‘Jaffa quake’ causes Twitter outrage as McVitie’s cuts pack size
Fans call decision to slash the number of cakes in a packet from 12 to 10 as ‘sacrilege’
“Shrinkflation” has struck the confectionary aisle once more, prompting fans of Jaffa Cakes to express their dismay at the downsizing of their favourite snack.
The number of cakes in a packet of Jaffa Cakes has been slashed from 12 to 10. But, while maker’s McVitie’s says it has also cut the recommended retail price to reflect the change, “that does not appear to have been recognised by supermarkets,” says Yahoo Finance.
“Ocado, for example, is selling a 10 box for £1.19, while Asda is selling twin pack box of 20 for £2.19,” says the website. Boxes of 12 were also typically sold for £1.19.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A McVitie’s spokesperson confirmed to website that Jaffa Cakes packets have been reduced but said: “Pricing ultimately remains at the sole discretion of retailers.”
Jaffa Cake lovers on Twitter called the move “sacrilege”, while one declared it a sad day for the UK population.
The decision has had an immediate impact, with Bedford builder Simon Akroyd, telling The Sun he faced a backlash from his workforce when he went to give them their “usual choccy perk” and there weren’t enough to go round.
He said: “They thought I was trying to dupe them, and weren’t happy.”
Describing it as a “Jaffa quake”, the BBC reports that McVitie’s is something of a serial offender, having this year “reduced the size of its dark chocolate digestive biscuits from 332g to 300g”.
The practice of “shrinkflation” as it's become known, first hit the headlines in November 2016 when Mondelez, the makers of Toblerone, said it had increased the spacing between the distinctive chunks and reduced the weight of the bar by almost 10% due to rising ingredient costs.
In the same month, Mars also pointed to rising costs for its decision to shrink the size of Maltesers packets by 15%.
In July, the Office for National Statistics said as many as 2,529 products had shrunk in size over the past five years, but were being sold for the same price. Many manufacturers have blamed the UK's vote to leave the EU, saying the poor value of sterling against the euro has hit the price of imported raw ingredients.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Labour shortages: the ‘most urgent problem’ facing the UK economy right now
Speed Read Britain is currently in the grip of an ‘employment crisis’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Will the energy war hurt Europe more than Russia?
Speed Read European Commission proposes a total ban on Russian oil
By The Week Staff Published
-
Will Elon Musk manage to take over Twitter?
Speed Read The world’s richest man has launched a hostile takeover bid worth $43bn
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Shoppers urged not to buy into dodgy Black Friday deals
Speed Read Consumer watchdog says better prices can be had on most of the so-called bargain offers
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ryanair: readying for departure from London
Speed Read Plans to delist Ryanair from the London Stock Exchange could spell ‘another blow’ to the ‘dwindling’ London market
By The Week Staff Published
-
Out of fashion: Asos ‘curse’ has struck again
Speed Read Share price tumbles following the departure of CEO Nick Beighton
By The Week Staff Published
-
Universal Music’s blockbuster listing: don’t stop me now…
Speed Read Investors are betting heavily that the ‘boom in music streaming’, which has transformed Universal’s fortunes, ‘still has a long way to go’
By The Week Staff Published
-
EasyJet/Wizz: battle for air supremacy
Speed Read ‘Wizz’s cheeky takeover bid will have come as a blow to the corporate ego’
By The Week Staff Published