It seems no treat is safe from today’s soaring prices—not even chocolate. What was once an easy indulgence has suddenly become a small luxury, leaving shoppers wondering if their favourite comfort food is turning into a high-end splurge.
Not long ago, a commuter spotted Lindt’s ‘Dubai Style’ bar selling for $24.99 in a vending machine—an eye-catching price that’s got Australians talking about what a block of chocolate is really worth these days.
How this chocolate became a talking point
Lindt rolled out the ‘Dubai Style’ bar in May, inspired by the thick, slab-style chocolate popularised online by Fix Dessert Chocolatier.
When it first appeared in Lindt boutiques, the price didn’t attract much fuss.
The discussion picked up months later when the bar hit shelves at Coles and Woolworths in September. That’s when shoppers really began to question the $20 price tag, noting it’s a long way from what a standard block used to cost.
From supermarkets to a station vending machine
The latest twist came when an Ellenbrook Station vending machine in Western Australia listed the same bar for $24.99, displayed in spot 15.
Online comments poured in. Some joked you wouldn’t find locals in Dubai reaching for it; others reminisced about how far pocket money used to stretch at the corner shop. ‘Back in my day, two dollars would get you a bag full of lollies,’ one person wrote, summing up the nostalgia shared by many.
Another warned about the perils of punching 15 by mistake, while someone else pointed out you could grab something comparable at ALDI for about $8—just not Lindt.
A few comments leaned into internet in-jokes—suggesting the machine would be caged within minutes if cash were still king, or that the vendor might as well stock novelty items like a Labubu figurine.
‘Vending machines have never exactly been cheap—even before all the cost-of-living talk, you’d pay more for the convenience,’ one commenter pointed out.
Another shopper did a quick supermarket calculation at the time, estimating about $2 per square if a block has ten squares—showing just how quickly the cost adds up at $20.
Source: Facebook / The Bell Tower Times 2.0
What’s driving chocolate prices higher?
Global supply has been under strain, as West Africa, which produces about 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa, was hit by damaging weather that devastated crops and sent raw cocoa costs to more than double last year.
In July, Rabobank agricultural commodities analyst Paul Joules told the ABC that while production is improving slightly, supply remains tight, and because chocolate makers purchase cocoa far in advance, the higher-cost beans are still flowing through the system—so relief may take time, and prices could edge up further before they settle.
It isn’t only cocoa putting pressure on price tags. Premium add-ins like pistachios are labour-intensive to grow and harvest, and stronger demand keeps them on the expensive side as well.
Recent history at the checkout
Context matters too. Last November, Cadbury said it had made the ‘difficult decision’ to raise prices on its standard blocks, pointing to rising energy and cocoa costs. Around the same time, shoppers comparing premium options noticed the ‘Dubai Style’ block weighed about 145 g—another factor they considered when judging its $20 shelf price.
Worth it—or wait for a sale?
Not everyone is out on the ‘Dubai Style’ bar. A minority of tasters have called it the best they’ve tried in that style.
But most commenters say they’ll hold out for a half-price special or choose a cheaper alternative, especially now that a vending machine has listed it just shy of $25.
Would you pay $24.99 for a chocolate block from a vending machine—or is that a bridge too far? Have you found a more affordable substitute that still hits the spot? Share your thoughts below.
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