Penguin (biscuit)
Encyclopedia
Penguin biscuits are milk chocolate-covered biscuit bars filled with chocolate cream. They are produced by United Biscuits manufacturing division, McVitie's
. The Tim Tam
produced by Arnott's in Australia was based on the Penguin. Occasional media references include tongue in cheek debates over which is the superior biscuit.
They were first produced in 1932 by William McDonald, a biscuit manufacturer in Glasgow, and became a McVitie’s brand when McDonald joined with McVitie’s and Price, MacFarlane Lang & Co and Crawford to form United Biscuits in 1946.
Each wrapper has a joke or "funny fact" printed on it and imaginative, often humorous designs featuring penguins that often pastiche famous works of art.
Penguins have been the subject of a court case between Asda
and United Biscuits who accused Asda of passing off their own brand "Puffin" biscuits as part of the Penguin brand. The court found in favour of United Biscuits regarding passing off, but found that Asda had not infringed the Penguin trademark. United Biscuits itself has been criticised for continuing to use trans fatty acids
in the cream filling of Penguins. By 2007 United Biscuits began to advertise the absence of trans fats from the penguin, having removed the ingredient from this product line.
Penguin's famous slogan of "P-p-p-pick up a Penguin!" with its recognisable signature stuttering effect has often been imitated in the media.
Asda make the similar Puffin brand and Sainsbury's an almost identical biscuit called the Polar Bear.
McVitie's
McVitie's is a snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The firm moved to various sites in the city before completing the St...
. The Tim Tam
Tim Tam
Tim Tam is a brand of chocolate biscuit currently manufactured by Arnott's in Australia. A Tim Tam is composed of two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, separated by a light chocolate cream filling, and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate....
produced by Arnott's in Australia was based on the Penguin. Occasional media references include tongue in cheek debates over which is the superior biscuit.
They were first produced in 1932 by William McDonald, a biscuit manufacturer in Glasgow, and became a McVitie’s brand when McDonald joined with McVitie’s and Price, MacFarlane Lang & Co and Crawford to form United Biscuits in 1946.
Each wrapper has a joke or "funny fact" printed on it and imaginative, often humorous designs featuring penguins that often pastiche famous works of art.
Penguins have been the subject of a court case between Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
and United Biscuits who accused Asda of passing off their own brand "Puffin" biscuits as part of the Penguin brand. The court found in favour of United Biscuits regarding passing off, but found that Asda had not infringed the Penguin trademark. United Biscuits itself has been criticised for continuing to use trans fatty acids
Trans fat
Trans fat is the common name for unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acid. Because the term refers to the configuration of a double carbon-carbon bond, trans fats are sometimes monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, but never saturated....
in the cream filling of Penguins. By 2007 United Biscuits began to advertise the absence of trans fats from the penguin, having removed the ingredient from this product line.
Penguin's famous slogan of "P-p-p-pick up a Penguin!" with its recognisable signature stuttering effect has often been imitated in the media.
Spin-off brands
In 2003, McVitie's produced several "sub-brands" or variations of the Penguin biscuit, Penguin Chukkas, Wing Dings, Flipper Dipper, Splatz and Mini Splatz. These variations were accompanied by a £5 million promotional campaign. In 2008 McVitie's also produced Penguin triple chocolate wafers.Asda make the similar Puffin brand and Sainsbury's an almost identical biscuit called the Polar Bear.
External links
- Picnics past - Observer story claiming the Penguin is the "towering treat of the Seventies"
- United Biscuits product page
- Penguin wrapper at the Candy Wrapper Museum