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I'm pretty sure Chocolate Digestives used to be as big as their non-chocolate counterpart.
When did this size shift happen?
Was it gradual ? or just BAM! less biscuit and less chocolate!
I only realised when I couldn't fit a normal digestive in my mouth whole, where as the chocolatey one goes in with room to spare......
Surely from a manufacturing point it would make sense to use a 'standard' Digestive size instead of having to invest in making smaller ones for the chocolate machine.....
Haven't choccy digestives always been a bit smaller? I assumed it was a weight per biscuit thing?....
I think they have been smaller for a while. Not sure about the off-brand Lidl/Aldi ones though so I might also have to do some research. (Although unexpectedly Neos are smaller than Oreos...).
I’m pretty sure Chocolate Digestives used to be as big as their non-chocolate counterpart.
When did this size shift happen?
Decades ago I think....
And would have happend pretty quickly as the boxes they are shipped in are are also completely different sizes. So it prob happened when they expanded the range to include caramel and choc hobnobs.
Choc digestives are also made in a completely different factory so prob when they moved to or opened that factory. Also pack sizes have got smaller this year, but biscuit size has stayed the same.
They've been different sizes as long as I can remember
dont do non choc digestives, but i'd guess, to keep the calorie content and/or price down..
It's to help visually impaired people identify the biccies by the shape and size of the packet. Hence bourbons are long and thin, custard creams are rectangular etc.
Packets of biscuits are ~400gms. If you slap choccy on it's either fewer biccies or smaller biccies.
non-chocolate counterpart.
That's just like saying "what?....there's a magazine as well as the forum?????"
Given that a packet is gone pretty much as soon as they're opened, I've not really thought about the size. Only that dark chocolate rules.
It's absolutely a good thing they aren't any bigger though, because then I would be too.
Packets of biscuits are ~400gms. If you slap choccy on it’s either fewer biccies or smaller biccies.
Reg digestive are 360g
Chocolate digestive are 266g
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Normal digestives are a 700c with a 35mm tyre.</span>
Chocolate digestives are designed like 650b with a 50mm tyre to get same diameter.
The problem isn’t the size of the biscuit-they just haven’t put enough chocolate on it to compensate.
If that blows your fuzzy little mind, wait until I tell you that the chocolate is on the bottom of the biscuit - and it's intentional.
So they can make a same length packet across types for lower chocolate cost.
If that blows your fuzzy little mind, wait until I tell you that the chocolate is on the bottom of the biscuit – and it’s intentional.
A problem overcome by eating them two at a time, with the chocolate bits in the middle
So they can make a same length packet across types for lower chocolate cost.
We'll, at least with Mcvities, reg plain digestives have their own box size unique to the range - they also are made in a different factory apparently. However the box size and packet sizes are the same across the chocolate and caramel digestives.
I don't know about 'always' but about 30osh years ago when I was at school one of the guy's in my class could get a chocolate digestive or TUC cracker in his mouth vertically but not a regular digestive.
His jaw opening was massive and just the right size to demonstrate the difference.
If that blows your fuzzy little mind, wait until I tell you that the chocolate is on the bottom of the biscuit – and it’s intentional.
Why?
Having had some thought on this is in my shop I think I know partially some of the rather dull answer....
Reg Digestives are 0% vat come in a slightly larger pack.
Choc digestives (along with all chocolate coated biscuits) are 20% vat as HMRC says that they are a luxury item.
So my guess is that to get the same or similar profit margin the choc digestive has to be a smaller biscuit and smaller pack size.
That coupled probably with the quirks of the machines that coat the chocolate or manufacturers the biscuits would determine what size the slightly smaller chocolate digestive has to be to fit within the margins of manufacturing.
Regards vat this is also why Jaffa cakes are cakes (because cakes are an essential, not a luxury!) and chocolate cookies like Maryland are charged at 0% so are generally quite a cheap biscuit when compared to a chocolate digestive.
If that blows your fuzzy little mind, wait until I tell you that the chocolate is on the bottom of the biscuit – and it’s intentional.
Why?
On a plain digestive, the waffle pattern is on the bottom with the mcvities branding on the top.
On the chocolate version, you see chocolate or the mcvities branding, ergo, the chocolate covers the waffle pattern and is on the bottom.
Now, this is actually correct because your tongue is better at recognising and appreciating the chocolate rather than the roof of your mouth.
My grandad loved normal digestives to counter act the dryness of them he spread a thick layer of butter on top. It does work well. #biscuithack
It's all a bit irrelevant though. Chocolate digestives are a bit meh. If you want a chocolate biscuit, then Bahlsen Choco Leibniz are a far, far superior product. There. I've said it....
I don’t know about the size relevance, but I can say digestive biscuits are inedible to me after eating a fresh one off the line. So much better.
The vastly superior chocolate digestives get the rippled chocolate pattern from the conveyor belt thingy.
I’m unsure at what point crack cocaine is added to the process when making the plain chocolate digestive.
McVities choc digestives are full size (unless changed in last 3 years). All supermarket digestives (made by either McVities or Burtons with slightly less chocolate on them than branded) are a smaller diameter.
Reason the chocolate is on the bum rather than the top is they are run on a conveyor through the chocolate rather than enrobed like a Mars Bar would be.
Thanks all - some more investigation required lol
Are Hob Nobs & Choc Hob Nobs the same size?
If you want a chocolate biscuit, then Bahlsen Choco Leibniz are a far, far superior product
Choco Leibniz are lovely - no arguments there. But their weakness is that they are not a good dunker - far too much (and too thick) chocolate for dunking - so I'd argue that the (dark) chocolate digestive is a better biscuit to have with a brew. And as its statistically proven that 99.2% of biscuits are consumed with a hot drink in hand, the (dark) chocolate digestive still wins
On the rare occasion that I'm presented with a plate of biscuits without an accompanying drink I'd take Leibniz over a digestive, but I'd take the M&S milk dark & white chocolate biscuit selection over both.
We need to talk about wagon wheels
Hideous things. Whatever it is they are covered in, it doesn't taste like chocolate, and wtf is that gunge in the middle? Also, since they aren't digestives, they're OT.
So I can get a whole dark chocolate one in my mouth in one go.
Say what?
Specifically in reference to dunking - a well dunked chocolate digestive has slightly softened both biscuit and chocolate - with a leibniz you either soften the biscuit and still have hard chocolate, or soften the chocolate and have a biscuit gone to mush.
Edit - I'm more than happy to carry out extensive research into this topic if needed.
Posh biscuits are a victim of their own success - you have to fanny around making poncy coffee to go with them.
That's the attraction of choc hobnobs and a mug of tea.
Are Hob Nobs & Choc Hob Nobs the same size?
Chocolate hob nobs must be at least half the size, as a packet in our house, only lasts half as long as regular hobnobs
You can't get dark chocolate hobnobs, which must surely indicate some massive strategic failure at McVities.
Specifically in reference to dunking – a well dunked chocolate digestive has slightly softened both biscuit and chocolate – with a leibniz you either soften the biscuit and still have hard chocolate, or soften the chocolate and have a biscuit gone to mush.
Edit – I’m more than happy to carry out extensive research into this topic if needed.
I see where you are coming from, but whilst I'm not averse to dunking, it's not compulsory. I will concede that having a brew with your biscuit is the law, but the two don't always have to get jiggy with each other. Slightly inferior biscuits which don't quite have the presence to be enjoyed solely on their own merits may benefit from a short swim, but a higher quality biscuit is best enjoyed unmolested by hot beverage imo. Though cleansing your palate with a quick slug of builders first is acceptable.
Hideous things. Whatever it is they are covered in, it doesn’t taste like chocolate, and wtf is that gunge in the middle? Also, since they aren’t digestives, they’re OT.
Username checks out
Best digestive type biscuit is a Hovis. Great with butter or cheese.
Best digestive type biscuit is a Hovis. Great with butter or cheese.
What? How are you supposed to dunk that - the cheese will fall off........
Sometimes I’m genuinely happy to be the person that gets to change someone’s life:
Exciting! I shall seek some out and report back
I am surprised no one has blamed communism or Brexit yet.
I blame Thatcher!
Sorry, what was the question again?
Any plain biscuit is a criminal act in my humble opinion. Digestives and Rich Teas are biscuits I would only give to someone that I hated with the burning intensity of several biscuit ovens.
We need to talk about wagon wheels
I think it’s just you had smaller hands as a kid, so it appeared larger than it does to you now with your adult hands 🙂
Wow, dark choc hobnobs DO exist! Not just a figment of my imagination or dreams. I shall have to hunt them out, where do I find them in the wild?
Asda. They're on offer to boot.
Can also recommend the coconut macaroon variety.
Thanks. We only have a small Asda locally, maybe thats why I've never seen them.
They've all got palm oil in them nowadays so I've switched to shortbread fingers.
Best digestive type biscuit is a Hovis. Great with butter or cheese.
A dunkable cheesy biscuit? You must be very fondue of that?
My mum has had two of those McVities biscuit tins for a very long time,one for Digestives and the other for Richtea .When refilling the Digestives tin,I always had to eat one to get the packet to fit,now there is space for two biscuits.I blame Thatcher and capitalism.
Was kept waiting at a job this morning as the IT guy was on the school run.
Nice coffee and plain/milk chocolate digestives meant I didn’t mind hanging around for an hour.
I’ve left site and the client has been charged for my time with shorter waits in the past.
The local Coop also had the big pack of plain chocolate digestives for £2. It’s now a very small pack,
Who only eats one biscuit??!
A psychopath that’s who
*notes hightensionline’s name in the book
There were only 2 left in the pack, so I didn't want to be that guy, and milk choc Hobnobs were open next to them. They took precedent as being a superior biscuit.
But you're quite right, and I appreciate you keeping an eye out!
Exciting! I shall seek some out and report back
I happened to be in a larger sainsbury's than my local, and in the biscuit aisle I found Dark chocolate hobnobs! I bought them, and headed home for a tasting…
My verdict? Incredibly disappointing. The excessive sweetness of the Hobnob utterly obscures the taste of the chocolate. It might work with more chocolate, or chocolate with a higher cocoa content, but as it is it's just a disaster, a complete waste of time for both the manufacturer and the consumer. So sad.
They’ve all got palm oil in them nowadays
Yeah, but it's the good kind.
https://www.unitedbiscuits.com/index.html#faq
There were only 2 left in the pack, so I didn’t want to be that guy, and milk choc Hobnobs were open next to them. They took precedent as being a superior biscuit.
But you’re quite right, and I appreciate you keeping an eye out!
So you're the idiot who leaves one single biscuit in the pack? One is a completely inadequate amount of biscuits so by eating one, out of so-called consideration, you're actually robbing the next biscuiteer of any satisfaction at all. The last biscuit will almost certainly be left to go soft and be eaten by ants at the tip. 🙁
They’ve all got palm oil in them nowadays
Yeah, but it’s the good kind.
On a serious note, it's interesting wording isn't it. They work with sustainable palm oil, so that's all right then. No mention of the environmental damage the plantations cause, at least it can be grown again...
You lovely lot are too young, but as a child I recall buying a single foil wrapped dark chocolate covered digestive, it was a tad larger than the packet sort and most importantly was COMPLETELY covered in chocolate.
Also the hater of plain digestives must know that they make the best base for a cheesecake.
So you’re the idiot who leaves one single biscuit in the pack? One is a completely inadequate amount of biscuits so by eating one, out of so-called consideration, you’re actually robbing the next biscuiteer of any satisfaction at all. The last biscuit will almost certainly be left to go soft and be eaten by ants at the tip. 🙁
Slightly less annoying than picking up a box of After Eights to find one mint and a boxful of wrappers.
I bought the packs, but yeah, I'm that idiot.
Probably best if I give it up.
Bahlsen Choco Leibniz
Mrs Sandwich much prefers the Bahlsen Choco Orange Lesbian biscuits (the LGBTQ+ quiz mistress referred to them as such and the name stuck. The quiz has biscuits for last place).