Backlash over limited edition 'Snowdonia' Nutella jar

Emily Price 

Chocolate spread maker Ferrero Rocher has been criticised for its new limited edition Nutella jars which celebrate "Snowdonia" as one of the best breakfast spots in the UK.

Nutella's new 'Good Morning' campaign saw the release of special jars of chocolate spread labelled with UK place names that are especially beautiful in the summer.

Iconic locations include, the Scottish Highlands, Cornwall, the Lake District, Northumberland and Connemara in Ireland.

The campaign features only one Welsh beauty spot - "Snowdonia".

[mid-content-banner]

'Eryri'

The Nutella website also offers recipe ideas for breakfasts using the sweet spread whilst visiting each UK destination.

Mixed berry and nut yoghurt parfait is suggested for anyone preparing to hike Wales' largest national park.

The new "Snowdonia" jars are available in supermarkets across Wales and the wider UK.

Several readers got in touch with us pointing out that Ferrero had used the old English place name for the mountainous region now known as Eryri.

One reader said: "I think it's absolutely disgraceful that they couldn't use the correct Welsh name for Eryri.

"I wonder if Nutella knew the real name and made a pointed choice not to use it - or if they just didn't do any research."

[lower-mid-content-banner]

'Tone deaf'

Another reader said: "Snowdonia special edition jar? Ble Mae'r Gymraeg? Ferrero UK have a word... this is culturally tone deaf."

Another said: "Reverting Snowdonia back to Eryri was important for a lot of Welsh people. Nutella could have made an informed choice here but didn't."

Eryri National Park Authority ditched the names "Snowdonia" and "Snowden" in 2022 following a 5000 strong petition to use the longstanding Welsh names, Eryri and Yr Wyddfa, instead.

The park authority hoped the change would link back to 2,000 years of history and give people across the world the chance to engage with the Welsh language.

Even Google Maps made the switch to Welsh - with the app now using "Eryri" ahead of the old English name "Snowdonia".

Welsh speakers have pointed out that for them, the names hadn't change at all because Eryri and Yr Wyddfa were the names they have always used.

'Longstanding'

In a review of the switch last year, the park noted that its rebrand had caused confusion for some who thought the names were "new" rather than "longstanding Welsh names".

The report highlighted that some "anti-Welsh sentiment" had arisen on social media as a result of the change - particularly on Facebook and TikTok where using "Eryri" and "Yr Wyddfa" occasionally received a backlash.

But overall Eryri National Park Authority said the overall impact of the change had been "positive".

We asked Ferrero Rocher why the company had chosen to use the English names instead of Welsh.

A spokesperson said: "Thank you so much for raising this.

"At Ferrero, we are committed to celebrating local heritage and connecting with our consumers through special edition products.

"When developing the campaign, we drew on commonly known destination names with the intention of inspiring families across the UK and Ireland - but we acknowledge that language and place identity evolve.

"We understand that the name 'Eryri' holds significant cultural value in Wales, and we recognise that using the English naming 'Snowdonia' may have caused concern.

"This will be taken into consideration for future iterations.

"We are committed to being as inclusive and respectful as possible of local identities and languages.

"Again, thank you for sharing this with us."