Lion (chocolate bar) facts for kids
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| Owner | Nestlé |
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| Introduced | 1976 |
| Related brands | Lion Cereal |
| Previous owners | Rowntree's |
The Lion is a popular chocolate bar made by Nestlé. It was first created by a British company called Rowntree's in 1976. Besides the chocolate bar, there is also a breakfast cereal called Lion Cereal.
Contents
History of the Lion Bar
The Lion bar first appeared in 1976. It was made by a company called Rowntree's in Newcastle, England. Later, in 1988, a Swiss company named Nestlé bought Rowntree's. This meant that the Lion bar started to be made in a factory in Dijon, France.
Changes to the Lion Bar (2004-2007)
In 2004, Nestlé decided to make some changes to the Lion bar. They wanted to make it more appealing to teenagers across Europe. The company changed the recipe to make the chocolate bar lighter and milkier. The caramel inside also became softer. They made the wafer part smaller and added more cream and crispy bits. The only thing that stayed the same was the wafer recipe itself.
After these changes, the company noticed that sales of the Lion bar went down. In 2007, Nestlé sold its factory in Dijon. They decided to have another company, Barry Callebaut, make the Lion bars for them.
Recent News (2017-Present)
On July 20, 2017, something unusual happened. A lorry carrying 25 tons of Lion bars caught fire on the A2 road in Kent, England. This caused a lot of traffic jams. Luckily, the driver of the lorry was not hurt.
In October 2021, a new version of the Lion bar came out. It was called the "Wild Peanut Lion Bar" and had peanuts in it. At first, you could only buy it in a store called B&M. Then, in 2022, it became available in other shops too.
Lion Cereal
Nestlé also makes a breakfast cereal called "Lion Cereal." It is meant to taste like the chocolate bar, with flavors of chocolate, caramel, and whole grain. It is sometimes called “the King of Cereals.”
In 2004, a group called the Consumers' Association looked at different cereals. They said that Lion Cereal was one of the unhealthiest cereals they studied. They found it had a lot of sugar, almost as much as the Lion chocolate bar itself. It also had more fat and salt than recommended.
In 2016, another group called World Action on Salt and Health also checked Lion Cereal. They reported that it still had a lot of sugar. It had over two teaspoons of sugar in one serving.
In January 2020, Nestlé created a special perfume based on the smell of Lion Cereal. They made only 300 bottles of this perfume in France. In 2021, Lion Cereal launched a fun advertising campaign to find a new jingle (a short song) for the brand. People could enter their own jingles, and several winners were chosen by famous singers.
