Christmas and Quality Street go hand in hand. For decades, families across the UK have gathered around the iconic tin, debating which flavour is the best and silently judging anyone who reaches for the last Green Triangle.
Everyone has their ride-or-die choice, whether it’s the Caramel Swirl, the Toffee Penny or, if you’re lucky, the elusive Purple One. It’s part of the ritual: tipping the whole lot out, rustling through the wrappers, and arguing about which one should have been retired years ago.
This year, though, that tradition is about to get a shake-up. Nestlé has confirmed that something brand new is being added to the mix for the chocolate brand, and it’s not going to please everyone. Because if there’s one thing guaranteed to cause rows at Christmas, it’s messing with the chocolate line-up.
For Christmas 2025, Quality Street is launching a limited edition sweet that’s going to be appearing in the chocolate brand’s pick and mix stations. In a festive first, however, the flavour is being kept completely under wraps until December.
This means whilst you might be excited to try a bold new flavour, the big reveal in December could be for one you’d normally dodge altogether — making those months of built hype all for nothing. After all, one man's Green Triangle, is another man's Orange Creme.
The sweet will be available exclusively at John Lewis and Waitrose stores, where the much-loved pick and mix stations are returning. Fans can create their own tins by choosing from the 11 classic flavours, last year’s Coffee Creme, and now this secret addition.
If you’re a Coffee Creme loyalist, there’s some good news: it’s also back in standalone gift cartons, plus on offer at the Oxford Street flagship pick and mix.
Rachael Mundy, Marketing Manager for Gifting & Seasonal at Nestlé Confectionery UK & Ireland, said: “Each year we look forward to bringing a limited edition sweet into the mix to excite and delight Quality Street fans, but this year we’ve taken it a step further by keeping the flavour top secret. We can’t wait to find out what the nation thinks the flavour is, and we’re very much looking forward to hearing some of the guesses.
“I’ll be heading to my nearest John Lewis pick and mix station to fill up a tin with the mystery sweet flavour alongside our family favourites so my friends and family can join in the fun of guessing – it’s going to be very hard keeping the mystery flavour to myself!"
John Lewis is going all in on the festive fun too. Lisa Cherry, Christmas Buying Manager, said: "We’re thrilled to be bringing Quality Street back to our stores for Christmas 2025, especially with the added excitement of a mystery sweet in the mix. The pick and mix stations have become a much-loved festive tradition for our customers, and this year’s personalised ribbons and vintage-inspired baubles add an extra-special touch. We know families will enjoy guessing the new flavour while creating tins that are as unique as the people they’re gifting them to.”
The move is certain to divide opinion. After all, Quality Street fans are famously picky whilst also being deadset on their favourites. With at least one flavour already causing endless debates each year, introducing a secret sweet is bound to stir things up even more. That’s especially since one flavour of sweet can never please anyone, so there’s always going to be those who hate it.
Whether it becomes a future favourite or the first one left behind in the tin, this Christmas is shaping up to be more controversial than ever.
Featured Image Credit: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Ben Williams