McVitie’s Releases Chocolate Flavor Rich Tea Biscuits

McVitie’s UK has announced the launch of a brand-new chocolate flavor of the iconic Rich Tea biscuit.

Available in Tesco stores across the country, “Rich Tea: The Cocoa One” is the same shape as the original, but with added cocoa flavoring.

Much like normal Rich Tea biscuits, the new flavor contains no animal products, meaning it can be considered “accidentally vegan.” Like most vegan-friendly biscuits sold in the UK, however, it only carries a vegetarian certification.

There are a number of reasons why some vegan products aren’t labeled as such, including risk of cross contamination during production (more on what “may contain milk” means here).

A selection of biscuits, including some vegan-friendly biscuits, on a UK supermarkets shelf — NearTheCoast.com / Alamy Stock Photo Rich Tea are among McVitie’s most popular biscuits

Accidentally vegan biscuits

Many iconic biscuits have always been free from animal products. Notable examples include Bourbons, Hobnob’s, Ginger Nuts, and Oreos. McVitie’s Digestives are also plant-based after a recipe update removed milk from them back in 2019.

Rich teas are a type of sweet biscuit that are commonly served alongside cups of tea. Their key ingredients are wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil, and malt extract. While a number of brands make rich tea biscuits, McVitie’s – which are sold under the brand name Rich Tea – are the most popular.

The company has been making Rich Tea biscuits since 1891, and they’re sold at most supermarkets in the UK. Unlike other popular McVitie’s brands, like Hobnobs and Digestives, there have been a very limited number of variations of Rich Tea. The brand has introduced a “light” version, which contains 30 percent less fat, but the new chocolate flavor is thought to be the first ever new Rich Tea flavor.