It may have taken them over six decades to arrive, but Nestlé’s After Eight mints have finally taken the plunge into expanding its flavour range beyond its flagship chocolate line, writes Neill Barston.

The classy confectionery, made famous for its individual item sleeves, found a ready British audience since their inception, and it has now broken beyond its boundaries in bold new offerings.

Notably, the company has released several key options including caramel flavour, orange, raspberry, that its owners believe will make a key point of difference for the much-cherished brand.

Indeed, the launch from the company’s travel retail division has been seen as a pivotal moment for the business, which is seeking to engage with a broader range of consumers, through enhancing existing popular confectionery lines in a bid to drive its global fortunes.

The brand, which retains its core recipe of  100% natural peppermint oil—enrobed in dark, rippled chocolate, has enjoyed a notably consistent run in its original form.

It was originally launched in 1962, when Rowntree’s confectioner Brian Sollit, set out to create a wafer-thin mint chocolate that was both light and indulgent, and it has retained that key formula ever since. It recently introduced a collection box featuring  new dark chocolate and peppermint varieties.

Notably, the company has retained its support for Rainforest Alliance, delivered through its  Nestlé Cocoa Plan, targeting greater support for cocoa farmers in its major supply chains in West Africa, who have experienced key challenges of crop price volatility, poor weather, and pressure on the environment from other industrial activity in the region that has placed a strain on Ghana and Ivory Coast’s traditional cocoa farming operations.

Fred Porchet, General manager of Nestlé Travel Retail commented: “After eight has long been synonymous with premium mint chocolate, making it one of the most recognisable brands in confectionery. By introducing flavours beyond mint for the first time, we are broadening the brand’s appeal to new consumers, and more consumption occasions while preserving the elegance and quality that have defined After Eights for decades.”