A Very Purple Caterpillar
The latest concept to do the rounds re-imagines one of the UK’s most famous cakes. It’s Colin the Caterpillar, but not as we know him. The familiar green M&S box has been completely redesigned in the deep purple and blackcurrant livery of Ribena.
The cake’s usually white chocolate face and feet are now a matching shade of lilac. This is a direct fusion of two massive brands. The box labels it as a “Real Flavour Innovation Edition,” a flavour family that doesn’t actually exist, but certainly sounds plausible. The mock-up was posted with the caption, “A Ribena Blackcurrant Colin the Caterpillar cake?! Yes please!”
The Colin Multiverse
A fruit-flavoured Colin might seem strange, but the character has long since escaped his chocolatey origins. The core M&S Colin the Caterpillar Cake is now just one part of a vast product ecosystem. For starters, the cake format itself has been varied. You can get Mini Colin the Caterpillar Cakes for individual portions, and even themed partyware like the Colin the Caterpillar Party Cups.
The real expansion has been in confectionery. The sweet aisle has a whole Colin section. There are Colin the Caterpillar Fruit Gums, Cola Gums, and Cherry Gums. For those who prefer sour sweets, there are Sourtastic bags, Sour Stomps, and Fruit Sours. You can even buy the decorative elements separately. The Colin the Caterpillar Speckles are bags of just the solid white chocolate faces and feet from the original cake. In that context, a new cake flavour almost feels like a return to basics.
From Bottle to Bake
Turning a famous drink into a solid food is a classic move in product development. It’s a shortcut to consumer recognition. The flavour profile is already established, taking the guesswork out of a purchase. We’ve seen it for years with products like Vimto-flavoured sweets or Rowntree’s Fruit Pastille ice lollies. More recently, bakery sections have got in on the act, with supermarket doughnuts borrowing flavours from brands like Rubicon.
A Ribena cake is a logical next step. Blackcurrant is a staple of British confectionery, from boiled sweets to gums, but the official branding is the key. This concept doesn’t just propose a blackcurrant cake; it proposes a very specific, branded blackcurrant experience. It’s a simple idea, executed clearly.
What the real range looks like
The genuine M&S Colin the Caterpillar range is huge, covering not just the original cake and Mini Colin the Caterpillar Cakes but also a vast array of sweets. These include Colin the Caterpillar Softies, Cola Gums, Fruit Gums, Sourtastic sweets, and even bags of the chocolate Speckles. A Ribena edition would be a rare flavour innovation for the main cake itself, which has remained largely unchanged.
- 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 Sourtastic
- 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
Frequently asked questions
- What flavour is the new Colin the Caterpillar cake concept?
- The concept is for a Ribena Blackcurrant flavour. The design shows Colin’s chocolate shell and sponge adapted to a purple, fruit-themed cake, presented in a co-branded M&S and Ribena box.
- What other Colin the Caterpillar products are there?
- Beyond the classic cake, M&S sells Mini Colin Cakes, Softies, Speckles, Party Cups, and a wide variety of gummy sweets including Cola Gums, Cherry Gums, and several sour versions.
- Is the Ribena Colin the Caterpillar cake real?
- No, this product does not exist. It is a Snackfish — a mockup created by the online page UK Snack Attack — and is not available to buy in M&S or any other store.
More like this
- Double Chocolate Fudge Colin the Caterpillar Sponge Cake
- M&S Aero Peppermint Bubbly Doughnuts Concept
- M&S Bakery Rubicon Mango Doughnuts Mockup
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