THE cost of a KitKat has risen more than 10 per cent in a year in wake of soaring cocoa prices and a rise in VAT.

York confectioners Nestlé said its recommended retail price for the popular standard four-finger chocolate bar was now 50p, compared with 45p last February.

However, pricing is at the retailers’ discretion and some shops – for example WH Smith in Coney Street – are now charging a startling 75p for a KitKat.

A Nestlé spokesman said the company had always said 2011 would be a very tough year for all businesses and the confectionery industry was no exception, as it continued to face record commodity prices.

“Thanks to the continued hard work and commitment from the business to identify better and more efficient ways of working, we continue to absorb these cost pressures as much as possible, although small prices rises have been inevitable as we won’t compromise on quality of our products,” he said.

The price of cocoa was hovering around £2,000 a tonne at the moment, having reached more than £2,300 last year after doubling in two years.

Much of the cocoa is grown in Ivory Coast, which has been affected recently by political turmoil in the wake of disputed elections.

Its internationally recognised leader Alassane Ouattara called last month for a one-month ban on exports of the commodity to choke off funding for the incumbent Ivory Coast president, Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to concede defeat.