Kids 'in tears' over Cadbury's advent calendar problem. Photo / Andrew Lamont / Twitter
Kids 'in tears' over Cadbury's advent calendar problem. Photo / Andrew Lamont / Twitter
The start of December means one thing – you can finally start opening your advent calendars.
Behind each window lies a mini treat, usually chocolate, though 2019 has been the year people have become more adventurous with cheese or wine delights.
It's a magical moment, especially for kids who usuallywant to tear into the treat-filled calendar the moment they wake up.
Which is why some parents have been left shocked and furious when their children have opened their Cadbury advent calendars on December 1 only to discover there's nothing packed inside.
One dad in the UK took to Twitter to share a photo of his calendar completely bare of chockie after his son found day one was empty, news.com.au reported.
"My lad opened his advent calendar and there's no chocolate," he wrote alongside a photo of the sad-looking window.
"Opened the back and it's empty," he continued, along with a snap of the whole tray of 24 chocolates, unopened except for one, missing chocolate from its moulds. "Cheers son's crying. Nice one."
Parents have been sharing snaps of their 'empty' Cadbury advent calendars online. Photo / Andrew Lamont / Twitter
He's not the only "disappointed" parent who has discovered the product empty.
Hmmm Cadbury!? Advent calendar with no contents!?!! One very disappointed wee boy 😡 #cadbury Maybe someone could sort this for us? pic.twitter.com/NtRHuIzcVl
@CadburyUK is there a problem with the quiz for the Cadbury Heroes Advent Calendar? 2 disappointed little girls this morning ☹️ pic.twitter.com/vsBMhvK8j4
A spokesperson for Cadbury in the UK told the Manchester Evening News they were sorry for the problems with the much-loved advent calendars.
"We're sorry to hear about the issues some of our fans are facing with chocolate missing from inside the Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar, the Cadbury Heroes Advent Calendar and Cadbury Dairy Milk Santa's Workshop Advent Calendar and would like to reassure people that quality is of paramount importance to us.
"We encourage any customers who have received an advent calendar that is not up to standard to speak to our customer care team as soon as possible."
It's not clear whether this chocolate crisis is affecting Australia and New Zealand, so news.com.au has contacted Cadbury for comment.
Chocolate backlash
Earlier this year, Cadbury UK copped flak over a sudden change to its recipe after 114 years, leaving people asking "why?"
The iconic brand changed the recipe of its original chocolate flavour to make it healthier, producing it with 30 per cent less sugar.
In the new chocolate bars, Cadbury replaced some of the sugar with a type of fibre that has the same structure to help keep its texture, which is key to the taste of the popular chocolate.
But the change prompted Cadbury lovers to vent their frustration on social media, with many branding it the "change no one asked for".
"No one: … Cadbury: let's make a healthier chocolate bar for people to eat all in one go and pretend they don't," one Facebook user said.
"No way … I like it as it is. If I wanted a healthier option I just wouldn't eat it. Sad times," another added.
