Is the world ready for a vegan KitKat?

Chocoholics are outraged at the prospect. So we challenged an expert to blind test 10 traditional treats and their milk-free versions

Britain’s beloved chocolate bar, KitKat, is about to get the biggest shake up in its 90-year history. Owners nestle are introducing a vegan version — out goes milk and in comes a rice-based formula.

it’s a testament to just how many of us now want to eat vegan food for health and ethical reasons. But, when most of us think of milk as being integral to that lovely smooth, chocolatey taste, can a vegan version ever really be anything more than a pale imitation?

to find out, we challenged professional chocolatier and UK World Chocolate Master, ruth Hinks, to pit traditional British chocolate treats against vegan versions and see if she could tell the difference.

‘i’m intrigued,’ she says. ‘it’s relatively easy to produce a vegan version of a dark chocolate which traditionally contains no milk. But producing a vegan milk chocolate is a different ball game.

‘You are looking for a lovely creaminess but no overpowering flavour. it’s the holy grail and companies are experimenting with soya, rice and coconut which all have slightly different textures and flavours from milk.’

so can ruth, who owns her own chocolate brand Cocoa Black, tell the difference between vegan and traditional versions in a blind test? and which does she prefer?

MALTESERS VEGAN

Doisy & Dam Ballers, 75g, £2, Sainsburys tHese have a similar honeycomb centre to Maltesers but are dark chocolate. they are delicious with all the creaminess i expect from traditional chocolate. there’s a high cocoa content — i’m guessing around 70 per cent — and not too much sugar. i’d share these with my girlfriends. nothing in the taste tells me they are vegan. 8/10

TRADITIONAL

Maltesers, 102g, £1.50, Sainsburys aH. straiGHt away i know these are Maltesers. the taste is so distinctive. But after tasting the vegan version i suspect even my Malteser-loving 13-year-old son would be just as happy with the vegan version. i certainly would. 7/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: Vegan.

SEA SALT CHOCOLATE VEGAN

Taste the Difference Free From Sea Salted Choc, 85g, £1.75, Sainsburys tHis is seriously good. it’s creamy with a nice salty tang. But, there’s a hint of vegetable oil and the texture is slightly gritty. i reckon that’s because they’ve substituted rice powder, which doesn’t break down as well as milk. But, it’s lovely and i was almost fooled. 7/10

TRADITIONAL

Galaxy Fusions Blonde Chocolate with Sea Salt, 100g, £2 tHis caramelised white chocolate is the only white chocolate i will happily eat. But it’s so sweet — 52 per cent sugar compared to the vegan alternative of 44 per cent. Just one square will do. 5/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: Vegan.

WHOLE NUT CHOCOLATE VEGAN

Pico Hazelnut M*lk, 80g, £2.95,Sainsburys tHis is beautiful. texture is so important. this is studded with nuts so you work harder to get that gorgeous chocolate. the hazelnuts have also been woven through in a sort of paste or gianduja. think nutella. i can’t taste milk. Does this mean it’s vegan? Have they used nuts as a smart milk replacement? i’m stumped. it doesn’t taste vegan to me. 9/10

TRADITIONAL

Lindt Les Grandes Milk Chocolate Hazelnut (34%) Bar, 150g, £3, Sainsburys i LOVe the big chunky nuts and i can definitely taste the milk. But are they both non-vegan? i honestly don’t know. 9/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? no. WINNER: it’s a tie.

YORKIE BAR VEGAN

Nomo Fruit and Crunchy Chocolate Bar, 32g, 90p, Sainburys i LiKe the crunchiness which i’m guessing comes from crisped rice pieces. i’m also getting a hint of rice powder. it’s a very clever way to avoid milk. and they’ve replaced sugar with inulin which comes from plants including

Sweet: Ruth Hinks tests the chocolate

Picture: GRAEME HUNTER PICTURES chicory. it’s popping up a lot as a healthy alternative to sugar. 7/10

TRADITIONAL

Yorkie Raisin and Biscuit Chocolate Bar, 44g, 60p, Tesco MiLK chocolate is the best seller in my shop. i can taste the milk powder instantly here. i know this is a classic, but i prefer the vegan version. it’s less sugary. 6/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: Vegan.

WHITE CHOCOLATE VEGAN

Free From White Choc Bar by Sainsburys, 35g, 45p aaarGH. it’s a bit like chewing a candle. i’ve got a nasty waxy taste in my mouth. that comes from all the coconut oil they’ve used instead of milk. to be fair, making vegan white chocolate is like making a brick wall with no bricks. You’ve got to make up for all that missing milk somehow. Using extra cocoa butter would have given a better flavour but would have been more expensive. 3/10

TRADITIONAL

Nestle Milkybar, 90g, 99p, Tesco i’LL never be a Milkybar kid. i don’t see the point of white chocolate — which is mainly sugar and milk. this contains 37 per cent milk — the biggest ingredient. i like my chocolate with a far higher cocoa content. But — love it or not — the sugary, creamy flavour is unmistakable. 6/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: traditional.

M&Ms VEGAN

Doisy & Dam Dark Chocolate Drops, 80g, £2, Sainsburys i aM seriOUsLY impressed — the chocolate is tasty and the coating is subtly flavoured. i’m also completely stumped. Do M&Ms come in dark chocolate now? Pass me my phone, someone. i need to Google. 9/10

TRADITIONAL

Chocolate M&Ms, 125g, £1.50, Waitrose OK. tHese are milk chocolate. it’s harder to produce non-vegan milk chocolate, as opposed to dark chocolate, simply because you have to find an alternative to the milk. so that means these HaVe to be M&Ms. But — guess what? i prefer the vegan version. 6/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: Vegan.

MILK SALTED CARAMEL BAR VEGAN

Moo Free Organic Salted Caramel, 80g, £2, Waitrose WOW. this is seriously impressive milk chocolate with a subtle flavouring. i’m not getting any strong milk taste — but i’m not tasting any possible alternatives like rice or coconut. is it? isn’t it? 8/10

TRADITIONAL

Lindt Excellence Sea Salt & Caramel Milk Chocolate, 100g, £2, Sainsburys tHe milk’s coming through powerfully which means this has to be non-vegan. But the chocolate’s too sweet for my taste. 6/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: Vegan.

MILK CHOCOLATE VEGAN

Ombar Coco Mylk Bar, 70g, £2.99, Waitrose it’s packed with coconut — i’m guessing powder anD sugar. Honestly, there’s so much coconut, you could use this to rub your surfboard down. it’s also softer than traditional chocolate which

has a slight snap. I like it because I’m a fan of coconut but it won’t fool anyone. 5/10

TRADITIONAL

Cadburys Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar, 200g, £1.80, tesco YOU definitely get your ‘glass and a half’ as the slogan went. The milky taste is unmistakable. People can be terribly snobbish about chocolate. But there are times when only Cadburys will do. It’s comforting and hugely moreish. 7/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: Traditional.

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE VEGAN

ombar Centres Hazelnut truffle, 70g, £2.99, Waitrose I LOVE the richness of the chocolate. The nutty truffle inside is delicious. There’s the faintest hint of coconut which I’m guessing is the milk substitute. It’s the only clue this might be vegan. I’m almost fooled. 8/10

TRADITIONAL

Cadbury Dairy Milk Whole nut Chocolate Bar, 120g, 98p, tesco ChUnKY whole nuts in a chocolate bar are the best. The velvety milk chocolate and hazelnut flavours complement each other beautifully. It’s sweet but somehow it works here. 9/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: Traditional.

CREAMY MILK CHOCOLATE BAR VEGAN

Raw Halo Mylk & Vanilla, 70g, £2.75, sainsburys ThIS is a very convincing milk chocolate. however, as

I’m tasting coconut, I’m guessing that this is vegan. I’d have liked it creamier. But I can see that they were worried about overdoing the coconut. It’s a good call. I’m getting a slight flavour of maple syrup which must be lucuma — it’s a healthy alternative to sugar. 7/10

TRADITIONAL

Lindt excellence extra Creamy Milk Chocolate, 100g, £2, sainsburys ThIS is super creamy. I love Lindt — the Swiss really do make the best milk chocolate in the world and this is delightful. 9/10 WAS RUTH RIGHT? Yes. WINNER: Traditional.

AND THE WINNER IS .... VEGAN!

VEGAn chocolate won five categories, with traditional winning four and one tie.