McVitie’s has launched a limited-edition white chocolate version of its classic Jaffa Cakes.
In an announcement on Thursday 28 April, the British biscuit maker said it had listened to “years of requests” for white chocolate Jaffa Cakes.
While the sweet treats are not available to buy, fans can get their hands on a pack by entering a competition on Instagram.
This involves liking a post, tagging “a fellow Jaffanatic” and following the McVitie’s page between now and Monday 2 May. Winners will be drawn on 3 May.
There are just 40 packs up for grabs, and each pack contains two white chocolate Jaffa Cakes.
Alice Jamieson, brand manager at McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes commented: “The Jaffanatics spoke, and we listened.
“We couldn’t be more excited to launch this competition and offer forty lucky Jaffanatics the chance to see their Jaffa dreams come true and be the first to try our limited-edition White Chocolate Jaffa Cakes.”
The news has been welcomed by Jaffa Cake fans on social media.
“The product creator needs a big raise [because] this is talking my language!” one person wrote on Twitter.
Another said: “Omg my prayers have been answered.”
When asked by The Independent, McVitie’s did not disclose whether it plans to bring White Chocolate Jaffa Cakes to stores, but teased the possibility.
“The McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes team are always listening to their fans and coming up with tasty twists and exciting new flavour combinations, so keep your eyes peeled for new products, designed to get your tastebuds tingling,” a spokesperson said.
While it is the first time McVitie’s has changed the chocolate coating on its Jaffa Cakes, it has previously launched variations containing different flavoured jelly.
Aside from the original orange flavour, it also sells Jaffa Cakes filled with cherry, blackcurrant, and lemon and lime.
First launched in the UK in 1927, Jaffa Cakes get their name from Jaffa Oranges – a variety of orange with few seeds that originated in Palestine.
The public has long debated over whether the Jaffa Cake is a biscuit or cake as it is softer than a traditional biscuit but is smaller than a traditional cake, and is often stocked among biscuits in supermarkets.
The product’s classification was the subject of a VAT tribunal in 1991. In the UK, manufacturers must pay value added tax on chocolate covered biscuits, but not on chocolate covered cakes.
This is because chocolate covered cakes are regarded as a luxury.
The court ruled in favour of McVitie’s, finding that Jaffa Cakes are cakes, not biscuits.
