Jaffa Cakes

Jaffa Cakes were first produced by the British biscuit company McVitie & Price in 1927. McVitie & Price named them Jaffa Cakes after Jaffa oranges, a popular variety of orange in Britain at the time. According to the chef and food author J. P. McMahon, the reference to Jaffa oranges was chosen to evoke their sweet taste and Mediterranean origin. The name was not trademarked and has since become a generic term, allowing other manufacturers to create similar products under the same name. With the rationalisation of McVitie & Price's production throughout World War II, its range of biscuits fell from 370 to just 10 by 1945, and Jaffa Cakes stopped being produced. During this time, McVitie & Price collaborated closely with rival biscuit makers MacFarlane Lang, and the two companies merged in 1948 to form United Biscuits. During the 1950s, Jaffa Cakes were reintroduced and began to be mass produced, with more than 10,000 tins produced daily. In the 1970s, the company introduced a cartoon character called McV to advertise Jaffa Cakes to children. It was featured in TV advertisements with other cartoon characters including munchkins and in special promotions like tie-in T-shirts. Burton's Biscuits began selling a competing brand of Jaffa cakes in the early 1960s. The judge dismissed survey evidence presented by McVitie's and they lost the case. According to the ruling, the only distinctive element of their Jaffa Cakes packaging was the McVitie's logo, which Burton's had not copied. The design was more distinctive compared to the previous generic typeface and allowed McVitie's to trademark the logo. Later in 1991, Inland Revenue challenged Jaffa cakes' legal status as a VAT-free cake, arguing that they were marketed as chocolate-covered biscuits and should therefore be subject to VAT. The tribunal ruled that Jaffa cakes were legally cakes. and famously argued that cakes harden as they go stale while biscuits go soft. The judge also listed multiple other considerations. == McVitie's Jaffa Cakes ==

Manufacture McVitie's entire line of Jaffa Cakes are produced at the McVitie's factory in Stockport. The Jaffa Cake production area covers an acre () and includes a production line over a mile () long. Flavour variants Although Jaffa Cakes are usually orange flavour, limited edition flavours have been available, such as lemon-and-lime, strawberry and blackcurrant. McVities launched limited-edition pineapple flavour Jaffa Cakes in early 2020. In early 2021, McVitie's unveiled the new flavours cherry and passionfruit. In mid 2023, McVitie's launched Raspberry flavour Jaffa Cakes. In June 2024, McVitie's launched Cola Bottle flavour Jaffa Cakes. In January 2026 McVitie's launched Hot Honey and Yuzu Lemon Flavour Variants. Advertising In 2021 McVitie & Price launched a £4.7 million advertising and social media campaign to promote the brand. Its recent advertising stresses the product's identity as a cake. For instance, a 2024 billboard says "Stand here if you think it's a cake" on one side and "Stand here if you're an idiot" on the other side. == Classification and taxation ==

In the United Kingdom, value added tax (VAT) is payable on chocolate-covered biscuits, but not on cakes of any kind. When VAT was introduced in 1973, Jaffa Cakes were treated as cakes for the purpose of VAT, but this classification was challenged by HM Customs and Excise in 1991 who argued that Jaffa Cakes should be taxed as chocolate-covered biscuits. The ruling was based on the following criteria: The tribunal has been viewed by tax experts as an example of the complexity and market distortions arising from multiple tax levels and the use of ambiguous categories. It has been cited as an example of expensive litigation resulting from different tax rates for similar products. It spawned further legal disputes, in particular Marks & Spencer argued that it should be refunded VAT it paid on its chocolate teacakes. By contrast, Cristian Constantinescu argues the question is indeterminate, and Tim Juvshik states that their classification is a matter of stipulation and social convention. Roy Sorensen cites the case as an example of vagueness forcing judges to answer unanswerable questions. Others argue that a binary dichotomy is problematic and Jaffa Cakes are neither cake nor biscuit, but something in-between. The Irish Revenue Commissioners also classify Jaffa Cakes as cakes, since their moisture content is greater than 12%. As a result, they are charged the reduced rate of VAT (13.5% ). ==Other brands==

United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, McVitie's is the largest brand of Jaffa Cakes. According to a 2019 report by The Grocer, almost one third of households in the UK buy McVitie's Jaffa Cakes each year. As of 2023, they produce 1.4 billion Jaffa Cakes each year. However, McVitie's faces competition from other brand names and supermarket own brand products. Burton's has produced Jaffa cakes under a variety of brands since the 1990s. Under license from Coca-Cola Schweppes, they began producing a Kia-Ora branded version of Jaffa cakes in 1996 in an attempt to win market share from McVitie's, which then held over half of the Jaffa cake market according to Nielsen. With a revamp of their Lyons brand in 2012, Burton's began selling Lyons Jaffa Cakes. Bahlsen released a "Messino" brand of oblong-shaped Jaffa Cakes in 2009; they were branded as a more luxury, upmarket version of Jaffa Cakes. They were rebranded "Luxury Jaffa Cakes" in 2019. Europe In 1969, the Finnish company Fazer launched its own brand of Jaffa biscuits. They were sold to Danone as a part of a sub-brand of LU in the 1990s and then to Mondelez before being re-acquired by Fazer in 2016. As of 2023, Mondelez continues to produce LU branded '''PiM's cakes in the Benelux region. Mondelez has also produced these cakes under the names Čokopiškoty''' and Milka Choco Jaffa. Another brand, Delicje, by the confectionary company E. Wedel, began production in 1976 in Poland. , the Delicje brand belongs to Mondelez International. Under a licensing deal with McVitie's, Jaffa Crvenka was provided access to a United Biscuits factory in February 1975 to gain the technical knowledge to produce Jaffa cakes in a newly built factory in Yugoslavia. Production began later in the year and the Jaffa cakes became available in 1976. The brand contines to sell Jaffa Cakes in Serbia. North America In the United States, Aldi has sold Jaffa Cakes during its yearly "German Week" before 2025 and as a permanent item under its Benton's brand since then. ==See also==