CRUMBS! Marks & Spencer’s Colin the Caterpillar has crept in last in a major taste test.
The classic celebration cake was beaten by all its supermarket rivals in an investigation by consumer champion Which?.
Nine caterpillar cakes were sampled by 75 testers in a blind test.
Colin, introduced 36 years ago, scored a lowly 64 per cent and was criticised for being dry and expensive.
Waitrose’s Cecil chocolate sponge cake picked up the Best Buy rating with 78 per cent.
It costs the same as Colin — £9.50 — but weighs more and impressed judges with its “perfect” ratio of sponge to buttercream.
Party Time Charlie from Co-op and Sainsbury’s Wiggles were second on 73 per cent.
Aldi’s Cuthbert, which became embroiled in a copyright spat with M&S in 2021, scored 72 per cent.
Iceland’s Lewis & Green Caterpillar cake was the Great Value winner. It costs just £4.50 and got 67 per cent.
M&S said Colin was named the nation’s fave in a YouGov poll last year and has the highest chocolate content.
Natalie Hitchins from Which? said: “You shouldn’t let brand fame dictate your birthday budget.
M&S created the category but rivals like Waitrose and budget-friendly Iceland now deliver a better slice of the action.”
COLIN CUT DOWN BY ‘BITTER SPONGE TESTERS’
By Clemmie Moodie Chief Colin Correspondent
TALL poppy syndrome is a very British phenomenon whereby brilliant, successful individuals are chopped down to size.
Colin the Caterpillar is its latest victim — felled by the bitter sponge-testers at Which? magazine.
Sure, Colin’s sponge is a bit dry, his faux-Smartie spinal decor a bit saccharine.
But for 30 years, he has been there for us at birthdays, office celebrations and summer BBQs. We mustn’t desert him now.
