We Compared UK Cadbury to US Cadbury — Here's What We Found

Same name, same purple wrapper, genuinely different chocolate. We picked up both versions to see how different they actually are — and where this UK-only Lotus Biscoff bar fits in.

The setup

Hershey has made Cadbury chocolate for the US market since the 1970s under an exclusive license, using its own recipe to meet FDA rules. Mondelez makes the actual British Cadbury. Same brand name, two different companies, two different recipes.

What we noticed

• Ingredient order: UK Cadbury lists milk first; US Cadbury lists sugar first.
• Fat source: UK Cadbury can use other vegetable fats alongside cocoa butter; the US version, under FDA rules, uses only cocoa butter.
• Taste: the UK bar is noticeably creamier and less sweet; the US version has a tangier, sweeter edge that longtime UK Cadbury fans often don't love.

It's not a subtle difference — Hershey actually blocked imports of UK-made Cadbury in 2015 over the trademark, precisely because so many people preferred the original enough to import it themselves.

Where the Lotus Biscoff bar fits in

This one isn't a case of which version is better at all — it's a UK-only Cadbury x Lotus Biscoff collaboration that Hershey's US license never covered. There's no American version to compare it to. Cadbury Dairy Milk loaded with caramelised Biscoff pieces and a Biscoff filling, full stop, UK-only.

Where to buy it

Get the Cadbury Dairy Milk Lotus Biscoff Bar, 195g from Great British Imports, sourced directly from the UK and shipped across the United States.