McVitie's Rich Tea

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I must admit to having a soft spot for McVities as you can always rely on them for top quality products. The digestive is the quintessential biscuit for dunking in tea and is a national treasure in the United Kingdom and another favourite for many people is the Rich Tea biscuit. It may be a plain old biscuit but there is just something about it.

Prince William and Kate Middleton famously had their wedding cake made out of Rich Tea biscuits last year.

I have many memories of McVities Rich Tea, including visits to my Grandparent's house and nibbling on them when I had been ill with a cold or when I just wanted to nibble on something.


A Little Bit of History

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McVities are owned by 'United Biscuits. The name is taken from the original sellers of the biscuit, 'McVitie & Price Ltd', who were established in nineteen thirty in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The original factory in Scotland was burned to the ground in a fire but rebuilt and operated until nineteen ten, when it moved to Harlsden in England. Another factory was built in nineteen seventeen in Manchester. The company still had strong Scottish links with Edinburgh bakery giants Simon Henderson and sons working with them from the nineteen twenties. In nineteen forty-eight they joined forces with MacFarlane Lang and Company, once again keeping their Scottish roots, and became known as the United Biscuits Group.

The digestive was the first biscuit produced by McVities and the first ever digestive to go full scale on the market. It was actually created by a relative nobody in terms of the trade and the company; a young lad, just finished his apprenticeship in eighteen ninety-two, who was named Alexander Grant. It became famous because of the rumour of its healing properties against indigestion.

The chocolate digestive would be dreamed up much later in nineteen twenty-five.

In two thousand and two, McVities would be rebranded as 'McV' but this was frowned upon by some of the bigwigs and although it lasted three years it was changed back to McVities. The famous logo would be restyled in two thousand and seven.

The brand is sold all over the world and last year it made the bold leap of selling in Japan to further heighten its already wealthy profits.

Prince William and Kate Middleton requested that McVities make their wedding came from McVities Rich Tea biscuits for their wedding reception. McVities agreed and made the cake from one thousand, seven hundred biscuits and seventeen kilos of chocolate.


Ingredients

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Rich Tea is known as a healthy biscuit like many of biscuits in the McVities brand. They contain fifty per cent less saturated fat than similar biscuits.

They Contain: Gluten, Wheat, Lactose and Milk for those who are conscious of allergenic information. They also contain soya for vegetarians.

The ingredients are as follows:

Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Malt Extract, Raising Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Bicarbonate), Salt, Dried Skimmed Milk.
Dietary Information: Suitable for Vegetarians. Contains Gluten. May Contain Milk. May Contain Soya\Soybeans. Free From Artificial Colours. Free From Artificial Flavours.


Who and When

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Rich Tea is well known as a compliment to a cup of tea or coffee. They are a thin biscuit, which makes them a little impractical for dunking as they can break easily.

You can also use a Rich Tea as a cracker. They are great with cheese or any number of spreads such as Philadelphia cheese.

They are also relatively cheap so do not break the budget. Rich Tea is a family biscuit and not bad for kids to a have a nibble without ruining their meals. Also a good healthy alternative to biscuits that are lathered in sugar or chocolate.


Final Thoughts

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I must admit that I do have a soft spot for McVities as they do make a quality biscuit. Digestives and Rich Tea are probably frowned upon as boring these days but they are still one of the best biscuits to dunk into your cup of tea if you are that way inclined and unlike many other biscuits are not filled with too many e-numbers and boat loads of sugar. Overall they are a definite winner for me.


© Lee Billingham