A decades-old Mars Bar discovered during a house clearance in the UK has become an unlikely internet sensation. The chocolate bar, carrying a best-before date from 1991, caught attention not because of its age but because of its size. When placed next to a modern Mars Bar, the difference was striking, prompting online discussions about “shrinkflation” and how some food products have changed over the years.
According to BBC Radio Lincolnshirethe unusual find was made during a property clear-out in Scunthorpe and quickly went viral after being shared online.
The vintage Mars Bar was discovered by Victoria Gordon, who runs a cleaning service and was helping clear a house in Scunthorpe. During the clean-up, she came across the chocolate bar, which had a best-before date from 1991.
Speaking on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Gordon recalled that the house contained items dating back several decades. “We were clearing out a hoarder's house, and everything we were rooting through was decades old,” she said. The chocolate bar immediately stood out because of its size.
“This Mars Bar stood out to me because as I picked it up it was nearly the whole length of my hand. I was like, 'Wow, look at the size of that!'” Gordon added.
Photo Credit: Victoria Gordon/BBC
Gordon later shared a photograph on social media showing the vintage Mars Bar next to a current version of the chocolate bar. The image quickly gained attention online.
According to the BBC, the older Mars Bar weighed 62.5g, while a standard Mars Bar sold today weighs 40g. This means the 1991 version was more than 50 per cent larger than its present-day counterpart.
The comparison fueled discussions about shrinkflation, a term commonly used when products become smaller while prices remain the same or rise.
Responding to the renewed attention around the vintage chocolate bar, a spokesperson for Mars told the BBC: “Over the last 35 years, we have made a number of updates to our bar sizes and pack formats to reflect consumer demand, alongside considering wider external factors such as manufacturing costs and the price of cocoa.”
While old food packaging often sparks nostalgia, this discovery has resonated with many consumers because it offers a tangible comparison between past and present products. The side-by-side image of the 1991 Mars Bar and its modern equivalent has become a talking point online, serving as an illustration of how product sizes can evolve in response to changing market conditions.
