Nestlé UK has announced that its KitKat made with Ruby chocolate will launch nationwide this month.

The four-finger wafer bar is coated with Ruby chocolate, derived from Ruby cocoa beans, which has an intense berry-fruitiness taste that occurs naturally with no artificial flavours or colour added.

After a period of exclusivity in Tesco, KitKat Ruby will now be available to retailers across the UK from 18 February with an RRP of 85p.

Alex Gonnella, marketing director for Nestlé’s UK confectionery business, said: “We know that a new type of KitKat is a really big deal and we are very excited to be able to offer a different type of chocolate for KitKat fans to try.

 “Ruby chocolate is a big innovation in confectionery and we are very proud that KitKat was the first major brand in the UK to feature this exciting new chocolate.”

Ruby chocolate was created by Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut which spent over a decade developing this innovative flavour, creating what is thought of as a fourth kind of chocolate to add to the traditional varieties of dark, milk and white.

Pablo Perversi, chief innovation, quality and sustainability officer at Barry Callebaut, said: “I am very pleased to see the result of our partnership with Nestlé – the iconic four-finger KitKat made with our Ruby chocolate. Consumers across the world will be intrigued by the unique taste of this crispy delight.”

Two further KitKat products will also be rolling out with the extension of its premium sharing box KitKat Senses into the impulse category with the launch of two brand new singles format products. 

KitKat Senses Salted Caramel and KitKat Senses Hazelnut will have an RRP of 85p and be available nationwide from 18 February.

Each bar will comprise of three chocolates, packaged for the consumer’s next “me-time” moment. The Salted Caramel variant comprises a thick layer of salted caramel filling infused with crunchy caramel flakes and crispy wafer covered in KitKat chocolate. Hazelnut contains a layer of praline, crunchy hazelnut pieces and crispy wafer, all covered in KitKat chocolate. 

KitKat Senses singles follow on from the launch of KitKat Senses in February 2018, which is a 200g pop-open sharing box of individually wrapped KitKat Senses chocolates, available in a mixed box of Salted Caramel, Hazelnut and Double Chocolate flavours as well as individual flavour 200g boxes.

The KitKat Senses brand will benefit from two bursts of media support in 2019 and is back on air with a first burst of TV advertising from 1 April through to June. It will also be supported by social, digital and video on demand advertising as well as a dedicated sampling campaign, and in-store support.