Shoppers have been left outraged after discovering a popular supermarket dessert costs drastically more in Australia than overseas.
Streets Viennetta has been a firm favourite with lazy entertainers since its launch 1982, and for many of us, conjures up visceral memories of school holidays and special occasions.
But the sweet nostalgia often served up with a slice of Viennetta has turned sour after it was revealed Australians are paying far more for the layered ice cream treat than others.
The bitter discovery was made by Kara Monssen, a food and restaurant critic at the Herald Sun, who recently travelled to the UK, and spotted the famous dessert was retailing at £1.75 – approximately $3.35 in Australian dollars.
However, at Coles and Woolworths, the frozen product – which contains “layers of chocolatey deliciousness” between is creamy vanilla ice cream – currently retails at $8.
“What the hell is going on?” the reporter asked on TikTok.
Kara went on to explain she’d often enjoyed the “elite” dessert while growing up in the 90s, but stressed in her video “no one in their right minds” should be paying the current retail price.
News.com.au has determined the price of the frozen supermarket item has been steadily going up for years.
In 2017, a 650ml block used to retail for $4.50, before rising to $6.60 by 2019.
To celebrate its 40th anniversary last year, Streets released a “Birthday Cake” edition, which reportedly cost $7.05.
The treat is now consistently priced at eight bucks across both major Australian supermarkets as well as on the Streets website.
Social media users were quick to lash out at the price difference between here and the UK, with many arguing it was a sign “inflation had gone too far”.
“And they tell us it’s the Lucky Country…” one frustrated user wrote.
“We’re being robbed blind,” another claimed.
As one raged: “Australia is ridiculous.”
However, some suggested the increased price was due to import fees, adding the best solution was to buy local brands.
“It’s made in the UK that’s why it costs so much here,” one suggested.
“I choose cheaper home brands because it’s just too expensive,” another added.
News.com.au contacted Streets who declined to comment.
While Viennetta is made overseas, it’s actually manufactured in Portugal before being shipped here, a report by SMH stated in 2021.
It’s not the only iconic Australian ice cream to fall victim to the cost of living crisis, with the price of the Golden Gaytime also dramatically increasing recently.
A four pack of the cult toffee and vanilla flavoured ice cream sticks currently retails for $10 in most stores – up almost 18 per cent from 2019 when a multipack cost just $8.49.