MCDONALD’S has unveiled its Christmas food range for 2024 with two new items launching including a spin on an iconic festive chocolate.

The home of the Big Mac is shaking up its menu in just under two weeks, with 12 new options on the way.

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From November 20, fast food fans will be able to get their hands on a new Terry’s Chocolate Orange Pie for £1.99.

The pie combines crispy chocolate pastry with the classic Terry’s Chocolate Orange-flavoured ganache filling – a blend of chocolate and cream.

Customers keen on a savoury bite will be able to pick up the new Cheesy McCrispy from £7.79.

The spin on the classic McCrispy comes with a chicken breast fillet in a crispy coating, served with lettuce crispy onions, pink pickled onion
chutney, bacon, two slices of cheese and cheese sauce.

Ten other menu options are making a comeback, including fan-favourite burger the Big Tasty, last seen on menus in March.

Foodies can pick up the burger from £7.59 or get it with bacon from £8.39.

Both burgers combine beef patties with Emmental cheese, onions, juicy tomatoes and smoky flavoured sauce in a toasted bun.

The Cheese Melt Dippers with tomato sauce are also returning after they were temporarily dropped from menus at the start of 2024.

They come in a standard and sharing size, costing £2.49 and £6.79, combining breaded Camembert cheese with tomato dip.

The Terry’s Chocolate Orange McFlurry and mini McFlurry are also back on menus for the first time since 2023, for £2.19 or £1.59.

Both come with soft swirl ice cream, topped with Terry’s Chocolate Orange mini segments and Terry’s Chocolate Orange sauce.

Chocolate fans will be keen to hear the Galaxy Caramel McFlurry – both regular and mini sizes will be on sale for £2.19 and £1.59, respectively.

The treats feature soft-serve ice cream, Galaxy Chocolate stars and Galaxy Caramel sauce.

Plus, you can get your hands on the Galaxy Caramel Latte and Galaxy Caramel Hot Chocolates for £2.69.

Bear in mind, the prices listed for the above items may vary from restaurant to restaurant.

This is the full list of items being added to the menus on November 20:

• Big Tasty – £7.59
• Big Tasty with bacon – £8.39
• Cheesy McCrispy – £7.79
• Cheese Melt Dippers with Rich Tomato Dip – £2.49
• Sharing Cheese Melt Dippers with Rich Tomato Dip – £6.79
• Terry’s Chocolate Orange McFlurry – £2.19
• Terry’s Chocolate Orange Mini McFlurry – £1.59
• Galaxy Caramel McFlurry – £2.19
• Galaxy Caramel Mini McFlurry – £1.59
• Terry’s Chocolate Orange Pie – £1.99
• Galaxy Caramel Latte – £2.69
• Galaxy Caramel Hot Chocolate – £2.69

Not only is McDonald’s shaking up its menu offering from November 20 – it’s adding an iconic character to its Happy Meal too.

Eight Grinch and friend toys, plus Christmas decorations and family Grinch family card games, will be added to the meal deal.

Customers will be able to get the meal deal, which comes with a main, side and drink, for around £3.49 based on where you live.

All the new menu additions and Grinch happy meal toys will be on menus for six weeks so you’ll have to be quick.

The latest announcement from McDonald’s comes after the fast food chain brought back the McRib after 10 years.

Plus, it recently unveiled the Double Chilli Cheeseburger in restaurants. Customers can get the item for around £2.49.

How do I find my nearest McDonald’s?

If you’re planning on taking a trip to McDonald’s, you’ll want to know where your nearest branch is.

The chain has a restaurant locator tool on its website you can use to find your nearest one – and check what time it opens.

Bear in mind that McDonald’s serves breakfast every day until 11am.

After that, the menu switches to the normal menu serving meals such as burgers, chicken nuggets and more.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

A SUPERMARKET’S mulled wine has been named better than more expensive rivals – which cost double the price.

New results from consumer website Which? has revealed the nation’s favourite mulled wine.

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A panel of 63 expert mulled wine drinkers blind-tasted ten of the tipple from supermarkets including Lidl, Asda and Aldi – as well as more expensive brands like M&S and Waitrose.

All the drinks were rated on their taste, aroma, mouthfeel and appearance to give an overall score out of 100%.

Flavour made up 50% of the score while 25% was aroma, 15% mouthfeel and 10% appearance.

One mulled wine stood out from all of the others and was the clear favourite of the tasting panel.

Sainsbury’s mulled wine nabbed the top spot and costs just £3 for 750ml.

The supermarket’s mulled wine was awarded an impressive score of 73%, winning high marks for look, flavour and mouthfeel.

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Judges said the wine achieved that crucial balance between sweetness and bitterness.

Meanwhile, two thirds said the strength of the spice flavour was just right and nearly as many said the fruitiness hit the spot too.

More than half enjoyed the strength of the alcohol flavour, which is 5% ABV. Although 29% said they wanted a stronger hit.

The Co-op and Three Mills trailed behind Sainsbury’s, scoring 68%.

Both beverages cost £4.50 for 750ml.

The Co-op’s tipple lost marks on flavour when compared to Sainsbury’s but it was popular with judges who enjoyed its look and mouthfeel.

The alcohol flavour was enjoyed by 57% of the panel while a similar number enjoyed its bitterness and fruitiness.

Around half said the sweetness and spicy flavour were just right but a third said they would have enjoyed the drink more if it had a spicier kick.

The Three Mills mulled wine was on par with Co-op’s mulled wine for price and level of enjoyment.

Two thirds of the panel were fans of the sweet and bitter balance of the drink.

The panel praised its fruity flavour, which was enjoyed by 57% of the group, as was the alcohol taste.

But this wine is only 5% ABV and a third of judges said the boozy hit was somewhat lacking.

Extra spiciness would also have seen this wine awarded more points as less than half said it worked for them.

Aldi and Lidl usually score highly in these types of tests but both supermarkets failed to top the table this time.

Lidl’s Baywood mulled wine costs £2.79 for 750ml and scored 67% in the test.

Meanwhile, Aldi’s mulled wine was awarded the same score and has the same price.

At the bottom of the table was Tesco Vineyards mulled wine which was awarded a score of 62%.

Judges said the beverage’s good looks were the top feature of this otherwise disappointing drink.

Just 46% approved of the alcohol flavour and a further 41% found it too weak.

Only a third liked the spice levels and 46% said it was too bitter.

At £3 for 750ml it was beaten by much cheaper rivals.

The Morrisons Winter Warmer mulled wine also trailed behind other supermarkets.

It was awarded a score of 64% and three quarters of judges said that its colour was appealing.

But only 59% enjoyed its bitterness levels and a third said the alcohol flavour was right.

Half enjoyed its fruity sweetness but a similar number of judges said that they wanted a stronger spice flavour.

At £4 for 750ml it was one of the more expensive beverages in the test, despite having an ABV of 5%.

M&S Red mulled wine was the priciest bottle in the test but it was also the strongest at 11% ABV.

Judges awarded it a score of 64% but more than a third of them said the alcohol flavour was a bit much.

Around half said they were happy with the spiciness, fruitiness and bitterness of the drink.

Waitrose mulled wine was the second priciest in the test at £5.49 for 750ml but received a score of 65%.

Aside from the colour this wine struggled to win the approval of judges.

Around 46% said the alcohol flavour was too much, which was unsurprising given its 10% ABV.

Only a third were positive about the spice flavour while half found the wine lacked sweetness and was overly bitter.

Harry Rose, Editor of Which? Magazine said: “Mulled wine is a festive favourite and the perfect winter warmer.

“Sainsbury’s mulled wine emerged as the panel’s top pick. The strength of the spice flavour hit the right notes and it is a deserving Best Buy which is also affordable at just £3.”

In other taste test news, The Sun tried supermarket mulled wines to find out which offered the best value for money.

Plus we reveal the best supermarket for every part of your Christmas dinner.

And we try supermarket champagne to find out which is perfect for parties.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

SHOPPERS will face higher food prices after the Budget’s tax raid on employers, the boss of Sainsbury’s has said.

Simon Roberts, chief executive of the UK’s second biggest supermarket, said the National Insurance hike would cost it £140million.

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His comments come after Wetherspoons and Marks & Spencer yesterday warned of a combined £160million hit from the Chancellor’s decision to increase employer contributions.

Mr Roberts said: “It will lead to inflation and it’s pretty clear it’s going to come pretty fast.

“Given the low margins of the industry, there isn’t the capacity to absorb this level of un­expected cost inflation.”

The supermarket chief also expressed his disappointment that the Government had ignored his calls to relieve the extra staffing costs on retailers by finally overhauling business rates.

Retailers will face another increase in the property tax next year while they wait for further details of a promised reform.

He added: “We came out in support of Make Work Pay but on the basis there was a clear commitment on business rates reform, because it is not a fair tax on stores.”

Sainsbury’s pays £500million- a-year on business rates, half of its £1billion annual tax bill.

Yesterday, it posted a 4.7 per cent rise in underlying profits to £356million.

Food sales were up 5 per cent in six months but revenues in the Argos division fell by the same margin.

Nissan hits brakes

THOUSANDS of workers at Nissan’s Sunderland site are facing an uncertain future after the Japanese car giant launched a radical plan to cut 9,000 jobs globally.

Nissan slashed its profit forecasts by 70 per cent as it admitted that it had been too optimistic about the demand for battery-powered vehicles and had not produced enough hybrid models.

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The car maker said the “severe situation” has prompted it to now cut global production by one-fifth and squeeze £2billion worth of costs out of the business.

Last year, Nissan — which employs 6,000 on Wearside — said it would manufacture three electric models, including an EV Qashqai model in the UK, as part of a government-backed £2billion commitment.

On average, a new Nissan car has been produced at the Sunderland factory every two minutes, every hour of every day, since its opening in 1986.

A broad band of BT cuts

BT broadband bills are set to rise further as the telecom giant counts £100million of extra costs from the Budget.

Boss Allison Kirkby said it may have to offset the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions through higher pricing, reducing supplier costs or replacing some roles with artificial intelligence.

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“It’s a new inflationary pressure that we need to suffer in our business”, she said.

BT already increases bills every year by the rate of consumer inflation, with an additional 3.9 per cent on top — customers were charged an extra 7.9 per cent this year.

Ms Kirkby said that the £100million hit was just 0.5 per cent of BT’s gigantic cost base as it ploughs cash into rolling out fibre broadband.

It posted a 10 per cent fall in half-year profits to £967million and confirmed that 2,000 more jobs had been cut as part of its ongoing plan to reduce the workforce by 100,000.

Home price rise

HOUSE prices have hit a record high according to the UK’s biggest mortgage lender.

Figures from Halifax show the average price of a home in the UK hit £293,999 in October, beating the post-pandemic record of £293,507 in June 2022.

Property prices rose by 0.2 per cent last month — the fourth month of growth in a row.

But Halifax cautioned that mortgage rates staying higher for longer and a hike in stamp duty for first-time buyers could affect the rate of price increases in the future.

Wood chopper

ENGINEERING firm Wood Group lost almost two-thirds of its value yesterday after it launched an independent review of the business.

The FTSE 250 firm is now worth just £338million after its shares fell by 61 per cent to 48.43p.

In July, Dubai– based Sidara pulled out of a deal that valued Wood Group at £1.56billion.

It added that Deloitte would probe its “contracts, governance and controls”.

Investors fear it will have to make hefty writedowns of the value of contracts.

SHOPPERS are racing to Ocado to get their hands on a Christmas centre-piece scanning for £7.50 rather than £10.

The M&S Marks & Sparkle London Light Up Scented Candle has been hailed as the perfect winter goodie, especially with 15 per cent knocked off the price.

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With an iconic London scene printed on the glass jar and LEDs that light up when the wick is lit, it becomes the perfect centre-piece for any display.

The neroli, lime and bergamont infused candle has become a Christmas favourite with customers jumping to the M&S comment section to compliment it.

One user said: “This is not only a beautiful candle when lit but also when it’s not lit, it sparkles and has a beautiful fresh smell.”

Another added: “I bought it as a beautiful London themed momento, having received it it looks beautiful with a most attractive design in a perfect subtle colour and it smells gorgeous – can’t wait to display and light it up over the festive period.”

A third user responded: “Beautiful candle, really pretty when it’s lit up. Quite a delicate scent. Bought as a present and my friend loved it!”

You can get a hold of this candle directly from the M&S website or in store for £10.

But if you want to get £2.50 discount you can head over to Ocado where it’s 75 per cent of the original price.

Through the Ocado website you add the festive candle to your basked for £7.50.

If you don’t have an Ocado account you can sign up through the website and book a delivery slot that suits you.

First time customers can often receive a discount so make sure to check for voucher codes.

When using grocery delivery services like Ocado, there may be discounts and price drops at the checkout but keep in mind that there is often a charge for delivery.

The price will vary depending on the delivery option, which are one-hour delivery slots, next-day delivery, and same-day delivery.

M&S also has a delivery fee so remember to factor that in when checking out your Christmas treats.

The M&S Christmas room spray has also been getting a lot of love from shoppers.

For a sweet £6 this mandarin, clove and cinnamon room spray could elevate your festive experience.

Customers are saying it simply ‘screams Christmas.’

Another item that’s been flying off the shelves is The Magical Snowing Forest in M&S food halls, which has taken off on social media.

The chocolate box can come home with you for £15 and even has a charming snow-globe effect.

If this isn’t enough chocolate the Santa Chocolate Sleigh has been selling out fast as it’s only £5 a pop.

The tin sleigh holds individually wrapped milk chocolates inside a parcel bag that is a replica of Santa’s sleigh.

How to save money on Christmas shopping

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.

Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.

Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.

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Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.

Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.

Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.

Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.

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Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.

They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.

MORTGAGE lenders have raced to slash their rates after the Bank of England cut interest rates to 4.75% this afternoon.

This move will immediately benefit thousands of mortgage customers with Halifax, Lloyds Bank, and Metro Bank, who will see a decrease in their repayment amounts.

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Plus, customers with Barclays, Coventry Building Society, Leeds Building Society, Nationwide, NatWest, Skipton, and Virgin Money can also expect changes in the coming days and weeks.

It comes after several lenders cut their fixed mortgage rates in anticipation of interest rates falling for the second time in four years.

For example, Santander and Accord mortgage cut their fixed-rates by up to 0.36%.

Earlier this afternoon, the Bank of England‘s (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) cut the base rate by 0.25 percentage points from 5% to 4.75%.

Lenders use the base rate to set their interest rates for savings and borrowing costs, including mortgages.

This reduction means millions of mortgage holders will see their bills decrease.

The central bank’s decision comes after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that inflation stood at 1.7% in September, well below the BoE’s 2% target.

Interest rates had previously risen from historic lows of 0.1% in December 2021, peaking at 5.25% in July 2023, as part of efforts to reduce inflation to the Bank’s target.

A fall in interest rates usually leads to a decrease in mortgage interest rates.

However, the reduction you’ll see depends on the type of home loan you have.

Those on tracker and standard variable rate (SVR) mortgages typically see an immediate change in payments.

A tracker mortgage is a type of variable mortgage where your monthly payments rise and fall in line with the Bank of England base rate.

With a tracker mortgage, you’ll usually pay the base rate plus an additional percentage in interest each month.

A standard variable rate mortgage is what you revert to once any initial mortgage term ends.

This rate will change in line with the base rate and is usually higher than any initial introductory rate.

There are currently 643,000 customers on tracker mortgages and 624,000 on SVRs.

TotallyMoney states that today’s 0.25% rate cut will immediately save homeowners £32 a month or £382 a year on the average tracker mortgage.

Those on fixed-rate mortgages won’t see any changes until their deals end and they take out a new one.

Even if your lender has cut rates, the date your repayments actually change will depend on when your payment is due.

We’ve listed all the lenders cutting mortgage rates below.

BARCLAYS

All of Barclays’ UK residential and buy-to-let mortgage products are fixed or otherwise track the BoE base rate.

Therefore, whenever the base rate goes up or down, customers on tracker rates will see their interest rate change accordingly.

If you’ve got a tracker or variable rate mortgage with Barclays, your mortgage rate will fall by 0.25% on December 1.

For new customers, the rates will be amended from November 8.

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

COVENTRY BUILDING SOCIETY

Following the Bank of England Base Rate change, all Coventry Building Society mortgages that track the Base Rate will automatically decrease by 0.25%.

This will take effect from 1 December.

The building society said that all the rates offered on its standard variable mortgages are currently under review.

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

HALIFAX

Where a customer has a mortgage that tracks the bank base rate, their rate will be cut with immediate effect in line with their terms and conditions.

The Halifax Homeowner Variable Rate (HVR), currently at 8.49%, will decrease by 25 basis points to 8.24%.

The Halifax Standard Variable Rate (SVR), currently at 8.49%, will also decrease by 25 basis points to 8.24%.

The changes to the SVR rates above will come into effect for existing customer accounts from December 1.

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

LLOYDS BANK

Where a customer has a mortgage that tracks the bank base rate, their rate will be cut with immediate effect in line with their terms and conditions.

The Lloyds Bank Homeowner Variable Rate, currently at 8.49% will decrease by 25 basis points to 8.24%.

The Lloyds Standard Variable Rate, currently at 7.00%, will decrease by 25 basis points to 6.75%.

The changes to the SVR rates above will come into effect for existing customer accounts from December 1.

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

METRO BANK

A Metro Bank spokesperson said: “In line with the Bank of England decreasing the base rate from 5% to 4.75% we’re updating all retail mortgage products that track the Bank of England base rate.

“We are confident that our wide range of mortgages continue to meet our customers’ needs but we encourage anyone who may be worried about their payments to get in touch to discuss their options.”

These changes have come into effect immediately and will be reflected in your next monthly payment on impacted accounts.

Metro Bank said it would formally confirm the changes on its website, and all impacted customers would receive communications about them over the next couple of days.

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

NATIONWIDE

Mortgage customers on Nationwide’s standard mortgage rate (SMR) will decrease by 25 basis points.

The new SMR of 7.49% will come into effect on December 1.

Rates on tracker mortgages held by existing customers automatically decrease when the Bank rate is cut, so these will decrease to reflect the Bank rate change from December 1. 

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

NATWEST

A NatWest spokesperson said: “Following the Bank of England base rate cut, we will be passing on the rate cut in full to our customers on a standard variable rate (SVR) mortgage.

“The SVR will be reduced from 7.99% to 7.74%, effective from December 1.

“SVR customers may also be able to save money by switching to one of our fixed-rate mortgages.”

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

SKIPTON BUILDING SOCIETY

Customers who have mortgages which track the Bank of England base rate will see their account interest rate change in line with their terms and conditions.

For most base rate tracker products, rates will be decreased no later than 14 days from today (November 7).

Skipton’s current, on sale base rate tracker mortgage products will continue to be available until 10pm on Sunday, November 10.

The new rates reflecting the 0.25% Bank of England base rate cut will be available from Monday, November 11.

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

VIRGIN MONEY

Virgin Money is writing to customers who have a mortgage directly linked to the Bank of England base rate to confirm their new monthly mortgage payment and interest rate.

Any new rates set will take effect from January 1.

The lender’s fixed-rate mortgages remain unchanged.

How to get the best deal on your mortgage

IF you’re looking for a traditional type of mortgage, getting the best rates depends entirely on what’s available at any given time.

There are several ways to land the best deal.

Usually the larger the deposit you have the lower the rate you can get.

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If you’re remortgaging and your loan-to-value ratio (LTV) has changed, you’ll get access to better rates than before.

Your LTV will go down if your outstanding mortgage is lower and/or your home’s value is higher.

A change to your credit score or a better salary could also help you access better rates.

And if you’re nearing the end of a fixed deal soon it’s worth looking for new deals now.

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You can lock in current deals sometimes up to six months before your current deal ends.

Leaving a fixed deal early will usually come with an early exit fee, so you want to avoid this extra cost.

But depending on the cost and how much you could save by switching versus sticking, it could be worth paying to leave the deal – but compare the costs first.

To find the best deal use a mortgage comparison tool to see what’s available.

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You can also go to a mortgage broker who can compare a much larger range of deals for you.

Some will charge an extra fee but there are plenty who give advice for free and get paid only on commission from the lender.

You’ll also need to factor in fees for the mortgage, though some have no fees at all.

You can add the fee – sometimes more than £1,000 – to the cost of the mortgage, but be aware that means you’ll pay interest on it and so will cost more in the long term.

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You can use a mortgage calculator to see how much you could borrow.

Remember you’ll have to pass the lender’s strict eligibility criteria too, which will include affordability checks and looking at your credit file.

You may also need to provide documents such as utility bills, proof of benefits, your last three month’s payslips, passports and bank statements.

THE popular Cadbury advent calendars have been slashed to a mere £1.25 at a bargain supermarket.

A savvy chocolate fan shared the bargain find on the popular Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group, where users frequently post the best deals they find in stores across the country.

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Iceland shoppers are raving after a country-favourite advent calendar has been slashed to only £1.25.

In their ‘Deal of the Week’, Iceland is offering a buy one get one free deal on their 24-day Cadbury Dairy Milk calendar for £2.50.

This equates to only £1.25 for each calendar.

Comparatively, Aldi are selling the same calendar for £1.99 and Asda for £2.

And on the even pricier side, Sainsbury’s and Ocado have priced the calendar at £2.25.

The shopper’s Facebook post to the UK bargain group received hundreds of likes and comments from fellow chocolate fans.

One user said: “Ooh I need this!”

Another commented: “In-store offer too, I grabbed a few today.”

And: “I got 4 of these today!”

The user who initially made the post was unsure whether it was just online and not in-store.

One commenter said that it was a maximum of six calendars per person in store.

On the calendar’s product information on the Iceland website, it says that prices and promotions may vary for those online.

It’s also recommended to check your local store before visiting.

Elsewhere, B&M shoppers are rushing to buy festive chocolate treats that are perfect for kids’ Christmas Eve boxes.

The bargain retailer’s festive selection box has social media users going wild as they plan ahead for Christmas.

The find was posted on the NewfoodsUK Facebook group and it quickly amassed over 3,000 likes and 1,000 comments.

One user wrote: “I love these and will definitely buy two for my sons’ Christmas Eve boxes. I love creating their boxes.”

Of course, do bear in mind it’s still pretty early in the year and further deals will no doubt be released in the coming weeks.

It always pays to compare prices so you know you’re getting the best deal.

Prices can also vary day to day and by what deals are on at the time, plus remember you might pay for delivery if you’re ordering online.

You can compare prices on platforms like Google Shopping and Trolley.co.uk.