.2kg tub costs £12.
The selection contains 10 varieties, including Salted Caramel, Coffee Truffle, Hazelnut in Caramel, Cream Toffee, Caramel Fudge, Strawberry Crème, Orange Crème, Biscuit in Caramel and Butterscotch Éclair.
For fans of the traditional Christmas chocolate tin, the contents will sound familiar enough to be tempting, but with a few twists.
The Coffee Truffle, in particular, appears to have won over shoppers who miss coffee-flavoured chocolates in the more familiar festive assortments.
One customer described the Big Mix as the ‘best chocolate box for Christmas’ adding: "These are our favourite chocolate box at Christmas time for sharing with the family, the chocolate is nice and thick and lovely fillings."
Another shopper praised the ‘great selection’ describing it as ‘better than the leading brands of chocolates that come in plastic tubs and tins’.
It’s no surprise then that some customers are taking no chances after the chocolates reportedly proved difficult to find last Christmas.
One shopper explained that her daughter had already bought a tin, saying: "My daughter picked [a tin] up for me last week (they ran out quickly last time)."
A Facebook commenter raved "These are THE best chocolates ever for Xmas, beat any Cadbury tubs!"
Another shopper said they had been ‘looking for a decent alternative to Quality Street’ and were hopeful this would be just the thing.
The coffee chocolates have also attracted particular attention, with one shopper commenting: "They score extra points for having a coffee creme! I miss those!"
‘Best chocolate box for Christmas!" raved another. "These are our favourite chocolate box at Christmas time for sharing with the family – the chocolate is nice and thick and lovely fillings. I’ve been buying these for a few years now instead of the other popular brands."
The popularity has been boosted by the fact the sizes of traditional chocolate tubs have changed over the years, as every year they seem to get smaller.
A 2024 analysis by The Guardian found that some of the most popular chocolates in Quality Street, Celebrations and Roses tubs were among the least numerous, with favourites such as the Green Triangle appearing relatively infrequently.
The M&S Big Mix’s 1.2kg size is also likely to catch the eye.
At £12, it costs more than many standard chocolate tubs, but shoppers get more than twice the chocolate found in some smaller festive assortments.
The fact that people are buying their Christmas chocolate in September speaks volumes, but with food prices rising and tub getting smaller, stocking up early may no longer seem quite so OTT.
Especially if the coffee creams disappear again.
Jen Thomas