An Unchanging Formula
Since his arrival in 1990, the M&S Colin the Caterpillar cake has been a fixed point in British culture. His formula is non-negotiable: a chocolate sponge roll filled with chocolate buttercream, coated in a milk chocolate shell, and decorated with sugar-coated milk chocolate beans. His face is solid white chocolate. For over thirty years, this recipe has remained fundamentally untouched.
While seasonal variations have seen him acquire a Santa hat or bunny ears, the core product has resisted flavour innovation. He is what he is. This consistency is central to his appeal, making him a reliable fixture of birthdays, office parties, and any occasion requiring a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
The Extended Colin Universe
The stability of the main cake is countered by constant expansion in the wider Colin brand. M&S has built an entire ecosystem around the character, using spin-offs as a space for experimentation. The confectionery aisle is where most of the flavour development happens. Today you can buy Colin the Caterpillar Cola Gums, Cherry Gums, Fruit Gums, Fruit Sours, and Sour Stomps.
Beyond sweets, there are cake-adjacent products like M&S Colin the Caterpillar Softies and boxed Speckles. The brand even extends to non-edibles like the Colin the Caterpillar Paper Plates. This huge range shows a willingness to diversify, but it has always happened at a safe distance from the original sponge roll. Even the M&S Mini Colin the Caterpillar Cakes stick rigidly to the classic recipe, just in a smaller format.
A New Flavour Profile
A new image circulating online proposes a direct challenge to that tradition. The mockup, presented in familiar M&S packaging, is for a Salted Caramel Colin the Caterpillar. This would be the first major flavour departure for the full-size cake itself, moving the character into a more contemporary dessert territory. Salted caramel is a ubiquitous, adult-oriented flavour, a world away from the straightforward chocolate of the original.
The design was posted with the caption, “Indulgent Salted Caramel Colin the Caterpillar. What a DREAM!” It suggests a product aimed less at children’s parties and more at the dessert table. By applying such a modern flavour to the classic format, the concept pushes Colin into a new market, fundamentally altering his place in the nation’s snacking habits.
What the real range looks like
The core M&S Colin the Caterpillar Cake has a famously consistent recipe. The brand’s flavour experimentation is reserved for its wide range of confectionery, which includes variants like Cola Gums, Cherry Gums, and Fruit Sours. A Salted Caramel edition of the main cake would be a first, placing it in a separate category from existing spin-offs like Colin the Caterpillar Softies or Mini Colin Cakes.
- 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
- Has the Colin the Caterpillar recipe ever changed?
- The core recipe of a chocolate sponge roll with buttercream and a milk chocolate shell has been remarkably consistent since 1990. While there have been minor tweaks and seasonal decorative changes over the years, the fundamental flavour profile has not changed.
- What other M&S Colin the Caterpillar products are there?
- The brand is extensive. Besides the main cake and Mini Colin Cakes, M&S sells confectionery like Colin the Caterpillar Cola Gums and Fruit Sours, smaller treats like Softies and Speckles, and even party supplies such as Paper Plates.
- Is Salted Caramel Colin the Caterpillar real?
- No. This Salted Caramel Colin the Caterpillar is a Snackfish — a mockup of a fictional product. The image was created by the online design page UK Snack Attack and is not on sale anywhere.
More like this
- The Freddo Caramel Colin the Caterpillar Cake Concept
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Doughnuts Imagined for M&S
- Sticky Toffee Pudding Colin the Caterpillar 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