Cadbury has ended its 13-year partnership with the National Trust that involves Easter egg hunts hosted at heritage locations across the UK.
The ending of the partnership, worth £7m annually, is a mutual decision.
This year’s 260 Easter Egg Trails will go ahead as planned, but the contract will not be renewed after this. The move is part of a strategic review into Cadbury’s marketing activity.
A spokesperson at Cadbury’s parent company Mondelez International said: "The time is right for both sides to move on as we look for ways to bring Easter trails to more families across the UK, bringing joy to even more consumers at this special time of year.
"Cadbury will continue to celebrate great family moments and work with great partners like the National Trust. For now, we’re working to make sure that this year’s Easter Egg Trails are the best ever."
Members of the National Trust had shown concern with the organisation's relationship with Cadbury over claims that it uses unsustainable palm oil in its products – something that the chocolate-maker denies. In October 2019, members were polled over whether to end the partnership early, but voted to go ahead with this year's activation.
A National Trust spokesperson said: "From next year, we will be making chocolate less of a focus. For this reason, it is the right time for us to end a partnership associated so uniquely with chocolate."
The National Trust is looking for a new partnership for next year. Cadbury is reportedly looking for an alternative way to activate Easter egg hunts.