McVitie's facts for kids
The McVitie's logo as updated in 2005
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Confectionery |
| Founded | 1830 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Founder | Robert McVitie |
| Headquarters | |
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Area served
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UK, India, Italy, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the Netherlands, Israel, Egypt, Sweden |
| Parent | Pladis |
McVitie's is a very famous British snack food brand. It is owned by a company called United Biscuits. The name comes from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Ltd. This company started way back in 1830. It began on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Over the years, the company moved to different places in Edinburgh. In 1888, they opened a big factory called St. Andrews Biscuit Works. This factory was in the Gorgie area. McVitie's also built factories in Glasgow and two large ones in England. These were in Heaton Chapel, Stockport, and Park Royal, London. Today, there are seven McVitie's factories in the UK. Each factory makes different kinds of biscuits. For example, the Harlesden factory in London makes the popular chocolate digestives.
McVitie's has a special honour called a Royal Warrant. This means they were chosen by Queen Elizabeth II to supply products to the Royal Household. McVitie's is the best-selling biscuit maker in the United Kingdom. They make well-known treats like Jaffa Cakes, chocolate digestives, Hobnobs, and Rich tea biscuits. In 2020, McVitie's sold five times more biscuits than their next two biggest competitors in the UK.
Contents
The History of McVitie's
How McVitie's Started
Robert McVitie was born in Dumfries in 1809. He learned how to be a baker. In 1834, he moved to Edinburgh. He started his first shop at 130 Rose Street. In 1835, he moved to the shop next door at 129 Rose Street. It was called a "provision shop," selling food and supplies.
By 1843, Robert opened a second shop. This one was at 14 Charlotte Place. In 1856, McVitie's was first called a "baker and confectioner." This means they made baked goods and sweets. The bakery was in the basement of the shop. Over the years, the bakery moved to different locations.
In 1875, the business grew even more. They opened shops at 23 and 24 Queensferry Street. In 1881, Robert's oldest son, also named Robert, took charge of the Queensferry Street business. In 1887, they hired Alexander Grant. He was an experienced biscuit maker from Forres. Grant became the foreman of the bakery. He later left to start his own bakery, but it didn't work out. So, he returned to McVitie's.
In the late 1800s, the company decided to split its operations. The retail shops became a separate company. In 1898, this company was renamed McVities, Guest and Co. This happened when Robert joined with his brother-in-law, Edward Graham Guest. In 1903, they built the McVities Guest Tearoom. It was located at 135/136 Princes Street.
McVitie & Price: A New Partnership
In 1875, Charles Edward Price joined the company as a salesman. He was very good at his job. Because of his success, he became a partner in 1888. This led to the creation of McVitie & Price. In 1888, they built the huge St Andrews Biscuit Works. This factory was in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh. Price left the company in 1910 after Robert McVitie passed away.
In 1891, a salesman named George Andrews Brown suggested a change. He convinced the company to make their Rich Tea biscuit smaller. This was to suit the tastes of people in London. The original Gorgie factory burned down in 1894. But it was quickly rebuilt that same year. The new factory was much more advanced. It continued to operate until 1969. After that, production moved to the English factories. These factories were in Harlesden (built in 1902) and Manchester (built in 1914). The Harlesden factory is the largest biscuit factory in the UK.
Robert McVitie died in 1910. After his death, McVitie & Price Limited became a joint-stock company in 1911. Alexander Grant became the managing director and main shareholder. The company also bought another bakery in Edinburgh in 1922.
Joining the United Biscuits Group
In 1948, McVitie & Price joined with another Scottish bakery company. This company was Macfarlane, Lang & Co., Ltd. Together, they became the United Biscuits Group. Today, McVitie's products are made in five factories in the United Kingdom. Two are the old McVitie & Price factories in Harlesden and Stockport. One is the old Macfarlane, Lang & Co. factory in Glasgow. Another is a former Carr's factory in Carlisle. The last one is the McVitie's Cake Co. factory in Halifax.
The first major biscuit from McVitie & Price was the McVitie's digestive. It was created in 1892 by Alexander Grant. The biscuit got its name because people thought its baking soda helped with food digestion. Grant later became the managing director of the company. He was also a big supporter of the National Library of Scotland. He gave a lot of money to help build it.
In 1924, Ramsay MacDonald was the prime minister of Britain. He shared that Alexander Grant had given him a car and shares in McVitie's. Grant and MacDonald were childhood friends. Soon after, Grant received a special honour called a baronetcy (a type of knighthood) from the prime minister.
The McVitie's Chocolate Homewheat Digestive was created in 1925. More than 71 million packets of McVitie's chocolate digestives are eaten in the UK each year. That's about 52 biscuits every second! Hobnobs were launched in 1985. A milk chocolate version came out in 1987. Jaffa Cakes were launched in 1927. In 2012, they were the best-selling cake or biscuit in the UK.
McVitie's Today
Some McVitie's products were briefly rebranded as McV in 2002. But in 2005, they went back to a new version of the McVitie's brand logo. In 2007, United Biscuits allowed a Japanese company to make McVitie's biscuits in Japan.
In 2009, McVitie's biscuits were voted the most popular for dunking in tea. McVitie's chocolate digestives, Rich tea, and Hobnobs were the top three favourite biscuits.
In 2014, McVitie's announced some changes at their Stockport factory. They planned to update how they work. In November 2014, United Biscuits (and McVitie's) became owned by a Turkish company called Yildiz. In 2016, Yildiz combined some of its companies, including United Biscuits, into a new company called pladis.
In 2020, McVitie's biscuit sales in the UK were much higher than their closest rivals. In 2022, McVitie's became a main sponsor of Britain's Got Talent. In 2023, McVitie's also sponsored the English football club Hull City.
Royal Wedding Cakes
McVitie's is famous for its biscuits, but they also made special cakes! In 1893, McVitie's was asked to create a wedding cake for a royal wedding. This was for Prince George and Princess Mary. They later became King George V and Queen Mary. This cake was over 7 feet (2 metres) tall! It cost a lot of money and was seen by 14,000 people. This was great publicity for the company. They received many requests to make cakes for other royal weddings and christenings.
In 1947, McVitie & Price made the main wedding cake for Princess Elizabeth. She later became Queen Elizabeth II. This cake was served at her wedding breakfast. McVitie's was also asked to make a chocolate biscuit cake for the 2011 Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. This was a special cake for the groom.
McVitie's Products
Biscuits
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- Abbey Crunch
- All Butter Shortbread
- BN
- Chocolate Digestives
- Club Biscuits
- Cookies, including Boasters
- Deli Choc
- Digestives
- Digestives Lights
- Fig Roll
- Fruit shortcake
- Ginger Nuts
- Gold Bar
- Hobnobs
- Iced Gems
- Marie finger biscuit
- Minis
- Penguin
- Rich Tea
- Tasties
- Taxi
- Trio
- United (no longer made)
- V.I.Bs (Very Important Biscuits)
Cakes
- Carrot Cake
- Fruit cake
- Jaffa Cakes
- Jamaica Ginger Cake
- Lemon Cake
- Lyle's Golden Syrup Cake
- Mini Rolls
- Moments Brownies
- Tunis Cake
- Waffles
Other Snacks
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- Breakfast
- Cheddars
- Cracker Crisps
- Blissfills
- Digestive Thins
- Family Circle
- Krackawheats
- McVities Digestive Slices
- Minis
- Mini Cheddars
- Nibbles (Digestive and Hobnob types)
- Victoria Biscuit Selection
See also
In Spanish: McVitie's para niños
- Burton's Foods
- Fox's Biscuits
- Jacob Fruitfield Food Group
- Huntley & Palmers
- Sunshine Biscuits (Australia), a company that makes McVitie's biscuits under license
