Latest news with #biscuitdebate
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
McVitie's issues biscuit museum with warning over long-running Jaffa Cake debate
McVitie's has issued the UK's top biscuit museum with a warning that sets the record straight in a long-running controversial debate over one of its favourite treats. London's biscuit museum, which is officially called the Peek Freans Museum, unveiled an exhibition dedicated to McVitie's Jaffa Cakes on Monday. But the Bermondsey-based museum said it has since received a letter from the company pointing out a key detail that they have got wrong. In a post on Instagram, Peek Freans Museum announced the 'disappointing' news that McVitie's Jaffa Cakes have asked them 'to remove our latest addition to the biscuit museum due to misclassification'. The question of whether a Jaffa Cake is a cake or a biscuit has long been one of the UK's hotly-contested debates, sparking social media spats and dividing households. Even though Jaffa Cakes can be found in the biscuit aisle of the country's supermarkets, McVitie's has always maintained that Jaffa Cakes are, by definition, cakes, not biscuits. The company's latest warning serves to remind fans, and museums, of the official status of the treat. 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 explain: 'Cakes harden when stale. Biscuits go soft.' The exhibition has temporarily been removed, according to its curator – but McVitie's and the museum are yet to agree to a long-term solution. 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.' 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.'
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Crumbs! Biscuit museum's Jaffa Cake display reignites old debate
It could be described as a storm in a teacup but the humble Jaffa Cake is once again at the centre of controversy after McVitie's asked a biscuit museum to pull the snack from a display. The manufacturer took issue with the orangey treat being showcased in a museum devoted to biscuits because, for VAT purposes anyway, it is officially a cake. This fact was settled long ago in a legal battle with the taxman. The David and Goliath-style row – which some suggested had been orchestrated by McVitie's to boost sales – has reignited the debate. Days after the biscuit museum in Bermondsey, south London, unveiled the display, McVitie's sent it a cease-and-desist-style letter requesting 'the immediate removal of Jaffa Cakes from your biscuit exhibit'. However, it sought to sweeten the pill by diluting the legalise with biscuit-based puns. 'We write to you today, not with crumbs of animosity, but with a full slice of firm objection,' it says. 'Allow us to be clear: Jaffa Cakes are, in fact, cakes. Some would say the clue is in the name on the box.' McVitie's and the biscuit museum, officially called the Peek Frean Museum, said they were yet to agree on a resolution. The museum's curator, Gary Magold, said, 'It's a shame – we've had to remove the exhibition for the moment. We're hoping we can reach an agreement.' The subtleties of the 'is it a cake or biscuit?' debate have likely filled many a tea break but the tax law is clear: biscuits are zero-rated, but as soon as the makers start covering them with chocolate they attract 20% VAT. This was at the heart of the Jaffa Cakes case, which came to a head in 1991. HM Customs & Excise (the predecessor of HMRC) said they were biscuits, and that their chocolatey topping was taxable. The manufacturer McVitie's insisted they were cakes, which are zero-rated. It won, and those smashing orangey bits can be enjoyed tax-free. This week's skirmish lit up social media message boards. One poster tried to shut the debate down, stating: 'A biscuit goes soft when you leave it out. A cake goes hard. There's your answer.' Others questioned whether there was a darker subtext. 'They just want to hide how much the thing have [sic] shrunk – shrinkflation strikes again.' In recent years Jaffa Cake fans have faced diminishing returns. Not only has the number in the box reduced but two years ago the 'cakes' shrank in size from 5.5cm to 5cm across. The orange bump became smaller, too.
Yahoo
a day 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
2 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.'
