Value For Money: Christmas selection boxes

Nestlé

€5 for 143.7g, €34.90 per kg

This is, by any measure, a very small selection box and we can only imagine the sad eyes on the face of any child given such a selection by a well-meaning – but misguided – granny. They might as well get a lump of coal, truth be told. Well, maybe not, but still, it is small. There are six treats inside but they are small treats and they highlight the absurdity of the phrase “fun size”. The box has an absolutely ridiculous join-the-dots puzzle on the back and we reckon that even a not-particularly-bright two-year-old will be able to tell without joining any of the dots that it’s a Christmas tree. As for the contents, you get a tub of Smarties a Kit Kat, two Milky Bars, a bag of Jelly Tots and an Animal Bar.

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Maltesers selection box: if you’re a fan of light chocolatey balls with a honeycomb middle, this ones for you

Verdict: Small.

Star rating: **

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Maltesers

€5 for 213g, €23.47 per kg

If you’re a fan of light chocolatey balls with a honeycomb middle, you won’t go far wrong with this selection box. However, you really are throwing all your eggs into the one basket, and as a result it can get a bit samey a bit quickly. In this box you’ll find a couple of bags of the sweets and two Malteser bars – basically the sweets in bar form – as well as a Milky Way, a Mars bar and a Twix finger for a bit of variety. It is absolutely fine as selection boxes go and is painted in a very festive way with snowflakes mingling with Maltesers falling from the sky.

Verdict: Grand.

Star rating: ***

Cadbury

€4.99 for 208g, €23.99 per kg

When it comes to selection boxes, Cadbury’s really are the kingpins and this is why this is a fine selection box was always likely to come out on top. It is less of a box and more of a Christmas stocking, or at least that’s what the maker was aiming for, although it has to be said it is possibly the weirdest-looking stocking we have ever seen. You get six different types of chocolate bar and the mix is good – there is a Dairy Milk, a Caramel bar, a Marvellous Creations with popping candy, a Wispa, a Fudge bar and a Crunchie. The selection is good as is the chocolate and the price.

Verdict: Top dog.

Star rating: *****

Galaxy

€6.29 for 246g, €25.50 per kg

We have the same complaint to make about this selection box as we had about the Maltesers one. It is just a bit too samey. There is a Caramel bar, a regular Galaxy, some class of odd Flake-style bar, a bag of Minstrels and a Galaxy Duet – for people who are so undecided that they can’t choose between a regular Galaxy and one with caramel. It wins the prize for having the largest amount of chocolate in the box but it most certainly does not win the prize for having the widest variety of chocolate. If you like Galaxies you will love this.

Verdict: The chocolate lover's box.

Star rating: * * * *