Glaswegian bakery marks launch with tongue-in-cheek data
LOCAL bakery firm McGhee’s has announced it has entered into the Tesco meal deal with its empire biscuit and caramel shortcake treats.
Marking the first time the firm’s iconic treats have joined any supermarket’s meal deal selection, the individually wrapped treats will be part of the meal deal from 18 May across Scotland’s Tesco stores. Each pack comes with an RRP of £1.
Barry O’Donnell, Tesco buying manager, said: “Empire biscuits and caramel shortcake are iconic Scottish treats, so we’re delighted to be working with McGhee’s to bring them into selected Tesco meal deals across Scotland.
“We know there is strong demand for familiar, nostalgic favourites that can be enjoyed as part of lunch on the go, whether that’s during the working day, at college or while travelling.
“Adding individually wrapped versions of these classic bakes into the Tesco lunchtime meal deal gives customers more choice with a Scottish twist.”
This marks the latest move for the Glaswegian bakery firm as part of its 90th anniversary celebrations and follows on from the launch of the firm’s archived image library which highlighted how the firm got its start all those years ago.
Ahead of the new launch, McGhee’s has commissioned some tongue-in-cheek research to find out exactly how Scottish consumers enjoy the firm’s iconic empire biscuit, resulting in some “shocking results” over how shoppers typically eat the treat.
A survey of 1,000 Scottish adults found that 36% will eat the jelly tot on top – or ‘joob joob’ – first and will see this as the most important part of the ritual, while 11% go straight in for the biscuit. Only 7% said that they eat the icing off first before moving on to the rest and 30% have said they eat the full empire biscuit together.
The findings have left Gordon McGhee, managing director at McGhee’s, admitting he was “slightly shocked” by the results.
He said: “You spend years carefully placing the joob joob on top of empire biscuits thinking people are enjoying the whole thing together, then you find out a huge number of Scots are just picking it straight off first. I’m trying not to take it personally.
“For me, the best way to eat an empire biscuit is to break it in half, so you get one side with the jelly sweet and one without. That way you get the full experience.
“But I suppose this research proves everyone has their own empire biscuit ritual.”
