Lidl is the latest supermarket to introduce a caterpillar-shaped celebration cake. ‘Cooper’  was launched in stores across the UK today [19 June].

Costing £6.99, the cake also comes with a free book titled The Very Late Caterpillar. 

In a tongue-in-cheek LinkedIn post, the discount supermarket explained the delay for its introduction: “Well, Cooper’s had a busy few years. He hasn’t just been sitting in a box; he’s been living. We’ve actually published a limited-edition book called The Very Late Caterpillar to explain his whereabouts (spoiler: it involves walking London Fashion Week and binge-watching Midgerton).”

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Lidl becomes the ninth supermarket to roll-out a chocolate-flavored cake in the shape of a caterpillar. Grocery Gazette rounds-up Cooper’s predecessors.

M&S
Marks & Spencer introduced its famous Colin in 1990. The chocolate sponge roll with chocolate buttercream, chocolate shell and white-chocolate face has been the centre of a hard-fought legal battle. 

Aldi
At the centre of the infringement dispute was Cuthbert. The budget-friendly rival had to be redesigned after an agreement was reached in 2022.

Tesco
Previously known as Curly, Tesco’s caterpillar has recently been renamed to Slinky – a move to separate it from Colin and Cuthbert?

Sainsbury’s
Wiggles is perhaps the longest-running rival for Colin, launched in 2011. It also comes in miniature snack-sized versions.

Morrison’s
Creatively named Morris, this caterpillar has a blue bow tie and “rich chocolate coating”.

Waitrose
Cecil frequently performs well in taste tests and was named the best in a 2026 Which? blind tasting.

Co-op
The convenience retailer has its own Charlie the Caterpillar, which also rates highly in taste tests. It may have come second in 2026 but topped the table in 2024.