McVities boss on the correct way to eat a chocolate digestive
Mr Coulson told listeners: "One of the very first things I learnt when I got to join McVitie's was chocolate side down to eat the digestive."
"Now, up until then I'd always eaten it the other way round, I still do, if I'm honest," he added. "You can do it exactly how you want to do it."
While the debate has likely raged since the treat's inception 100 years ago ("it's the world's most incredible debate"), Coulsan says that by eating it chocolate side down, the chocolate "starts to melt, you start to get the flavour, and away you go".
Before too many could argue, he adds: "It makes sense, right?"
Renowned for its long-standing range of biscuits, UK brand McVities has been around since 1839, when it started as a small provision shop in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The brand enjoyed continued success but it wasn't until 1892 that Alexander Grant developed the original recipe for the famous McVitie's Digestives biscuit – a recipe that remains secret to this day.
In 1927, the brand continued to innovate in the snack sphere by creating the Jaffa Cake (named after the Jaffa oranges used in their centre), followed by the penguin bar of 1932, and the Hobnobs launch of 1985.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
11-08-2025
- Irish Independent
Ardagh has support for deal from 90pc of holders of senior debt
The company needs to get over 90pc consent from all classes in order to implement the deal on a fully consensual basis. However, now the level of PIK support has passed 75pc, it could seek to push through the deal through a court restructuring process known as a scheme of arrangement. Giving the Transition Services Update, the Irish company encouraged all remaining holders of senior debt and of PIK notes to agree to the deal by the 'early bird' deadline of tomorrow. Under the terms of the proposed restructuring, holders of $4.3bn (€3.7bn) in combined senior unsecured notes and PIK notes will swap their debt for equity. Secured creditors who do not consent to the deal by today will have their holdings exchanged for new debt at a discounted price of 80c, according to a presentation given by the company to investors. Holders of senior unsecured bonds and of PIK bonds would also lose access to a portion of the allocated equity if they do not sign up. Consenting holders of senior secured notes who sign up to the deal by the early bird deadline will get new exchange notes at par value. Last week Bloomberg reported that a small cohort of Ardagh Group creditors were pushing back against the restructuring deal agreed to by the packaging company and most of its debt holders. The news agency quoted unnamed sources as saying that the minority group, which owned PIK bonds, were consulting with the legal firm White & Case. PIK bonds give the company the option of paying interest in more bonds, or additional debt, instead of cash. The senior unsecured bondholders are due to own 92.5pc of the equity once the deal goes through, while the PIK holders will get the remaining 7.5pc. The PIK notes are trading for less than 5c on the dollar, while the unsecured bonds, due in August 2027, are indicated at about 45c, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Ardagh restructuring deal involves unsecured creditors taking over control of the business from the current shareholder, Irish businessman Paul Coulson. His investment vehicle, Yeoman Capital, is set to get a $300m pay-off to walk away. As Mr Coulson currently owns about 36pc of the Ardagh Group, it is expected that he will earn about $108m for the deal. ADVERTISEMENT Ardagh, a recyclable metal and glass packaging firm, is one of the largest manufacturers of its type in Europe. It operates 58 metal and glass production facilities in 16 countries, employing about 19,000 people, and had sales of about $9.1bn last year. Mr Coulson took over Ardagh's predecessor, the Irish Glass Bottle Company based in Dublin, in the late 1990s. Ardagh has been negotiating with bondholders for months as it attempted to find a way of dealing with debt due to mature next year. Higher interest rates and running costs had weighed heavily on the company's balance sheet, which pushed the Irish businessman into a position where he had to negotiate with creditors to reduce the debt load. The company has $2.6bn in obligations due next year. Creditors previously rejected a plan to leave Mr Coulson in control of Ardagh Metal Packaging SA, the most profitable arm of the business, which is listed in the US.
Irish Independent
03-08-2025
- Irish Independent
Any other business: Paul Coulson sowed business seeds in his Trinity days
Plus a family dispute over a Dublin garage, US tycoon puts auctioneers on notice and a lavish estate hits the market 'Paul Coulson is one of Trinity's most successful and interesting graduates of the last 50 years,' the university's website gushes, in relation to the businessman who has finally ceded control of the Ardagh Group to bondholders. As well as captaining the hockey club, and earning a Pink for tennis (whatever that might be), the website credits Coulson with developing the Pavilion Bar and having 'restructured' the Trinity Ball, returning it to profitability.
Irish Examiner
28-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Creditors agree takeover of Irish packaging giant Ardagh from Paul Coulson
Glass and metal packaging giant Ardagh Group has agreed with a debt restructuring which will see some of its creditors take control of the whole business from Irish billionaire Paul Coulson. Holders of $4.3bn (€3.69bn) combined senior unsecured notes and payment-in-kind (PIK) notes will swap their debt for equity, the company said on Monday. The senior unsecured bondholders will own 92.5% of the equity following the transaction, while the PIK holders will get 7.5% of the shares. As part of the deal, Yeoman Capital — the investment vehicle through which Mr Coulson controls Ardagh — will receive a $300m (€257m) payoff to walk away, according to a presentation to investors released on Monday. Mr Coulson had been nearing a deal to cede full control of the company to creditors. Ardagh and its creditors have been in talks for months as the company sought to deal with debt coming due next year. Creditors previously rejected a proposal that would have left Mr Coulson in control of Ardagh Metal Packaging SA, the most profitable arm of the business, which is listed in the US. Mr Coulson took over the Irish Glass Bottle Company in Dublin, the predecessor of Ardagh, in the late 1990s. Under his ownership the firm has become the largest glass-container maker in Northern Europe. The current restructuring plan has the approval of creditors holding 75% of its senior secured debt, over 90% of its senior unsecured bonds and over 60% of its PIK notes, as well as that of its controlling shareholder. The deal also envisages the refinancing of its secured debt into new bonds due in December 2030, according to the statement. Some secured and unsecured creditors have also backstopped the provision of $1.5bn (€1.29bn) of new money, which will serve to repay a facility provided by Apollo Global Management last year. The money will also fund Yeoman's payoff and boost the company's liquidity. Ardagh is looking to implement the deal on a consensual basis, but would consider alternative implementation options including a UK scheme of arrangement, according to the statement. Bloomberg
