A Classic Flavour Combination
The idea presented in this mockup is straightforward. It is a Vanilla Custard Colin the Caterpillar. The packaging is the familiar M&S window box, but has been recoloured in a creamy yellow to signal the new flavour. Inside, the caterpillar itself has been altered, with yellow feet and a matching yellow face replacing the standard white chocolate. It’s a simple, effective piece of design.
Custard and sponge is a foundational British dessert pairing. The logic is sound. This isn’t a complex fusion or a challenging flavour. It’s an extension of a classic format into territory it could conceivably occupy. The caption that accompanied the image was equally direct: “Custard Colin the Caterpillar! Pure genius this.” It suggests a product that needs no further explanation.
The Colin the Caterpillar Universe
The original M&S Colin the Caterpillar Cake has spawned an entire product ecosystem. The brand has expanded far beyond the single cake, with much of the growth happening in confectionery and partyware. This makes a simple flavour swap for the main cake an interesting proposition. It feels almost retro.
The current range is vast. Alongside the classic cake and the M&S Mini Colin the Caterpillar Cakes, there is a dedicated sweets offering. This includes Colin the Caterpillar Softies, Fruit Gums, Cola Gums, Cherry Gums, Sour Stomps, and Fruit Sours. There are even chocolate M&S Colin the Caterpillar Speckles. Beyond the food, the brand covers M&S Colin the Caterpillar Party Cups, Paper Plates, and the ‘Party Time’ selection box. Colin is a complete system for a children’s party.
A Shift in Product Strategy
A Vanilla Custard Colin would represent a notable shift from the brand’s established strategy. While M&S has released seasonal versions and companion characters, new core flavours for the cake itself are not the primary focus. The commercial energy has gone into creating adjacent products, building a world around the original chocolate sponge roll. The business model seems to be ‘more types of Colin things’, not ‘more flavours of Colin cake’.
This concept ignores that. It proposes a direct variant, an old-fashioned line extension sitting on the shelf next to the original. For a brand that now sells themed paper plates, returning to a basic flavour tweak feels like a quiet, confident move. It suggests the core product is strong enough to support variations without needing to become a bag of sweets or a party cup.
What the real range looks like
The genuine M&S Colin the Caterpillar range focuses more on new formats than new cake flavours. The brand includes the original cake, Mini Colin Cakes, and a wide array of confectionery like Colin the Caterpillar Softies, Cola Gums, and Sour Stomps. A Vanilla Custard version would be a rare flavour variant on the core cake, a departure from the usual strategy of launching entirely new product types.
- 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 flavour is the original Colin the Caterpillar?
- The classic M&S Colin the Caterpillar is a chocolate sponge roll filled with chocolate buttercream. It’s covered in a milk chocolate shell, decorated with chocolate beans, and has a solid white chocolate face.
- Does M&S sell many custard-flavoured cakes?
- M&S has a long history with custard-flavoured desserts, frequently selling items like custard tarts, slices, and doughnuts. Applying the flavour to the specific Colin the Caterpillar format is the new idea proposed by this concept.
- Is the Vanilla Custard Colin the Caterpillar real?
- No, this is a Snackfish. It is a mockup created by the digital artist UK Snack Attack for their social media pages. The product is not for sale in M&S or any other retailer.
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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