It's almost December, which means even Scourge can't complain about it being 'too early' to talk about Christmas. And there's one thing you cannot escape during the festive season.
Chocolate.
It's everywhere, in every shape, form, dessert, and biscuit. But there is something extra magical about choccy Santas.
Luckily they're easy to come by, with almost every supermarket selling an own-brand version for £1 or less. And if you want luxury there's always Lindt.
But sadly even edible versions of St Nich have been affected by the cost of living crisis, with Lindt's Santa now costing £2.50. Yes, you read that right, two-pounds-fifty!
Birmingham Live reporter Emily Collis set herself the challenge of finding a cheaper alternative to the beloved Lindt Santa. She compared the swiss chocolatier's festive delight to offerings from Aldi, Lidl and Poundland.
Aldi was first up. Emily had high hopes for the supermarket's choccy Santa, plus he was a whole head taller than the Lindt. At 175g too, Aldi's Dairyfine Santa contains 50g more chocolate than Lindt's and was the weightiest of the lot. Bonus points!
There's a lot of attention to detail when it comes to the packaging too, there's a teddy bear and presents littered on the floor around his feet and he's also holding a gold sack full of presents.
When Emily tasted the chocolate inside, it was a little cheap - though that's not always a bad thing - yet it was richer and smoother than expected. All in all, it was pleasant tasting and still felt magical thanks to the attention to detail on the foil exterior.
Next up was Lidl. At 25.5cm in height, the Favorina Santa was the tallest of the lot but sadly there was less chocolate - 25g less than Aldi's. The foil illustration was more traditional-looking than Aldi's. He looked a little older and the design was less eye-catching, but all-in-all, he looked charming.
On the inside, the chocolate-carved Santa looked just like Aldi's. In fact, they were almost identical. However, they tasted totally different. The Lidl chocolate was still smooth, but it was sickly sweet. It might be okay for those with a sweeter tooth. But Emily won't be buying it again.
Poundland's Santa cost £1 (surprisingly). It was the second smallest Santa, after Lindt, at 21.5cm in height. The packaging was more animated, his features were less defined than offerings from Aldi and Lidl. The chocolate inside was quite thin and it cracked and fell apart once it was unwrapped. Again, the chocolate was very sweet, but this was almost grainy in texture.
Lastly, it was time to try the Lindt Santa, priced at £2.50, this fella is small in comparison to the others. Yet, despite its size, it still looks the most expensive, thanks to the packaging.
Details such as the tiny stars on his cuffs and the real bell hanging from a golden belt around his waist give it a luxurious feel. The smell of chocolate bursts from the foil when you open it.
The chocolate Santa inside had a similar, classic look to the one on the wrapping. Emily took a bite and sat for a moment in chocolatey bliss. It was creamy, rich and sweet, but not too much. Top-tier chocolate, as expected.
