Nestlé launches its new KitKat bars in Europe. The new products are designed to meet the growing demand for chocolate products. Valued at 7.5 billion Swiss francs, the bars are the second most popular chocolate format in the European market and have grown by more than 1.4 billion francs in the last two years. Renowned for offering consumers a much-needed break during the day, KitKat is now expanding to new occasions, such as relaxing moments at home after work or during the weekend.

KitKat already has a strong chocolate portfolio. With these new bars, Nestlé is leveraging the brand’s iconic crispy wafer and creating a multi-sensory experience through creamy fillings and visually appealing marbled chocolate. The company aims to strengthen KitKat’s position as a leading brand while addressing evolving consumer preferences.

“Consumer insights reveal a significant opportunity to enhance the appeal of filled bars,” said Stefano Agostini , Head of Confectionery Nestlé Zone Europe. “The new KitKat tablets are breaking the rules of the more conservative tablet segment and making them more attractive to younger consumers, which should drive growth. KitKat is one of Nestlé’s most successful brands. We are confident that with its brand power, it can successfully expand into new occasions and segments, making it easy to enjoy a break at home while sharing a piece of chocolate with loved ones.”

The new KitKat bars come in three flavours: double chocolate, hazelnut and salted caramel. Nestlé has used its in-house chocolate expertise at its research and development centre in York, UK, to develop the fillings for the bars and create an eye-catching design.

Nestlé has invested €44.2 million in its KitKat factory in Sofia, Bulgaria, to make this launch possible. The facility, which opens in November 2024, will produce an additional 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes of chocolate for export to 29 European countries, Canada and South Africa. The investment has also led to the creation of around 70 new jobs in the country. In total, the company has spent a total of €100 million to upgrade production capacity at its three European KitKat factories in the UK, Bulgaria and Germany.

In line with Nestlé’s broader sustainability goals and its ambition to fully separate the cocoa ingredients used in its chocolate, the new KitKat bars use cocoa mass sourced directly from cocoa-growing families enrolled in the company’s Income Acceleration Program.

This innovative, family-centered approach aims to close the living income gap for cocoa farmers and reduce the risks of child labor by encouraging behavioral changes and rewarding positive practices, both at home and on the farm. The first results, reported by the Kit Institute in 2024, are very encouraging, with a 38% increase in family income after 18 months.

The bars are currently available in the UK and will be available in major European markets, as well as Canada and South Africa from February 2025. The launch coincides with the iconic brand’s 90th anniversary. Invented in York in 1935 as ‘Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp’, the name ‘KitKat’ was adopted a couple of years later. The brand has become a global phenomenon, with its message ‘Have a Break, Have a KitKat’, championing the importance of taking a moment to pause.