19/06/2026
- A popular snack with many people are Jaffa Cakes. They were introduced in 1927 by McVitie and Price. The name is taken from Jaffa Oranges, which were very popular in the 1920s. They brought the exotic taste of the sunny Mediterranean to Britain. These small Genoise Sponge discs contain orange jelly covered in dark chocolate. The original recipe used Apricot Jam and the strong flavour of Tangerine Oil. Sadly it was never trade marked so it was often made by other manufacturers. In WW2 their manufacture ceased. In 1948 McVitie and Price merged with MacFarlane Lang to become United Biscuits. In the 1950s, Jaffa Cakes were back on the shelves, with over 10,000 tins produced daily. Branding improved in the 1960s and by the 1970s the cartoon character, McV, was introduced to promote the brand with children. One stand out advert was Victor Spinetti playing the Mexican Bandit and Jaffa Cake thief. One of the biggest arguments was always, is it a Cake or a Biscuit? In 1991, it was a VAT Tribunal that announced it was definitely a Cake. To back this up, a 12 inch Jaffa Cake was made and it was pointed out, Cakes go hard when stale. Biscuits go soft. In 1994, a new orange peel logo allowed McVities to finally trademark the logo. In more recent years, Jaffa Cake Bars have been produced, along with mini Jaffa Cakes in many flavours. These include Lemon and Lime, Blackcurrant, Strawberry, Pineapple, Cherry and Passion Fruit, and even Cola Bottle Flavour. Today they continue to be popular and are still produced in a large factory in Stockport. Do you like Jaffa Cakes?
