The soaring price of cocoa in recent years has seen some manufacturers make compromises on their chocolate biscuit ranges.
Such tactics involving ’chocolate flavoured’ coatings have been highlighted by the media, with awareness amongst consumers spreading. Matt Herbert, co-founder and CCO of brand tracking platform Tracksuit, uses key data to explore its potential impact on the UK biscuit market.
Biscuits remain one of Britain’s most beloved categories, with 93% of UK adults buying into it. But while the nation’s biscuit habit is as strong as ever, Tracksuit brand tracking data from February to July 2025 shows that loyalty could melt away fast if consumers feel brands are compromising on quality – particularly when it comes to chocolate.
In recent months, several of Britain’s best-known biscuit makers, including beloved brands such as Penguin and Club, have quietly switched from real chocolate to chocolate flavoured coating. The move comes amid rising input costs and volatility in global cocoa prices, which have reached record highs in recent months. While this may save manufacturers money, it risks undermining the authenticity that has long defined these nostalgic brands. For brands built on nostalgia and trust, these recipe changes risk leaving a bitter aftertaste.
The data highlights exactly why this matters. It shows that the biscuit category is large and competitive, with a slight skew towards women (53%) and an older age profile: nearly a quarter of buyers are aged 65+. On average, consumers are aware of eight biscuit brands but only consider six, showing just how hard it is to earn (and keep) a place in Britain’s biscuit tin.
McVitie’s remains the undisputed leader in awareness (91%) and consideration (76%), followed by Cadbury (88% and 72%) and Fox’s (84% and 67%). McVitie’s also holds the highest preference (29%), well ahead of Fox’s (15%) and Cadbury (14%). Yet despite its dominance, McVitie’s brand health has weakened over the past six months, with awareness dropping from 93% points in February to 88% points in July, driven mainly by men and those aged 35-55.
Cadbury tells a similar story. Awareness has fallen from 89% to 85% , and claimed usage from 47% to 41%. The decline has been sharpest among younger biscuit consumers aged 18-34, where awareness, consideration and usage have all dropped by around 8-10 percentage points. With this group making up nearly a third of the total category, it’s a crucial audience for Cadbury to re-engage.
Comfort in the familiar
When it comes to emotional connection, associations matter more than ever. Consumers who feel a biscuit brand ‘is for people like me’ are 3.1 times more likely to move from awareness to consideration, followed by ‘is a brand I trust’ (2.5x) and ‘is a premium brand’ (1.8x). McVitie’s leads across two of these three associations, with 56% of aware consumers saying it ‘is for people like me’ and 67% saying it ‘is a brand I trust’. Cadbury follows closely behind (53% and 61%, respectively).
This reflects the pressures biscuit makers face in a category that is both fiercely competitive and highly price sensitive. With consumers expecting affordable indulgence and retailers pushing for value, brands must carefully balance cost efficiency with maintaining quality – a delicate act that risks damaging long-term trust if handled poorly.
The takeaway is clear: switching from real chocolate to a chocolate flavoured coating might save on costs, but it risks eroding the emotional equity these brands were built on and if shoppers sense shortcuts are being taken, loyalty could crumble fast. In a category defined by ritual, emotion and nostalgia, trust is the currency that keeps consumers coming back.
In other words, in Britain’s biscuit tin, authenticity is the secret ingredient. And once it’s gone, it’s hard to win back.
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