KitKat V, Nestlé’s vegan wafer, will be available in 15 European countries from September, following successful testing in the UK in 2021. The new KitKat V was developed by chocolate experts at Nestlé’s confectionery research and development center in York, UK, the original home of KitKat. The Nestlé Chocolate factory in Hamburg manufactures KitKat Vegan for 15 countries. Not only is the new bar plant-based, but its carbon footprint is 18% lower than that of a milk chocolate KitKat.

From September 2022, KitKat Vegan will initially be available as a single bar in selected German supermarkets, Nestlé announced. From January 2023, the vegan version will be on the shelves nationwide – then also as a three-pack. The recommended retail price for a single bar is EUR 1.29 and for a multipack it is EUR 2.99.

“We are proud that after several KitKat innovations over the last few years, our team is once again producing a novelty for the international stage,” says Maren Grisar, KitKat Production Manager at the Nestlé Chocolate factory. “Together with the factory team and our international colleagues, we managed to set up production for KitKat Vegan in a very short time. Approximately 800,000 bars of the new variant roll off the assembly line per production day. This is the crowning glory of the brand’s anniversary year in Hamburg. We have been making different varieties of the iconic bar for 50 years.”

Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé Confectionery Product Technology Center in York, says: “Last year, we took the decision to produce KitKat V in our R&D production facilities so we could bring the product to the shelves much faster and test with our consumers. The response from consumers was overwhelming, and we are now excited to launch it at a much wider scale.”

Photo credit: Nestlé Germany AG