From Kylie Minogue to Bluey, the UK loves an Australian export — but some are more well-received than others.
The latest Aussie favourite to hit British shores is Mars Pods, which launched on Iceland shelves last week.
Priced at £3.50 per 160g bag, these shell-shaped snacks (not to be confused with the brand’s Dolce Gusto hot chocolate pods) feature crunchy wafer topped with caramel and smooth milk chocolate.
Despite being rarely spotted over here, they’ve long remained a staple Down Under, where they were invented by the confectioner back in 2008.
On the K-Mart website, Mars Pods have an overall rating of five stars, with shopper Melanie calling them ‘yummy’. Similarly, Reddit users describe the treats as ‘orgasmic’, claiming: ‘They are impossible to stop eating.’
Metro senior entertainment report Pierra Willix agrees, saying ‘it’s been a sad three years without them’ since she moved to the UK from Perth.
‘Pods might not sound particularly appealing, but they are a go-to movie night snack across Australian households,’ she adds. ‘The crunch of the wafter biscuit mixed with the sweet chocolate filling is surprisingly addictive — it’s incredibly easy to devour an entire bag yourself.’
And Metro’s specialist food writer, Courtney Pochin, is also a big fan even going as far as to say they’re ‘perfect’.
She said: ‘Initially, these really didn’t look very appetising. I almost gave them a miss, but I’m so glad I didn’t. I LOVED these.
‘The wafer is crispy, the caramel filling is a little chewy and the chocolate on top is creamy, it’s a wonderful combination of textures that makes for the perfect little mouthful. I’m not sure it makes me think of a Mars bar specifically, but it’s yummy.’
However, the reaction from Brits hasn’t been as overwhelmingly positive.
Under a Facebook post about the launch on the Food Finds UK group, Sammi Jane said they looked ‘banging’, but Christopher Granton – who’d managed to get hold of them in B&M – commented: ‘They were absolutely awful to be honest!’
Over on TikTok, @tommyl6770 balked at the price tag, describing them as a ‘rip off’.
To decide for yourself, head down to your local Iceland. If you’re heading to the supermarket solely to get your Mars Pods fix though, it may be worth calling ahead, as stock varies from store to store.
Last year, another iconic Australian chocolate bar was released here in the UK, sending fans into a frenzy.
Tim Tams – beloved by Margot Robbie – combine crunchy biscuit, a velvety cream filling and smooth chocolatey coating. And from the moment they became available on the shelves of Waitrose, they proved an instant hit with customers.
‘I absolutely should not eat a whole sleeve of TimTam cookies for dinner, no matter how good they taste with my cold brew,’ @DCLovesDestiel wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
‘Tim Tams are the best,’ added @ElizaPlume212. ‘I leave half a suitcase empty when I visit family. I go home with as many Tim Tams as will fit.’
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