Latest news with #McVitie's
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
What biscuits are made in Carlisle's McVitie's factory?
To celebrate National Biscuit Day 2025 (Thursday, May 29) the News & Star had an exclusive tour around the oldest biscuit factory in the world, which just happens to be on our doorstep. The home of Carr's and McVitie's biscuits, among others, has been part of the Carlisle landscape for almost 200 years. It produces 246 different products and even enough bourbon biscuits to go around the earth two times a year. But do you know exactly what products are made inside of it? We have compiled a list of 10 of our favourite biscuits that are made in Carlisle. Bourbon Creams Custard Creams Ginger Nuts Tasties Coconut Rings Digestives Mini Chocolate Digestives Nice Biscuits Shorties Fruit Shortcakes Carr's Table Water Crackers (classed as savoury biscuits) A selection of McVitie's biscuits (Image: Newsquest) When asked how he was celebrating National Biscuit Day 2025, Mark Ebdon, Carlisle's factory general manager said: 'Every day is National Biscuit Day for us!' In celebration of the day, McVitie's also revealed new original research. The Great British Biscuit Audit by McVitie's saw 2,000 British adults polled and revealed that Chocolate Digestives once again take the crown as the UK's favourite biscuit. When it comes to dunking, tea remains the favourite at 45 per cent. The News & Star's exclusive tour of inside the factory will be published this weekend.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Bob Dylan's unlikely love laid bare as insider says 'he's hooked'
Leading music photographer Danny Clifford, who toured with legend Bob Dylan, has opened up about the star's secret love on the road - and the British connection Singer Bob Dylan 's life may be shrouded in mystery but a secret love of his has come to light – Jaffa Cakes. Brit Danny Clifford, who was the musician's official photographer during his 1978 US tour, said the star was 'hooked' on the McVitie's treat. Danny said he stumbled upon a shop in the US that sold them and took them to a meeting the next day with Bob, and his publicist, Paul Wasserman, to show them his photos from the night before. Danny, who was 20 at the time, says: 'I got out my little box of Jaffa Cakes and offered them to Bob and were immediately hooked. Bob laughed and said, 'Why is this a cake? It's a cookie, right?' 'I had no honest answer other than asking him not to eat them all. I only had one packet. Bob and his PR man quickly gulped the lots. Bob thought it was funny as he slowly kept trying to distract me by asking me to hold up the colour transparencies (slides), whilst he silently took another Jaffa Cake. I knew what he was doing. However, he was the boss, and it amused him and Wasserman.' Danny, who went on to photograph some of the world 's biggest stars including The Who, opened up about Bob's sweet tooth ahead of the singer's 84th birthday last weekend. He told his substack, Danny Clifford, My Life as a Music Photographer: 'In 1988, Bob started his never-ending tour, and he hasn't stopped (other than during Covid) since then. I don't think he has a concert today on his birthday, so I guess he will celebrate his big day privately in sunny California. I thought sending him a few boxes of Jaffa Cakes for his big day, his 84th birthday, was a nice touch.' Jaffa Cakes were introduced by McVitie's in 1927. They were initially described as McVitie's Jaffa Oranges before being shortened to Jaffa Cakes. According to McVitie's, they contain 'a simple combination of sugar and tangerine oil to form the sealed layer of jam.' It adds: 'The cakes are named after the Jaffa oranges which flavour the zesty centre of the cake.' In 1991, there was a legal battle between McVitie's and HMRC over whether Jaffa Cakes were considered cakes or biscuits for VAT purposes. McVitie's argued that Jaffa Cakes were cakes, as they hardened when stale, unlike biscuits that go soggy. McVitie's won.
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Wagon Wheel chocolate leaves Brits baffled as name has nothing to do with shape
Wagon Wheels have been a firm favourite in British lunchboxes for generations - but there's a mind-blowing reason behind the iconic name which has left everyone baffled The inspiration behind the name of Wagon Wheels has a fun backstory, and it's not related to their shape. Despite their circular shape resembling an old-fashioned cart wheel, this isn't the reason for their name. They're actually named after a specific cultural trend. These iconic treats consist of two chocolate biscuits sandwiching a marshmallow filling, all covered in milk chocolate, and sometimes filled with jam. They were invented in the 1940s by William Peschardt, who sold the patent to Garry Weston, son of British MP and food company owner Willard Garfield Weston. Wagon Wheels hit the market in 1948 and made their debut at the Olympia Food Fair where Garry Weston introduced them as the "biggest chocolate biscuit bar", according to HuffPost. However, there were grumbles that Wagon Wheels weren't "creative enough". Initially, the snack was simply marshmallow sandwiched between two biscuits and smothered in chocolate - without any jam. Their original moniker was Weston's Wagon Wheels, inspired by western cowboy films, which led to the birth of this now widely recognised sweet treat, as previously reported by The Mirror. Western films were all the rage back in the day, boasting big names such as John Wayne, a factor that led to the enduring name of the beloved Wagon Wheel biscuit. Now owned by Burton's Biscuits, these treats are flying off the shelves, with an astonishing 125 million Wagon Wheels snatched up yearly. But it's not just Wagon Wheels that have biscuit lovers' hearts; Hobnobs have also secured their status as a biscuit tin staple among Brits who love dunking them in their tea. Curiosity was piqued when Channel 4's 'The Secret World Of Biscuits' unveiled the secret behind the Hobnob's unique name and how it kept its nose ahead in the biscuity race. The show revealed that the Hobnob, launched in supermarkets in 1985, owes its distinctive nubbin texture to the flapjack-inspired inclusion of oats by McVitie's. Pam, who was responsible for managing the McVitie's team tasked with conjuring up this novel treat, shared: "[The focus groups] said [the biscuit] was knobbly, because, you know, it wasn't a very smooth finish in the way, for instance, Digestive or Rich Tea are. And they said it looked as if somebody had made it at home, maybe made it on a hob." She added: "And so, I wanted a name that was very easy to say and just rolled off the tongue. And so, 'Hobnob'."
New Statesman
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
This England: With a couple of kookies…
A portrait of David Bowie took the artist Ed Chapman 180 hours to make – out of biscuits. The mosaicist created images of the 'Heroes' singer for McVitie's, which is celebrating 100 years of the Chocolate Digestive. He used more than 1,000 of the treats to fashion the faces of icons including Trevor McDonald and Judi Dench out of whole biscuits, fragments and crumbs. His works go on show 2-5 May at McVitie's Chocolate Digestives Experience in Regent Street, London. Wales Online (Amanda Welles) Suite oblivion A sofa dumped in a Gloucestershire village has become an unexpected tourist attraction – with fans taking photos and giving Tripadvisor reviews. The two-seater was abandoned on waste ground in Lydbrook, but photographer Alex Elton-Wall saw potential in the forlorn furniture – and has since taken the portraits of more than 150 locals. 'It's taken on a life of its own,' Alex said, but he expects the fly-tipped seat will soon be disposed of properly. 'All good things come to an end,' he said. Metro (Daragh Brady) Forced to eat crow The owner of a cockerel that awoke neighbours early has been ordered to pay nearly £4,000. Harold Brown let the bird make 'unacceptable levels of noise' disturbing their sleep 'from as early as 5am each day,' said New Forest District Council. Mr Brown's bid to quash a conviction for non-compliance was dismissed at Southampton Crown Court. BBC (Michael Meadowcroft) Each entry that appears in the New Statesman receives a £5 book token. Send your entries to comp@ [See also: This England: One previous owner] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
Scotsman
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
13 retro snacks every 80s child wanted in their lunch box at school
These were the tastes of the 80s for schoolchildren everywhere Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... These were the snacks and drinks every child wanted to find in their school lunch box during the 1980s Their popularity was boosted by some memorable advertising campaigns Some have been discontinued, while others have made a comeback following campaigns by fans who missed them If you were a child of the 1980s who took a packed lunch to school there were some snacks which would make you the envy of all your classmates. Below are some of the retro 80s drinks, crisps and chocolate biscuits every schoolchild wanted to find in their lunchbox back then, alongside their sandwiches and fruit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 54321 bars These chocolate bars were named after the five key ingredients they contained - wafer, fondant, rice crispies, caramel and milk chocolate. They are also remembered by many for the advert, featuring the Manfred Mann song 5-4-3-2-1 and in an early version the comedian Rik Mayall. 54321 bars were sadly discontinued in 1989. Panda Pops This range of brightly coloured fizzy drinks was popular with children for many years. Flavours included blue raspberryade, which was guaranteed to turn your tongue a vivid blue, cherryade and strawberry jelly & ice cream. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Panda Pops were eventually axed in 2011 following pressure from health campaigners over the high sugar content. Club biscuits For many children of the 80s, these cream-filled, chocolate covered biscuit bars will forever be associated with the insanely catchy advertising jingle. All together now: 'If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit, join our club.' Everyone had a favourite flavour of the Jacob's/McVitie's biscuits, whether it was plain, orange, mint, coffee or one of the other many varities introduced over the years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Club biscuits remain popular today, with a new salted caramel flavour introduced in 2022. Kia-Ora Kia-Ora dates back to 1903, when it was first sold in Australia, but despite being available in the UK from 1917 it only really took off here in the 1970s and 80s. The drink's popularity was fuelled by the animated adverts featuring the jingle 'We all adore a Kia-Ora', though those adverts were later criticised for their use of racial stereotypes. Smiths Flavour 'n' Shake crisps Smiths Salt 'n' Shake is a classic crisp variety still made by Walkers today. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There's always been something strangely satisfying about having to do the work yourself, opening the sachet of salt and shaking the bag vigorously, even though it was never enough to evenly distribute said salt. Smiths really stepped things up in the 80s, with the introduction of Flavour 'n' Shake crisps, with flavourings including salt and vinegar, cheese and onion, smoky bacon and tomato ketchup. Um Bongo This popular tropical flavour fruit drink was first introduced in 1983 by Libby's, which at the time belonged to Nestlé. It was advertised for many years using the jingle 'Um Bongo, Um Bongo, they drink it in the Congo', though the reference to the Congo was later removed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The original recipe was famously altered in the noughties after new regulations were introduced restricting the use of sugar and artificial flavourings. But following complaints from many customers the original formula was reintroduced in 2009, originally as Um Bongo Tropical and then Classic Um Bongo. Golden Wonder Super Heroes crisps Golden Wonder was king of the crisps in the UK until it was overtaken by Walkers. In the 1980s, its popular varieties included the Super Heroes range, with web-shaped Spider-Man crisps and Superman ones in the shape of his famous 'S' logo. Golden Wonder crisps were advertised at the time as being 'Britain's noisiest crisp' with the best crunch factor. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Texan bars The Texan was a US-themed chocolate bar containing nougat and toffee which was popular in the UK during the 1970s and early 80s. The adverts featured a cartoon cowboy who would declare the Texan bar 'sure is a mighty chew'. It was withdrawn from sale in 1984 but after being named the UK's favourite sweet of all time in a 2004 survey, it was briefly revived by Nestlé the following year as a limited edition 'nostalgia' product. Marathon bar This popular peanut, nougat and caramel chocolate bar never went away but famously changed its name in the UK in 1990 to Snickers, as it had always been known elsewhere. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To children who grew up in the UK during the 80s, it will always be a Snickers bar. The maker Mars decided to cash in on the nostalgia, briefly introducing a retro Marathon version in UK supermarkets in 2019. United chocolate bar This was possibly the only chocolate biscuit bar to feature a football kit-inspired wrapper, with blue and white stripes. The chocolate coated biscuit with candy crisp was launched by McVitie's in 1979 and proved hugely popular during the 1980s before being discontinued during the early 1990s. Choc-Dips A hot air balloon pays homage to the popular KP Choc-Dips snack, introduced in 1982 |Choc-Dips first hit supermarket shelves in 1982 and the biscuit sticks with a chocolatey dipping sauce have proved a favourite with youngsters ever since. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But did you prefer the original milk chocolate version, the white chocolate variety or the old toffee version? Trio The Trio was another chocolate bar whose popularity was boosted by a memorable advertising campaign during the 80s. Those ads featured the cartoon character Suzy, who opened her chops improbably wide to belt out 'Trio, Trio, I want a Trio and I want one now', to the tune of Day-O (The Banana Boat Song). Trios, originally made by Jacob's, consisted of a biscuit base topped with toffee cream and covered in milk chocolate, in three snappable sections. Other versions contained chocolate and strawberry cream. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Trios were discontinued in 2003 but the original toffee version made a comeback in 2016, following a Facebook campaign. Fish 'n' Chips biscuits These fish-shaped savoury biscuits by Burton's were hugely popular during the 80s, when they featured in many school lunch boxes. The salt and vinegar flavoured snack, with its distinctive newspaper-style packaging, disappeared for many years before making a comeback in 2014.
