Walnut Whip... without the walnut!

EVERY lover of the Walnut Whip knows it would be nuts to sell one missing its crowning glory.

However, Nestle is doing just that – with new versions of the treat that have no walnut on top.

The chocolate shell, branded simply as Whip, will carry a sweet vanilla, caramel or mint fondant in the middle.

The confectionery giant insists the new versions are designed to expand the range and tap into a demand from sweet lovers who are not fans of nuts.

However, the change comes at a time when the price of walnuts is rising, creating suspicions that saving money may be the real reason.

The falling value of the pound and a poor crop last year in Chile, one of the world’s major producers, pushed up UK walnut prices by around 20 percent this year.

The Walnut Whip was launched in 1910

by Duncan’s of Edinburgh and is one of Nestle’s oldest brands.

The company is keen to point out that it will continue to sell the original Walnut Whip, one of which is eaten every two seconds in Britain, individually. Yet

that has not been enough to satisfy traditionalists.

One social media user joked: ‘Never really been a walnut girl but I feel removing them from the walnut whip truly is the beginning of the end for society as we know it.’

Another tweeted: ‘They’ve taken the walnut off the top of the walnut whip so now it’s just a whip and I don’t know who we are anymore.’

However, reaction was not all hostile. One fan wrote: ‘For 40 years I’ve picked off the walnut and thrown it away! At long last a decent choice made.’

The vanilla and caramel versions of the Walnut Whip will go on sale this week and a mint version is due to go on sale next month. A Nestle spokesman said: ‘Walnut Whip remains on sale alongside our new vanilla, caramel and mint versions that represent an expansion of the range.

‘This means there is something for consumers wanting to try something new as well as for long standing fans of our century-old walnut product.’