Latest news with #BiscuitMuseum
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Scandal hits biscuit museum as McVitie's say they must 'draw the line'
The humble Jaffa Cake has caused chaos at a lesser-known London museum after a well-intentioned tribute to the treat took a sticky turn. Peek Freans Biscuit Museum in Bermondsey, London, opened a new exhibition on June 30, celebrating McVitie's Jaffa Cake, only to be met with a cease-and-desist-style letter. The problem? Jaffa Cakes, despite residing in the biscuit aisle, are famously not biscuits. It's no laughing matter, as McVitie's has fought long and hard to cement the cake status of its chocolate orange treat, which is nearly 100 years old, and was quick to correct the museum's frankly preposterous categorisation of it as anything else. The confectionery giant warned that the inclusion of Jaffa Cakes in a biscuit exhibition was factually incorrect and sent the museum a letter to set the record straight. 'Dear Sirs, Madams, and Biscuit Enthusiasts,' the letter begins. 'It has come to our attention, with no small degree of dismay, that the Biscuit Museum has included the humble Jaffa Cake within its exhibition of Biscuitry. 'We write to you today, not with crumbs of animosity, but with a full slice of firm objection. 'Allow us to be clear: Jaffa Cakes are, in fact, cakes. Not biscuits. Not hybrid snacks. Some would say the clue is in the name on the box.' In a follow-up statement, a spokesperson for McVitie's said: 'Look, we love a good biscuit as much as the next snack enthusiast, but we've got to draw the line somewhere, and that line is sponge-based. 'We respect the Biscuit's Museum's enthusiasm, but a cake's a cake, even when it's small, round and lives suspiciously close to Hobnobs. It's nothing personal, it's just the way the cake crumbles.' If the Biscuit Museum had done its research, it would have discovered that this isn't the first time Jaffa Cakes have been at the centre of a full-blown identity crisis. In 1991, McVitie's won a UK VAT tribunal, which decided the treat was in fact a cake – a distinction that made it exempt from VAT, unlike its biscuit relatives. McVitie's brought forward strong arguments, including the product's name (they are called Jaffa CAKES after all), their composition and texture ('the same as a traditional sponge cake') and the fact they go hard 'like a cake' when they go stale, rather than 'soft like a biscuit'. HMRC settled the matter and decided the treat had enough characteristics of cakes to be accepted as such. Queen of cakes Mary Berry – perhaps the best deciding authority – affirmed Jaffa Cakes' status as a cake in a 2016 episode of the Great British Bake Off, where she 'silenced' biscuit apologist. Despite the court ruling, the 'is it a cake or a biscuit?' debate continues to divide households, office staffrooms, and social media feeds. More Trending Some convincing arguments from the opposition are that they are marketed and packaged like biscuits and, most importantly, found in the biscuit aisle. 'If Jaffa Cakes are cakes, where do you put the candles?', plenty of others have pondered. Staff at the museum were left with no choice but to remove the exhibition. However, its curator, Gary Magold, hopes a compromise can be made. View More » 'It's a shame we've had to remove the exhibition for the moment,' he said. 'But, as a nation of Jaffa Cake lovers, we're hoping to reach an agreement.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Pensioner left 'appalled' after landlord fails to repair front door bashed in by mistake MORE: Manhunt launched after woman followed off bus and sexually assaulted MORE: Iconic London nightclub set for one last party before closing its doors for good Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jaffa Cakes owners send cease and desist letter to museum
The UK's number one biscuit museum has found itself in a bit of a sticky situation after an honest mistake in its latest exhibition. The Bermondsey-based museum unveiled an exhibition on Monday, dedicated entirely to the beloved McVitie's Jaffa Cakes. The sweet celebration took an unexpected turn when the museum was sent a cease and desist-esque letter pointing out a rather sticky detail: Jaffa Cakes, despite their biscuit aisle residency, are not biscuits. The question of whether a Jaffa Cake is a cake or a biscuit has long been one of the UK's most hotly-contested debates, sparking social media spats and dividing households for decades. Despite their placement in the biscuit aisle of the nation's supermarkets, McVitie's has always maintained that Jaffa Cakes are, by definition, cakes. This latest warning adds fresh fuel to the debate, reminding fans (and museums) of the true status of the iconic treat. READ MORE: Woman put off GP appointment for holiday and came home to worst news READ MORE: Record numbers of Asian Hornets seen in Britain - see all sightings of 'yellow-legged' pest so far this year The letter reads: 'Dear Sirs, Madams, and Biscuit Enthusiasts, "It has come to our attention, with no small degree of dismay, that the Biscuit Museum has included the humble Jaffa Cake within its exhibition of biscuitry. We write to you today, not with crumbs of animosity, but with a full slice of firm objection. "Allow us to be clear: Jaffa Cakes are, in fact, cakes. Not biscuits. Not hybrid snacks. Just cakes. Some would say the clue is in the name on the box.' The letter went on to cite solid food facts: 'Cakes harden when stale. Biscuits go soft.' McVitie's and the biscuit museum are yet to agree to a resolution. In response to the exhibition launch, a spokesperson for McVitie's commented: 'Look, we love a good biscuit as much as the next snack enthusiast, but we've got to draw the line somewhere, and that line is sponge-based. "We respect the Biscuit Museum's enthusiasm, but a cake's a cake, even when it's small, round, and lives suspiciously close to Hobnobs. It's nothing personal, it's just the way the cake crumbles.' While staff at the museum were left surprised by the action taken by McVitie's, the Biscuit Museum's curator Gary Magold is hopeful a resolution can be reached: 'It's a shame - we've had to remove the exhibition for the moment. But, as a nation of Jaffa Cakes lovers, we're hoping we can reach an agreement', said Gary.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE McVities forces British biscuit museum to axe Jaffa Cakes exhibit for 'misclassifying' sweet treat as a biscuit
McVities has encouraged a UK biscuit museum to scrap a Jaffa Cakes exhibit because they ' misclassified' the sweet treat as a biscuit, MailOnline can exclusively reveal. Most Britons will agree that Jaffa Cakes are a classic British sweet treat, but when it comes to categorising them as a cake or a biscuit, there's much less consensus. That's why Peak Freans Biscuit Museum in Bermondsey, London, found itself in a sticky situation on Monday after dedicating an exhibit to the chocolate-covered treat, first introduced by McVities in 1927. The exhibit caused a stir at McVities because, as indicated by the treat's name, the snack food brand believes Jaffa Cakes are a cake, not a biscuit, meaning they don't belong at a biscuit museum. And to set the record straight, the brand sent the museum an entertaining cease-and-desist-esque letter requesting the removal of the exhibit earlier this week. 'Dear Sirs, Madams, and Biscuit Enthusiasts,' the letter from McVities began, continuing, 'It has come to our attention, with no small degree of dismay, that the Biscuit Museum has included the humble Jaffa Cake within its exhibition of biscuitry. 'We write to you today, not with crumbs of animosity, but with a full slice of firm objection. Allow us to be clear: Jaffa Cakes are, in fact, cakes. 'Not biscuits. Not hybrid snacks. Just cakes. Some would say the clue is in the name on the box.' McVitie's and the biscuit museum are yet to agree on the debate. In response to the exhibition launch, a spokesperson for McVitie's said, 'Look, we love a good biscuit as much as the next snack enthusiast, but we've got to draw the line somewhere, and that line is sponge-based. 'We respect the Biscuit Museum's enthusiasm, but a cake's a cake, even when it's small, round, and lives suspiciously close to Hobnobs. It's nothing personal, it's just the way the cake crumbles.' Staff at the museum voiced surprise at McVitie's response. The Biscuit Museum's curator, Gary Magold, said, 'It's a shame - we've had to remove the exhibition for the moment. But, as a nation of Jaffa Cakes lovers, we're hoping we can reach an agreement.' It comes after people voiced surprise after learning what makes the delicious filling inside a Jammie Dodger. The popular British biscuit is made of two round shortbreads sandwiched together by a rich jammy red filling and famously stamped with a small red heart. Jammie Dodgers - which often retail for as little as £1 or less at supermarkets like Asda and Tesco - come in a variety of flavours including raspberry and strawberry. But fans have been left shocked to discover that the beloved sweet snacks contain neither fruit, but rather a totally different one altogether. According to a Facebook post, the popular treat achieve their wondrous filling using apple jam. The biscuits also feature a raspberry filling, which gives it the famous taste fans have come to love. Meanwhile the strawberry variation - which comes in a pink packet - also uses apple jam in its ingredients - and likewise contains strawberry flavouring. The specific ingredients of a standard 140g pack of Jammie Dodgers are listed as including 'flour', 'raspberry flavour apple jam', 'apples', 'flavourings' and 'sugar' amongst other things. Responding to the post, one person said the revelations made them 'question' everything they knew. 'Something like this makes one question everything they know and makes their world crash around them' they wrote. 'Actually, a bit like when I painstakingly reassembled my iMac earlier today, and then later found a T10 screw on the kitchen floor. I might treat myself to some Jammie Dodgers later'. It also appears the post left one person emotional, as they wrote: 'This is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE thread.' 'Well I am flabbergasted. I always thought it was strawberry jam... good Lord' wrote another. Meanwhile, one woman explained: 'This is definitely nothing new. Many a pot of "jam" of the cheaper varieties used to be made in the same way, apple pulp because it is cheap and easy to gel, and some "flavouring" added. 'I don't know what they are like now because I make my own jam these days (and grow or forage my own fruit for them) and have done for some 30 years'. Jammie Dodgers is a popular British biscuit typically enjoyed by being dipped in tea, or as a standalone snack. After briefly adding dairy to their recipe, Jammie Dodgers reverted back to a vegan-friendly recipe in 2020, sparking joy among plant-based diet followers across the globe. Meanwhile, over the years, the biscuit has seen a variety of limited edition flavours, including toffee, lemon, and even berry blast. In 2009, they were even reportedly sent to the International Space Station as part of a care package for British astronaut Tim Peake. However, despite being one of the only British biscuit to make it to space, the debate is still strong on what is the correct way to devour the delicious snack. Taking to Instagram threads Danny, from Leeds, asked his followers the pressing question. He wrote: 'How do you eat your Jammie Dodgers? I think I eat mine the weirdest way. Eat the top edge, eat the bottom edge and then boom centre goes in one.' Many rushed to the comments with their own way to eat the biscuit. One person wrote: 'Nibble all the outside and the biscuit leaving the jam then eat that…yes I'm weird.' Another said: 'I'm the same. Save the best till last.' While someone else agreed adding: 'Leaving the jam bit until last.'
