Freddos will now cost 30p - is nothing sacred?

First Space Raiders went up from 10p to 20p (about 10 years ago we know, but it still stings) then the Toblerone became the first victim of Brexit and went all weird, and now Freddo – the adorable little chocolate frog whose head we’d gladly bite off – has rocketed up to a whopping 30p. In confectionery terms, it’s pretty much end of days stuff.

Mondelēz International – the food conglomerate which owns Cadbury’s and is also responsible for the cost-saving mangling of Toblerone – says that the 20% price hike is a “last resort”. It’s not the first time Freddo has gone up in price either.

We remember that golden age, back in the year 2000, when Freddos cost just 10p. They went up to 17p in 2010, before bumping all the way up to 25p in 2015. At this rate we’ll be shelling a pound a go come the year 2060.

A Mondelēz spokeswoman said: “Increasing prices is always a last resort, but to ensure we can keep people’s favourite brands on shelf and look after the 4,500 people we employ in the UK, we are having to make some selective price increases across our range.”

The American company, which also owns Oreo, Milka, and belVita has come under repeated criticism for its tinkering with Cadbury traditions since buying the chocolate manufacturer in 2010.

This includes changing the Crème Egg chocolate, ditching Bourneville from the Heroes tubs, rounding the corners of Dairy Milk bars, doing away with chocolate coins, adding sultanas to Fruit and Nut, changing the Roses wrappers (to be fair, that is annoying), and stopping Cadbury’s annual chocolate gifts for pensioners.

Freddo, it seems, is just the latest victim. And judging by this track record, there could be more chocolate-based monstrosity to come for old school Cadbury’s lovers. 

Just when you thought 2017 was a fresh start for us all.