We sent chocolate bars through the post after stamp price rise - the results weren't great

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We put Royal Mail to the test to see if company could live up to next-day first class delivery pledge

We tested Royal Mail by sending chocolate bars across the West Midlands. Pic: Amy Gaffney
It's yet another price rise for hard-pressed families - but is it justified?

Royal Mail this month increased the cost of a first class stamp by 10p to a whopping £1.80 - the eighth increase in five years and a far cry from the 64p charged a decade ago.

The hike came despite regular complaints over service levels - including from a Midland village where residents claimed in late January not to have received any post in 2026. There were also complaints about service levels in Northfield the same month.

Royal Mail aims to deliver first class post the next working day. But an unscientific survey conducted by BirminghamLive suggests that - despite the price increases - that target is not always met.

To put the company's reliability to the test, we sent six letters to BirminghamLive staff based across the city and beyond. Paying homage to the city's history, we included a Cadbury bar in each envelope.

All six bars were posted with a first-class stamp on Thursday, March 19. In total six chocolate bars and six first-class stamps came to £18.90 - reflecting the stamp price before April 7. But only only two of our sample group received their post the following day.

And one reporter discovered her letter was already open.

Sutton Coldfield

Jim Cartledge - Dairy Milk: "My delivery dropped through my door on Saturday, March 21.

"Not a bad service but certainly not the next working day delivery the Royal Mail aims for with first-class mail - and which anyone forking out an eye-watering £1.80 for a first class stamp from April 7 would rightly expect.

"We have always had lovely postmen and women round our way and we are fortunate not to have to rely on the post for urgent medical letters, as so many do.

"We also live in a pretty busy Birmingham suburb, which should be well-served by Royal Mail, so I do wonder how any issues with the service will impact those living in more rural parts."

Jewellery Quarter

Unlike the other recipients, Lily's package was open when it arrived days later

Olivia Fox - Crunchie: "My chocolate bar experience was definitely not as expected. My building's intercom was the first issue.

"It's been broken for a while, so I knew this bar would spend extra time in the care of the delivery people, showing me how its taken care of beyond the typical 24-hour window.

"When my envelope made a surprise appearance in my mailroom, I was stunned. Simply because it had made it past the door threshold, but also at the fact that the envelope was opened.

"Thankfully the Crunchie chocolate bar was intact with a single break."

Selly Oak

Out of six chocolate bars posted, only Kirsty's Flake arrived the next day

Kirsty Bosley - Flake: "It's 9.20am in Selly Oak on Friday, March 20. Our lovely postman brought me my Flake, smashed into smithereens, just as I like it.

"I will tip the whole thing in my gob at noon. Better than the Flake, my postman stopped to ask me how I was doing following an injury I sustained nine months ago.

"He hadn't forgotten and he talked to me about the wellbeing of my neighbours too, all of who he knows by name.

"Knowing there's someone here, who knows us all, is peace of mind for me as many of my neighbours are elderly.

"I feel a level of responsibility to look out for them and it means a lot to know that my postman helps to carry that too, along with his sack of parcels and letters.

"Stamps don't come cheap but you can't put a price on the value of my beloved postie."

Great Barr
Amy Gaffney - Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut: "I must admit, the prospect of a chocolate bar whizzing to my door with first-class delivery made it difficult to work from home on Friday, March 20. How could I concentrate knowing Cadbury’s finest was on the way?

"Unfortunately for me, I was distracted all day - and long into the night. By Friday evening, as dusk drew in, I came to realise my sweet treat would not be making an appearance.

"The knock came at 10:50am the next day. While I was out gallivanting, my mom answered the door and received my delicious delivery. I didn’t tell her what was inside, as I knew she’d be too tempted.

"When I finally got my hands on my highly-anticipated present, I gave it a thorough inspection. The parcel was in mint condition and the chocolate bar itself was pristine.

"No damage was done (well, not until I opened the wrapper myself)."

Worcestershire
Jayne Thomson - Twirl : "Living in the middle of nowhere sometimes means I have to wait a little longer for deliveries.

"So I was pleasantly surprised to see the chocolate arrive just one day after it was delivered on Friday, March 20.

"The envelope was in good condition, although the chocolate Twirl wasn't in one piece, it was delicious all the same.

"I have to admit, I have a wonderful postie. The system works - for me, anyway."

Sedgley
Hannah Ahmed - Dairy Milk Caramel: "After a long day out and about, I came home, and to my surprise, a medium-sized brown paper envelope met me at the door on Saturday, March 21.

"Green writing was scrawled on its packaging with a 1st class stamp detailed with pink roses stuck to the top right hand corner.

"It had been folded when pushed through the door but its contents were just as sweet inside.

"The sticky tab was a little bit loose upon ripping it open on Saturday night, but my Cadbury Caramel bar inside was well worth the wait."

What Royal Mail says about service standards

Announcing the decision to increase stamp prices last month, Royal Mail said the change reflected the continued rise in the cost of delivery as letter volumes fell and the number of addresses surged.

Richard Travers, managing director of letters at Royal Mail, said: “We always consider price changes very carefully, balancing affordability with the rising cost of delivering mail.

“On average, UK adults now spend just £6.50 each year on stamps and there are 70 per cent fewer letters sent than 20 years ago.

“In the meantime, the number of addresses we deliver to has increased by four million to 32 million addresses across the UK.”

The increase came despite repeated failures by Royal Mail to meet its delivery targets and amid growing concerns over the performance of the service.

The changes also meant the price of a second class stamp rose by 4p to 91p.

The last time Royal Mail met its annual target for delivering first class post on time was in 2019-20.