McVitie’s has quietly just launched a brand-new “twist” on one of the most classic British biscuits of all time.
And shoppers have been pretty surprised by the news.
Given that new product launches tend to be something that shops, companies, and food manufacturers shout about from the rooftops whenever they get the chance to, you can probably understand why Tesco customers have been left so shocked after spotting what is a seemingly brand-new biscuit on shop shelves.
In the absence of what appears to be any prior reference or teasing of the product at all, McVitie’s has just dropped a new cocoa-flavoured variation on the humble Rich Tea biscuit, and they can only be found in Tesco.
People have been taking to social media to share their sightings of the new choccy biccie at their local stores this week – including popular UK food-spotting accounts like @newfoodsuk and @newfoodfindsuk.
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Shocked shoppers have spotted a new ‘twist’ on a classic British biscuit on supermarket shelves / Credit: The Manc Group
At this point, it’s quite tricky to give you much more information on the new chocolate treat, other than the fact it… exists.
That’s because a quick Google search for the biscuit’s apparent name, ‘McVitie’s Rich Tea: The Cocoa One’, provides next to nothing on what the product is all about, and it doesn’t seem to be listed on Tesco’s website yet either, which probably means you can only get your hands on them if you actually shop in store.
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Also, when we nipped to the little Tesco Express next to The Manc office earlier today to see if we could find them, we sadly came away empty-handed* (read to the end of the article to see what we did find instead though), so we imagine they’re just hiding inside the bigger stores or Tesco Extra stores for the time being.
Just from the pictures and videos shared by shoppers online though, what we do know is that the new product must be distinguished from the already-existing popular milk chocolate-coated Rich Teas – which have been a mainstay on UK shop shelves for several years now – as there’s no actual chocolate layer on these ones.
Instead, the biscuit itself is cocoa-flavoured, so it’s basically everything you know and love about the Rich Tea, only chocolate-ier (if that’s a word).
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“A cocoa twist on the classic” is how McVitie’s have described it on the branding.
We can also see that, as mentioned, the new biscuits are exclusive to Tesco at the moment, where a pack will set you back £1.25 each with a Clubcard or £1.80 without.
We bet they’ll be rolled out in other supermarkets and shops sometime in the near future though, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled.
* While we may not have got our hands on a packet of the new McVitie’s Rich Tea: The Cocoa One, we were pretty chuffed to walk away with a bar of the new and now-viral Cadbury Top Deck instead – which grabbed headlines earlier this week as it’s been resurrected from the 90s, and is now on sale at Tesco for the Clubcard price of £1.25.
** Correction – we ended up finding the biscuits in the slightly-bigger Tesco store on Market Street in Manchester city centre instead… what a day.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Shopping
The UK’s cheapest supermarket of 2024 has been revealed
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has been named as the cheapest supermarket of the year in 2024, according to Which? research.
You may remember that at the start of each year, Which? usually releases a list of which UK supermarkets our money went the furthest in over the previous year, and 2024 is absolutely no different, as the consumer choice company has revealed that Aldi shoppers saved the most money overall.
Each month during 2024, Which? tracked thousands of grocery prices across eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets to find out how much each shop was charging for everyday items.
The analysis was based off a basket of 56 basic items, with both branded and own-brand items such as Birds Eye Peas, Hovis bread, milk, and butter being used, and included special offer prices and loyalty prices where applicable, but not multi-buys.
Aldi has been named as the cheapest supermarket of the year in 2024 / Credit: Simon Hadley (via Aldi UK)
Aldi took the top spot over rivals Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.
The budget retailer was found to be the cheapest supermarket for all 12 months of the year, with the research finding that shoppers who stocked up there would have saved £393 on average, compared to the most expensive alternative, over the course of the year.
The results for the final month of the year in December showed that a shopping list of 56 groceries would’ve set shoppers back £100.29, on average, at Aldi.
Unsurprisingly, on the other end of the spectrum, Waitrose came out as the most expensive, as it was £29.54 pricier than Aldi in December.
It was therefore found to be the most expensive supermarket every month throughout 2024 for the smaller shop.
Each month, Which? also compares the cost of a larger trolley of more than 150 items, and does not include discounter supermarkets Aldi and Lidl in this, as they do not always stock some of these products.
Asda was the cheapest supermarket for a larger trolley for nine months of the year, but it has been faced strong challenge from Tesco Clubcard prices.
Featured Image – Aldi
Shopping
Tesco reveals what the UK’s most popular meal deal was in 2024
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has officially revealed what the UK’s most popular meal deal combination was in 2024, and some newbies have taken the top spots.
We all know meal deals are a classic lunch option for hungry office workers and for those looking for something quick to grab on the go, and it’s fair to say Tesco’s is one of the most popular on the market – but which combination was the most popular over the past 12 months? Which meal deal was the most commonly-picked from supermarket shelves in 2024?
Well, after two years of the same three options claiming the top spots on each of the main, snack, and drinks list, we have some new picks topping the charts.
Tesco has revealed what the UK’s most popular meal deal was in 2024 / Credit: The Manc Group
For the past two years, the Tesco Sausage Bacon & Egg Triple, and the McCoy’s Flame Grilled Steak ‘Grab Bag’ Crisps have come out on top as the most popular main and snack, but for 2024, the supermarket retailer has revealed that the nation’s favourite meal deal combination was the Tesco Chicken Club Sandwich for main, and the Tesco Egg Protein Pot as the snack.
Once again, Coca-Cola (500ml) took the title as the nation’s favourite meal deal drink, just as it has done in both 2022 and 2023.
The meal deal statistics for 2024 were revealed as part of Tesco’s annual ‘Clubcard Unpacked’ series, which is basically like ‘Spotify Wrapped’, but for Clubcard customers.
It gives the supermarket’s loyalty card members a unique insight into what they shopped for and how much they saved over the last year.
The meal deal statistics for 2024 were revealed as part of Tesco’s annual ‘Clubcard Unpacked’ series / Credit: Tesco
The series also gives Clubcard holders the chance to find out what their personal favourite meal deal combination was in 2024, and see how that compares to the rest of the nation.
You’ll just need to open your Tesco Clubcard app on your mobile to find out, or you can head to the Tesco website here and login to your account.
Results are available from today (6 January) for a limited time only.
As well as getting to find out their own most-bought meal deal items, this year’s video also shows Clubcard members further insights into how they shopped at Tesco last year – from their most frequently-purchased products, to how many points they saved and spent.
Emily Sergeant -
20th June 2024 
