United Biscuits Launches 'Spooktacular' New Halloween Range

United Biscuits (UB), the leading international manufacturer of biscuits, snacks and cakes, is tapping into the booming Halloween market by launching the ideal accompaniment for Halloween parties – perfect for trick or treaters this season. It has unveiled its first ever mixed McVitie's sharing carton, consisting of two themed Jaffa Cake Bars in a fun 'Trick or Treat House' pack.

Inspired by its American influence, Halloween is going from strength to strength to become the third most significant event in the UK retail calendar. Now worth more than £300m*, it falls only behind Christmas and Easter, and UB's new novelty sharing pack is expected to be a big hit with consumers.

The McVitie's Cake Company is also bringing back its McVitie's Halloween Jaffa Cake Bars, with a new pack design, in 'Spooky Zingy Orange' flavor and a revamped variation, now named 'Scary Lemon & Slime'. The latter will have a new recipe this season, replacing the previous white sponge with a chocolate sponge, topped with a zingy lemon and lime jam, covered in dark crackly chocolate.

UB has invested in the new look Halloween packaging as part of its broader Masterbrand strategy, strongly incorporating McVitie's branding on-pack. The range aims to tap into the key seasonal trend which is expected to see an overall rise in sales by 12.5 per cent this year, with UB forecasting a retail sales value for its sharing cakes of over £1m.

The McVitie's 'Scary' and 'Spooky' Jaffa Cake Bars will be sold in packs of five and the Trick or Treat House will contain a total of 14 bars, providing consumers with a tempting snack that they can save or share with friends this Halloween.

Claire Hooper, Senior Brand Manager at McVitie's Cake Company commented: "As a retail moment, there are signs that Halloween is getting bigger each year. Only a decade ago, consumer spending on Halloween constituted just £12m and now the industry is worth more than £300m*, with sharable sweet treats being a key growth driver within the market. This represents a major opportunity for cakes and we are confident our new range will tick many boxes as a fun and tasty snack, perfect for sharing and helping people get into the spooky seasonal spirit!"

ENDS

*Kantar Worldpanel

Summary of Jaffa Halloween Cakes availability

McVitie's Jaffa Halloween Trick or Treat Sharing Carton

MRRP: £2.50

McVitie's Jaffa Spooky Orange Cake Bar

MRRP: £1.00

McVitie's Jaffa Scary Lemon & Slime Cake

MRRP: £1.00

For further press information contact the team at 3 Monkeys Communications:

Tel: 020 7009 3100

Email: ubtrade@3-monkeys.co.uk

About United Biscuits

United Biscuits (UB) is a leading international biscuit manufacturer whose baking heritage goes back generations, with many recipes passed down since the 1800s. UB bakes some of the best loved sweet and savoury biscuits and cakes that are household names in their respective markets; supported by a strong culture of innovation to continually develop snack brands. Among UB's popular brand names are McVitie's, Penguin, go ahead!, McVitie's Jaffa Cakes, Jacob's, Jacob's Cream Crackers, Twiglets, Mini Cheddars and Carr's in the UK, BN, Delacre, Verkade and Sultana in Continental Europe and Haansbro in Nigeria.

As the leading manufacturer and marketer of biscuits in the UK and second largest in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Ireland, the company owns and operates 16 manufacturing facilities, of which seven are in the UK and has a strong footprint for growth, with products sold in over 130 countries.

UB is owned by Yildiz Holding – Owner of the master brands Ülker, McVitie's and Godiva, Yildiz is a global, snacking focused food company with over 320 brands in 49 different categories. With 72 factories in 14 countries, the company exports to 100+ countries and operates in a geography housing around 4 billion people. Yildiz is the world's 3rd largest biscuits company and employs 46,000 people around the world. https://english.yildizholding.com.tr/