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McVitie's Rich Tea: The Cocoa One

Adriana Motta
Feb 28, 2024
1 min read

A chocolate-infused variant of McVitie's classic Rich Tea biscuit, featuring the traditional light, crisp texture but with added cocoa in the biscuit dough for a subtle chocolate flavour that complements the original's simplicity.

Product innovation

The new product presents the reformulation of the classic Rich Tea recipe to incorporate cocoa while maintaining the distinctive light texture and snap that defines the original version. The development required precision adjustments to the baking process to accommodate cocoa's different baking properties while preserving the characteristic crisp texture.

Round cocoa biscuit with a bite, on a brown background. Text: "The Newest Cocoa Classic" and "Perfect for Dunking."

The new flavour addresses the consumers desire for familiar favorites with new flavour variations. Its competitive advantage comes from leveraging the strong heritage and recognition of the Rich Tea brand while offering a new taste experience.

The subtle chocolate flavour broadens the appeal to chocolate lovers without alienating traditional Rich Tea enthusiasts.

Development

The concept was developed in response to consumer insights showing interest in chocolate variants of classic biscuits. McVitie's conducted extensive consumer testing to determine the optimal cocoa level that would enhance the biscuit without overwhelming its essential character.

McVitie's Rich Tea Cocoa biscuits in blue and brown packaging, labeled "The Cocoa One" and "Deliciously Dunkable" against a brown backdrop.

Trend

According to Mintel's 2023 Snacking Report, 76% of UK consumers report enjoying classic products with new flavour twists. The product aligns with what NielsenIQ identifies as the "comfort innovation" trend, familiar products with novel elements.

Kantar research indicates that chocolate biscuit sales grew by 5.2% in 2023, outperforming the overall biscuit category, which saw 2.8% growth.