United Biscuits debuts Jaffa Cake sharing carton for Halloween

United Biscuits is tapping into the booming Halloween market by launching its first ever Halloween-themed McVitie’s sharing carton, consisting of two themed Jaffa Cake bars in a “trick or treat house” box.

The ideal accompaniment to Halloween parties, its launch builds on the increasing success of the holiday that has seen it become the third most significant event in the British retail calendar, worth more than £300m every year.

McVitie’s will also re-launch its McVitie’s Halloween Jaffa Cake bars, with a new pack design, in spooky zingy orange flavour and a revamped variation titled scary lemon and slime. The latter will have a new recipe this season, replacing the previous white sponge with a chocolate sponge, topped with a zingy lemon and lime jam and covered in dark crackly chocolate.

United Biscuits has invested in the new look Halloween packaging as part of its broader master brand strategy, strongly incorporating McVitie’s branding on-pack. The range aims to tap into the key seasonal trend, which is expected to see an overall rise in sales by 12.5% this year, with United Biscuits forecasting a retail sales value for its sharing cakes of over £1m.

McVitie’s senior brand manager Claire Hooper said: “As a retail moment, there are signs that Halloween is getting bigger each year. Only a decade ago, consumer spending on Halloween constituted just £12m and now the industry is worth more than £300m, with sharable sweet treats being a key growth driver within the market. This represents a major opportunity for cakes and we are confident our new range will tick many boxes as a fun and tasty snack, perfect for sharing and helping people get into the spooky seasonal spirit!”