Mars Bar is one of the oldest names in British confectionery, and one of the most confusing once you factor in how many differently-named siblings the same parent company makes. Here's the actual history, and exactly what we stock under the Mars name.
Where it started
Forrest Mars Sr., son of American candy maker Frank C. Mars, moved to England after becoming estranged from his father and set up his own company in Slough in 1932 — Mars Limited, the first international branch of what's now Mars Incorporated. He started with as few as four employees, working out of a rented kitchen, and modelled the new bar on his father's American Milky Way. That bar became the Mars Bar: nougat and caramel, coated in milk chocolate.
One detail that tends to surprise people: the fledgling English Mars operation couldn't yet manufacture its own chocolate, so early Mars Bars were coated in chocolate bought in from Cadbury — a rival supplying a rival, at least for a while.
What we stock
We carry two genuine Mars Bar lines. The Mars Chocolate Bar 51g is the classic single bar, sold as a wholesale case of 24. The Mars Duo Caramel & Milk Chocolate Bar 69g is the shareable two-finger version of the same nougat-caramel-chocolate combination, also sold as a case of 24. The Duo is a special-order line for us — allow around two weeks for delivery, same price as always — while the standard 51g bar is part of our regular stock.
Worth knowing: Mars Bar isn't Milky Way
Because Mars, Milky Way and Snickers all come from the same company, it's easy to assume they're variations on one bar. They're not — different recipes, different textures. If you're after something related but distinct, we also stock Milky Way Crispy Rolls, a light whipped-biscuit-and-chocolate roll under the Milky Way name rather than the Mars one — worth a mention here, but it's genuinely a separate product, not a Mars Bar by another name. It's also a special-order line, at roughly two weeks' lead time.
FAQ
Why is it called a "Mars" bar?
It's named after Forrest Mars Sr., who created it in Slough in 1932 after founding Mars Limited, the UK arm of the American Mars company started by his father.
Was the Mars Bar originally made with Cadbury chocolate?
Early on, yes. Mars Limited didn't yet have its own UK chocolate production, so the first Mars Bars were coated using chocolate supplied by Cadbury.
What's actually inside a Mars Bar?
Nougat and caramel, coated in milk chocolate — the same basic structure it's had since 1932.
Is the Mars Duo just two regular Mars Bars?
It's the same nougat-caramel-milk chocolate combination in a larger, two-finger shareable bar rather than two separate 51g bars.
Do you sell Milky Way products as well as Mars?
Yes — we stock Milky Way Crispy Rolls, though it's a distinct product from the Mars Bar rather than a variant of it, despite both being made by the same parent company.