Category:Mcvitie and Price

Interior of McVitie and Price biscuit tin lid [image info]

McVitie’s is one of the UK’s most famous biscuit companies. Starting in Scotland in 1830 the brand now sells products in over 100 countries under United Biscuits.

Formation and expansion

The biscuit company was founded in 1830 in Edinburgh, Scotland by apprentice baker Robert McVitie, born in 1809 and his father, William McVitie. Their shop in Rose Street soon became popular enough to allow the opening of more shops, and in 1888 a factory, St. Andrews Biscuit Works had been built. Charles Price joined the company in 1875 and worked hard on the brand’s publicity. With Robert Mcvitie's death in 1880 his son, Robert Junior, born in 1854, took over. Robert Jr opened a larger bakery in Edinburgh in 1888 to help cope with increasing demand. McVitie's famous Digestive biscuit, named due to the high content of baking soda that was thought to aid digestion, was first made by a new employee, Alexander Grant, in 1892. A factory was opened in Harlesden in North London in 1902 to provide for the southern market. The company expanded to Manchester in 1917 and acquired Edinburgh bakery Simon Henderson and Sons in 1917.

Wartime

During the First World War McVitie and Price was given the task of supplying ‘Iron ration’ plain biscuits due to its biscuit knowledge and facilities. McVitie and Price was also popular among explorers in the 1920s due to the long length of time biscuits remained fresh for. Due to the Second World War the variety of biscuits and cakes being produced was reduced from 370 in 1939 to 10 in 1945.

In 1948, McVitie and Price merged with another Scottish business, MacFarlane Lang, to make United Biscuits.

Royal links

McVitie & Price were awarded a royal warrant in 1893, and made the future King George V’s wedding cake. McVitie and Price made Princess Elizabeth’s wedding cake in 1947 and Prince William’s groom’s cake in 2011.

External links

• "McVitie’s - A little history…" - A short history of McVities from United Biscuits (unitedbiscuits.com)
• "McVitie's Hitory" - A timeline of McVitie's history (mcvities.co.uk)
• "McVitie and Price" - A timeline of McVitie's history (gracesguide.co.uk)