Green and Black's Caramel Bar discontinued? (moved from Ontario board)

[rat under paper]

I have looked in the usual places for what was, perhaps only in my opinion, Green and Black's best chocolate bar flavour: milk chocolate with a sea-salted caramel centre. I've heard a rumour that since Cadbury bought out G & B they decided to discontinue the caramel so as not to compete with the (insipid! oversweet!) Caramilk.
Does anyone know if this is so?

[julesrules]

Well they have this bar at Strictly Bulk again so maybe Cadbury's have reintroduced it? The ingredients list is rather long and mentions salt twice, but not sea salt specifically. I didn't buy it and my review wouldn't mean much anyway since I never had the original (I just generally prefer my premium chocolate to be dark not milk)

[RosemaryHoney]

hey rat - though not listed on the green and black's website, this bar is available at Wegman's stores in the Buffalo area. I know you're in TO, but if you ever come across the border, you can find them here!

[Parniabc]

The hubby and I have been on the look out in the North East US.... Wholefoods is out, Wegmans is out. Neither have been in stock for about 2 months now! We are jonesing folks! This is G&B's best bar... everything else is re-stocked. Where is my Caramel Bar????

[wontonfm]

I was just at a Whole Foods in Chicago and they had a bunch of these bars in stock. Not sure if they've made their way back to the Toronto area but hopefully their return is eminent!

WON
http://whatsonmyplate.wordpress.com

[estufarian]

I saw the product line in Chicago - I was looking for the orange bar, which wasn't available - but also didn't notice the caramel either.

[wontonfm]

I should have been clearer I realize... I saw the Caramel bars at Whole Foods in Chicago but have yet to see them in Toronto.

[EatingMyWayThroughLife]

Actually, they have decided NOT to discontinue Caramel--they said too many people complained!

[1sweetpea]

Rat under paper, I'll have a look at Zehrs and Shopper's Drug Mart here in the Windsor area, to see if any carry the G & B milk chocolate caramel bar. Needless to say, I'm intrigued and want to try it myself now. If I'm SOL, living in a border city has its perks. My SO works in the US. Anything only available in the US is obtainable, as long as it's ordered to his US office address. I'll say no more, for fear of incriminating ourselves with the customs agents. It's all in the name of chowhounding, dear border guard. I promise! Anyway, I could definitely hook you up with your beloved chocolate bar, since I'm in T.O. approximately once a month to visit family and friends. Let me know. ;-)

[1sweetpea]

I'm so sorry, rat under paper! It looks like your beloved Green & Black's milk chocolate caramel bar might be no longer. There's no mention of it on the US website. I was in my grocery store this morning talking to the person who runs the health food section (where the G&B products seem to be located) and she said that they're down to two flavours right now. She's not sure why the next shipment is taking so long, but couldn't say for sure whether the caramel bar is still in the G&B lineup. She mentioned that she hadn't seen it in a while. Looks like the drought goes beyond Toronto.

[1sweetpea]

They're still available on Amazon.com.

[CrazyOne]

Weird, I went to the US site and found it right here:

http://www.greenandblacks.com/us/what...

I don't know what made me click on this thread, but the reading and the fact that it has a bit of salt in makes me want to try it.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i have an update that doesn't bode well. while leafing through gourmet magazine last night, i stopped and studied the G & B ad. every one of their bars was represented right there on the page...except for the caramel.

[rat under paper]

I just received a gift of the G & B sample bars and although there is a butterscotch bar included, there isn't a caramel. I will check out the Scarberian store ASAP. Thanks Manybears.

[babybat]

I emailed G&B, and sadly it's true, this bar has been discontinued - at least in the UK. I'm so disappointed - I never even got to try it!

[Manybears]

I left the health food store in the lower level of Scarborough Town Centre with 6 caramel bars when I left there at 5:30 today... I think it's called "Healthy Naturals" but I can't remember. It's by the candy store near the lower food court, anyway, and if you're lucky they'll still be there tomorrow.

I consider it a feat of incredible self-restraint that I only bought 5 :-)

[missfunkysoul]

Just got a bar from my co-op today, in Philly.

Maybe try buying them online from the states?

[rockycat]

I couldn't find it on the shelf anywhere here (in NC) but a 2 local stores offered to special order it for me. One required that I take a case which I wouldn't do but the other said I could take as many bars as I wanted as they wouldn't have any trouble selling the rest. Three days after making the inquiry I had the goods in hand.

So, it's still being made and you might want to try asking a favorite store to order it for you.

[rat under paper]

I am getting the impression that Toronto stores are not able to order it...although no-one has come out & said so. Apparently Caramilk is the bar the company wishes to promote, and Green & Black's bar would be "competition". ???

[wontonfm]

I have a hard time believing that they think Caramilk and the G & B caramel bar are in competition. They cater to entirely different markets and are at such different price points. Unless of course they're planning on leveraging the Caramilk brand and doing an organic bar or something...

WON
http://whatsonmyplate.wordpress.com

[Ruth Lafler]

Yeah, I don't see why it would be competition for Caramilk any more than any of the other G&B chocolates would be competition for Cadbury.

[Manybears]

I was told that it was because of the lack of interest in that flavour in the Canadian market, but I was hearing that just from a store employee so take it as you will.

Incidentally I can confirm that none of the food/health stores on Bloor from Spadina to Bathurst have any stock left.

[wontonfm]

I was at John Vince on St Clair and Oakwood this weekend and they had a huge display of G & B chocolate. I didn't notice caramel (wasn't looking for it) but it might be worth a phone call over there.

WON
http://whatsonmyplate.wordpress.com/

[Apprentice]

In an effort to get more antioxidants in my body, even via sweets, I've been sampling a variety of dark chocolate bars. I just picked up a couple of bars of the organic dark chocolate (70% & 85%) at Pusateri's (Ave/Lawrence). I wasn't looking for Caramel or Orange but they seemd to have several flavours. Btw the 70% is definitely not for me, yet to open the 85%.

Admitedly I'm a sucker for a couple of squares of cadbury caramel.

[rat under paper]

The caramel one has a pleasant saltiness that balances the sweet.

[julesrules]

If I'd had ANY idea there was sea salt in that bar, I would have tried it long ago!
You might try calling Strictly Bulk. The one near me (Danforth) always had the caramel in the past and they may still have old stock in there.

[foodyDudey]

They didn't have the caramel one yesterday when I was there.

[goodhealthgourmet]

i don't know if this really helps you because you're in ontario, but the US web site shows that it's still in their product line...

http://www.greenandblacks.com/index.p...

i'm pretty sure i saw the caramel ones on the shelf at WFM here in LA today.

[rat under paper]

WFM here in TO has every flavour except the caramel. But thanks for the suggestion.

[goodhealthgourmet]

bummer. sorry about that. did you ask the manager if they can order it for you or find out what the deal is with back-stock? they're usually really helpful with these things.

worst case scenario: you can always order a case...

http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/green-and-blacks.html

http://www.belgraviaimports.com/Produ...

or have one of your fellow hounds down here send you some :)

[rat under paper]

I checked a few more places of the weekend- I have been given the same story- out of stock, probably discontinued. I guess the few bars around in the world are of an older vintage...unless it's only Toronto that's got the caramel ban!

[goodhealthgourmet]

oh well, i really did try for you! good luck....

[estufarian]

I've never EVER seen the orange at WFM - gave up looking for it - can you confirm that it's there?

[rat under paper]

You mean the Mayan? Orange with spices?

[estufarian]

No - the 'regular' orange!
It doesn't have pieces of orange, just orange oil.