Penny Melson posted her family’s notes on TikTok which claim there were 137 sweet treats inside their Quality Street tin in 2006.
The 26-year-old then shared other detailed breakdowns such as 119 chocolates in 2009, 84 in 2016 and ending with 2024’s count of just 67.
She claims the £6 box is ‘double the price’ of what they paid for the tin two decades ago and that it’s an example of ‘shrinkflation’.
Recruitment worker Penny called the count ‘abysmal’ and she hopes other families joining her to count the treats in future will encourage owners Nestle to boost the number again. (Image: Kennedy News/Nestle) Recruitment worker Penny called the count ‘abysmal’ and she hopes other families joining her to count the treats in future will encourage owners Nestle to boost the number again.
Penny’s TikTok has 700,000 views with users branding Nestle ‘sneaky’ and thanking her family for carrying out what they joke is a ‘public service’.
Nestle said that they believed their prices to be ‘competitive’ and were based on a ‘range of factors’ including the cost of manufacturing, ingredients and transport and customer preferences.
Penny said: “Every year we have noticed a decline [in sweets] but it hasn’t stopped us from buying them every year!
“I hope other families start to count the Quality Street. Perhaps it will encourage Nestle to increase the tin sizes.
“I think four orange chocolate crunches in this year’s selection was abysmal.
“We would have been counting a few years before 2006 but I know from the first count we truly enjoyed it.
“As my name is Penny, I was in charge of the Toffee Penny, which ironically is probably my least favourite chocolate today.”
“The reaction [to my post] has blown our minds. I have seen small things here and there about Quality Street ‘shrinkflation’ but never did I expect it.”
Penny admits her family almost stopped their tradition when her auntie Emma Melson, 45, passed away in September as she was the ‘heart of the tradition’.
However, she’s pleased to keep it going into 2025 and beyond to keep her memory alive and please her TikTok followers.
Penny said: “My auntie Emma made it all the more fun by being the official note-taker, with each family member assigned a particular chocolate to keep track of.
“Sadly, she passed away in September and this year we weren’t sure if we wanted to continue the tradition because she was the heart of it.
“If you look through the notes, you can still see her beautiful handwriting and humorous comments scattered throughout, reminding us of the joy she brought to our Christmases.
“We will be counting them every year no doubt about it, for my auntie and for the nation, since there was such a huge response.”
One TikTok user commented: “Those sneaky buggers. And they wonder why sales are so low.”
A second said: “At this point I feel what you’ve done is a public service.”
A third added: “Your family is literally saving our sanity out here.”
A Nestle spokesperson said: “Each year we introduce a new Quality Street range with formats, sizes, weights and RRPs based on a range of factors including the cost of manufacturing, ingredients and transport and the preferences of our customers and consumers.
“We think our 2024 range and pricing is competitive with a good variety of choice for Quality Street fans. Final prices are at the discretion of individual retailers.”