Celebrations, Heroes, Quality Street and Roses: which chocolate box is the best?

A box of chocolates on the sofa and a Christmas movie or two on the telly has become a festive tradition for many families across the UK at Christmas time. But which chocolate box gives you the most bang for your buck, and which has the best selection?

We looked at four of the most popular Christmas chocolate boxes - Celebrations, Heroes, Quality Street and Roses - to see what they offer.

Our findings show there's very rarely an even spread of chocolates in a tub. You'll likely be left disappointed if you're a fan of Quality Street's Green Triangles or Celebration's Galaxy Caramels.

Find out what the average box of Celebrations, Heroes, Quality Street and Roses contains, plus what size of tub offers the best value for money.

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Watch: how many chocolates are in each tub

Take a look at our video below to see a rundown of what you get in a tub of Celebrations, Heroes, Quality Street and Roses.

What's in a box of Celebrations?

We found an average of 12 Snickers and 12 Milkyways in a tub of Celebrations, which is generous considering on average there are half the number of Galaxy Caramels and Galaxy bars.

Fans of Maltesers Teasers and Bountys will be pacified with a middling count of eight, and you won't be disappointed if you like Mars bars.

But of all the chocolate boxes Celebrations has the least variety, containing only eight different types of chocolate.

• Average box: 12 Milkyway, 12 Snickers, 11 Mars, 8 Bounty, 8 Malteaser, 7 Twix, 6 Galaxy, 6 Galaxy Caramel

What's in a box of Heroes?

Fudge and toffee addicts will be overjoyed with a tub of Heroes averaging at nine Eclairs and nine Fudges.

Double Deckers and Creme Eggs come in second at eight each in a tub.

But you'll be let down if you like plain Cadburys chocolate as there's a measly five Twirls and five Wispas.

• Average box: 9 Fudge, 9 Eclairs, 8 Creme Egg Twists, 8 Dinky Decker, 7 Crunchies, 7 Dairy Milk, 7 Dairy Milk Caramel, 5 Wispa, 5 Twirl

What's in a box of Quality Street?

Green Triangle lovers and Orange Chocolate Crunchie fans will be upset with only four each in the average tub. That's less than half of the most included chocolate, the Fudge.

However, caramels, toffees and fruit cremes are also included in abundance.

It's worth noting Quality Street also has the most variety in its tub, with 11 different types of chocolate.

• Average box: 9 Fudges, 8 Caramel Swirls, 7 Orange Cremes, 7 Toffee Fingers, 7 Strawberry Delights, 6 Toffee Pennys, 5 Purple Ones, 5 Coconut Eclairs, 5 Milk Chocolate Blocks, 4 Green Chocolate Triangles, 4 Orange Chocolate Crunchies

What's in a box of Roses?

Devotees of fudge and truffles will be disappointed with an average tub of Roses. You'll only get four of each in a tub which is less than half the number of Dairy Milks.

It's great news for caramel and fruit creme lovers though, as they come second after Dairy Milk. You can expect around eight in a tub.

• Average box: 9 Dairy Milk, 8 Golden Barrels, 8 Tangy Orange Cremes, 7 Hazel Whirls, 7 Strawberry Dreams, 6 Hazelnut in Caramel, 4 Country Fudge, 4 Signature Truffles, 4 Caramels

Which chocolate box is the best value for money?

The prices below show whether you're best off investing in a larger or smaller tub.

All of the chocolates are available in a range of sizes, but we'd recommend going for a 600g or 650g tub if you're looking to get the most for your money.

How we tested chocolate boxes

We selected the most popular chocolate boxes sold at all major supermarkets and bought three 600g - 650g tubs of each.

From there we counted each type of chocolate - resisting the urge to eat them as we went. We then found the average amount for each chocolate in a tub.