McVitie’s began in 1830 when a Scottish apprentice baker named Robert McVitie established his successful bakery business. Today, 160 years later, McVitie’s continues to remain a firm favourite and is among the best-known brands in the United Kingdom. It is also present in over 100 countries around the world.
McVitie’s Digestives, Go Ahead and Hobnobs are just a few of the popular products.
All about McVitie’s
1888
In 1875 Charles Price joined the firm. Over the next 13 years he helped grow the brand into a household name known as McVitie & Price. It became apparent that the growing demand for these baked goods was becoming too great, so he opened a new factory in the suburbs of Edinburgh in 1888.
The first McVitie’s & Price factory in Edinburgh
1925
McVitie’s first foray into the blending of biscuit and chocolate resulted in the Homewheat Chocolate Digestive brand (now simply known as McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives) in 1925. Even in the early days, the caring touch of the biscuits preparation was obvious.
Preparing chocolate by hand in the Harlesden factory
1927
McVitie & Price introduced the Jaffa Cake in 1927. It contained a simple combination of sugar and tangerine oil to form the sealed layer of jam. The cakes were named after the Jaffa oranges which flavour the zesty centre of the cake. Despite a challenge by Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise that a Jaffa Cake is a biscuit and therefore subject to VAT, McVitie’s successfully proved to the courts that a Jaffa Cake is indeed a cake, and it is still VAT free to this day.
The Jaffa Cake: Cake or biscuits?
1947
In 1947 McVitie & Price made the wedding cake for Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. It stood over 2.5 metres tall. With post-war food rationing still in place ingredients were sent as wedding presents from overseas. Pieces of cake were later distributed to school children and institutions.
The official wedding cake, made by McVitie & Price, stood over 2.5 metres tall
2018
To guide us into 2018, March sees the beginning of a complete relaunch for the brand under a new campaign, Sweeter Together. Brought to life through a rich new animated world, and told through modern fables, this campaign aims to show that the small act of sharing a biscuit can have a big impact to bring us closer together.
McVitie’s Sweeter Together