Lidl’s decision to create its own version comes years after most of its competitors, with Aldi’s Cuthbert, Sainsbury’s Wiggles and Tesco’s Curly achieving cult status in their own right.
Poking fun at the long-standing omission in its cake aisle, Lidl’s very own ‘Cooper the Caterpillar’ will now be available in stores nationwide from 19 June for £6.99.
In typically tongue-in-cheek fashion, the German brand has said it will reveal just why Cooper took so long to arrive in a book titled The Very Late Caterpillar.
With 250 copies set to be made available for free from Friday, 19 June, at www.lidlislatecaterpillar.co.uk, the book will reportedly reveal Cooper’s recent whereabouts, ‘from strutting the London Fashion Week cat(erpillar)walk to revelling in gnat summer, with a spot of Midgerton binge watching in between.’
Those customers lucky enough to get their hands on one of the limited-edition books will also be awarded a Lidl Plus voucher code for a free Colin the Caterpillar cake.
On his long journey, Cooper the Caterpillar said: “Time…flies… when you’re having fun. I know I’m a little late to the party but I can’t say I’ve met another grub that’s walked London Fashion Week or became the unlikely face of Gnat Summer.
“To make up for keeping everyone waiting, I wanted to share my debut novel of how I wriggled my way to Lidl. You know what they say, it’s about the journey not the destination… and I’ve certainly taken the scenic route.”
Lidl’s discounter rival Aldi famously launched its own Cuthbert the Caterpillar and was forced to settle with Marks & Spencer in court in 2022 over a trademark dispute.
