An Unexpected Flavour
A concept for a Pistachio Colin the Caterpillar has appeared online. The image shows the familiar M&S cake box, but rendered in shades of cream and pistachio green. The classic Colin logo is present, but the caterpillar illustration itself has been updated to match the new flavour profile, decorated with what appear to be chopped pistachio nuts.
The box is familiar. The flavour is not. The design implies a direct flavour swap for the original chocolate sponge roll, shifting the UK’s most recognisable birthday cake into new territory. The caption that ran with the image was simple and direct: “Extremely Nutty Pistachio Colin the Caterpillar! I need this!”
The Colin Empire
For decades, the core Colin the Caterpillar cake has remained fundamentally unchanged: a chocolate sponge with chocolate buttercream. M&S has instead expanded the brand sideways, building a vast range of associated products that go far beyond the original cake. It is a true retail phenomenon.
This universe includes confectionery like Colin the Caterpillar Softies, Cola Gums, Cherry Gums, and Fruit Sours. There are also M&S Mini Colin the Caterpillar Cakes for individual portions. The branding even extends to non-edibles, covering party supplies such as Colin the Caterpillar Party Cups and Paper Plates. This strategy has kept the Colin brand visible without altering the central, iconic product.
A Modern Combination
Pistachio is a very specific choice. It has become a mainstream dessert flavour in the UK over the last few years, appearing in everything from croissants to ice cream and chocolate bars. It signals a more contemporary, perhaps more adult, palate than the straightforward chocolate of the original.
A pistachio Colin would represent the single biggest change to the cake’s core flavour in its history. While M&S has produced seasonal and character variations, they have rarely deviated from the chocolate base. This concept, therefore, is less of a minor tweak and more of a fundamental reinvention of a supermarket institution.
What the real range looks like
The genuine M&S Colin the Caterpillar range is extensive, covering the original cake, Mini Colin the Caterpillar Cakes, and a huge variety of sweets like Colin the Caterpillar Softies, Fruit Gums and Sour Stomps. A pistachio cake would be a rare flavour-led innovation for the core cake, which has historically been extended through new formats and spin-off confectionery rather than significant flavour changes.
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Cake
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Softies
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Speckles
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Cola Gums
- M S Mini Colin the Caterpillar Cakes
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Fruit Gums
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Party Cups
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Party Time
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Sour Stomps
- M S Colin the Caterpillar Cherry Gums
Frequently asked questions
- What is the original Colin the Caterpillar cake?
- The original M&S Colin the Caterpillar is a chocolate sponge roll filled with chocolate buttercream. It’s covered in a milk chocolate shell and decorated with sugar-coated chocolate beans and a solid white chocolate face.
- Does M&S make other flavours of Colin the Caterpillar cake?
- M&S has released seasonal and special editions, including Connie the Caterpillar, but a fundamental flavour departure like pistachio is not part of the current official product line. The core Colin cake has always been chocolate-based.
- Is the Pistachio Colin the Caterpillar cake real?
- No, the Pistachio Colin the Caterpillar is a Snackfish. It is a concept mockup image created by the online page UK Snack Attack and is not a real M&S product sold anywhere.
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- A Reese’s Peanut Butter Colin the Caterpillar Concept
You have been Snackfished!
Snackfish :
[sn-a-ck-fish] verb
A snack that lies about its legitimacy as an official product online for internet clout and attention. Most commonly fabricated in Adobe Photoshop or using the unofficial Snackfish AI