Penguin
Penguin is a McVitie's chocolate sandwich biscuit brand made by Pladis in the United Kingdom.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Penguin is a British biscuit brand associated with McVitie's and owned by Pladis. Its core product is a rectangular biscuit made from two chocolate-flavoured biscuit layers enclosing a chocolate-flavoured cream filling and covered with a chocolate-flavoured coating. The biscuits are manufactured at McVitie's Stockport factory in England and are primarily positioned as an everyday sweet snack sold through the United Kingdom grocery, convenience and impulse channels. The product originated with Macdonald Biscuits, a Glasgow company founded by William Macdonald in 1928. Macdonald was inspired by chocolate-covered biscuits he had encountered from Antwerp and developed a biscuit combining a chocolate coating with a chocolate cream sandwich. Penguin biscuits were first produced in 1932. The brand later entered the McVitie's portfolio after Macdonald Biscuits was acquired by United Biscuits in 1965, linking Penguin to one of Britain's best-known biscuit houses. Pladis subsequently became the owner of the United Biscuits business and its major brands, including McVitie's and Penguin. Penguin's identity relies heavily on packaging and humour as well as on the biscuit itself. Wrappers typically show an illustrated penguin and carry a joke or a penguin-related fact. The brand has used multiple humorous designs, including visual pastiches of well-known works and cultural references. This packaging format gives individual biscuits a collectable and conversational quality, helping distinguish Penguin from more purely functional chocolate biscuit products. The brand was also associated during the 1970s with the advertising line, "When you feel a little p-peckish, p-p-p-pick up a Penguin!" The range has included the standard Milk Chocolate variety and flavoured versions such as Orange, Mint and Caramel. Former variants included Toffee and Dark Chocolate. McVitie's has also tested extensions and related formats, including Penguin Chukkas, Wing Dings, Flipper Dipper, Splatz, Mini Splatz and triple-chocolate wafers. These launches demonstrate an effort to adapt the core character and flavour profile to different textures, formats and consumption occasions while retaining the penguin-themed visual identity. Penguin has also had influence beyond its own market. Arnott's Tim Tam, first sold in Australia in 1964, was based on the Penguin concept. The relationship has occasionally been discussed humorously in media and popular culture through comparisons between the two chocolate-coated sandwich biscuits. The brand has faced several notable product and legal developments. In the 1990s, United Biscuits challenged Asda's own-brand Puffin biscuits, arguing that the presentation amounted to passing off associated with Penguin. The court found for United Biscuits on passing off while determining that Asda had not infringed the Penguin trademark. United Biscuits also faced criticism over trans-fatty acids in the cream filling. By December 2007, the company was advertising Penguin as free from trans fats after removing them from the line. Since 2025, product descriptions have referred to the coating as "chocolate flavour" rather than chocolate because the reduced cocoa content falls below the applicable minimum required to describe it as chocolate. This change illustrates how ingredient composition and labelling rules can affect the presentation of a long-established snack brand.
History
Penguin's history begins with Macdonald Biscuits, a Glasgow biscuit maker founded by William Macdonald in 1928. Macdonald was influenced by chocolate-covered biscuits from Antwerp and pursued a product that combined a chocolate-coated exterior with a chocolate cream sandwich centre. The resulting Penguin biscuit entered production in 1932. The product became part of the McVitie's family several decades later. Macdonald Biscuits was acquired by United Biscuits in 1965, after which Penguin was incorporated into the McVitie's portfolio. The brand's long-term identity developed around a combination of chocolate flavour, an individually wrapped format and a cartoon penguin character. Its wrappers commonly included jokes and penguin-related facts, while the front designs used humorous and imaginative illustrations. During the 1970s, television advertising helped establish the memorable stuttering slogan, "When you feel a little p-peckish, p-p-p-pick up a Penguin!" Penguin's format also became a reference point for later chocolate biscuit products. Arnott's Tim Tam, introduced in Australia in 1964, was based on the Penguin concept. The two products have subsequently been compared in light-hearted debates over which chocolate sandwich biscuit is superior. The brand expanded beyond its original standard product through multiple flavours and formats. The continuing range has included Milk Chocolate, Orange, Mint and Caramel. Toffee and Dark Chocolate were among the flavours that were later discontinued. In June 2003, McVitie's introduced several spin-off products under the Penguin umbrella, including Penguin Chukkas, Wing Dings, Flipper Dipper, Splatz and Mini Splatz. The launch was supported by a reported £5 million promotional campaign. A triple-chocolate wafer product followed in January 2008. Penguin also became involved in a significant British biscuit-brand dispute. In October 1996, United Biscuits brought proceedings against Asda over the supermarket's Puffin biscuits, alleging that their presentation passed off the product as being connected with Penguin. In March 1997, the court found in favour of United Biscuits on passing off, but concluded that Asda had not infringed the Penguin trademark. Ingredient policy and product description have been further stages in the brand's development. United Biscuits was criticised for retaining trans-fatty acids in the cream filling. By December 2007, it had removed trans fats from Penguin and promoted that change in advertising. In 2025, the coating began to be described as chocolate flavour because the product's cocoa content had fallen below the minimum threshold required for the legal use of the term chocolate. The change reflects the way reformulation, ingredient costs or specifications, and food-labelling standards can influence the presentation of established packaged-food brands. Penguin is produced by Pladis's manufacturing division McVitie's at the Stockport factory. It remains primarily a United Kingdom biscuit brand, with its strongest equity in British everyday snacking and humorous family-oriented packaging.
- 2025
Coating description changed to chocolate flavour
[1]The coating was described as chocolate flavour after its cocoa content fell below the applicable threshold for labelling it chocolate.
- 2008
Triple-chocolate wafers introduced
[1]McVitie's added Penguin triple-chocolate wafers to the brand's extended format range.
- 2007
Trans fats removed
[1]United Biscuits began promoting Penguin as free from trans fats after removing them from the product line.
- 2003
Spin-off formats launched
[1]McVitie's launched Penguin Chukkas, Wing Dings, Flipper Dipper, Splatz and Mini Splatz with a major promotional campaign.
- 1997
Court ruling in the Puffin biscuit dispute
[1]United Biscuits prevailed on its passing-off claim against Asda, while the trademark-infringement claim did not succeed.
- 1970
Television slogan becomes associated with the brand
[1]Penguin advertising became known for the line beginning, "When you feel a little p-peckish, p-p-p-pick up a Penguin!"
- 1965
Macdonald Biscuits acquired by United Biscuits
[1]The acquisition brought Penguin into the United Biscuits business and subsequently into the McVitie's portfolio.
- 1964
Tim Tam introduced
[1]Arnott's introduced Tim Tam in Australia; the product was based on the Penguin concept.
- 1932
Penguin biscuits first produced
[1]Macdonald Biscuits began producing the chocolate-coated chocolate cream sandwich biscuit that became Penguin.
- 1928
Macdonald Biscuits founded
[1]William Macdonald founded Macdonald Biscuits in Glasgow, the company that later developed Penguin.
Products and positioning
An accessible, humorous everyday chocolate biscuit built around a distinctive penguin character, individually wrapped packaging and playful jokes or facts.
Chocolate sandwich biscuit · 1932
Penguin Milk Chocolate
The core Penguin product consists of two chocolate-flavoured biscuit layers with a chocolate-flavoured cream filling and an outer chocolate-flavoured coating. It is commonly sold as an individually wrapped snack and in multipacks.
Flavoured chocolate sandwich biscuit
Penguin Orange
An orange-flavoured variation of the Penguin biscuit, retaining the brand's layered biscuit format and chocolate-oriented coating and packaging identity.
Flavoured chocolate sandwich biscuit
Penguin Mint
A mint-flavoured Penguin variation that extends the core chocolate sandwich biscuit with a mint taste while maintaining the familiar penguin character and individually wrapped format.
Flavoured chocolate sandwich biscuit
Penguin Caramel
A caramel-flavoured variant within the Penguin range, designed to broaden the brand's appeal beyond the standard milk-chocolate profile.
Spin-off biscuit formats · 2003
Penguin Chukkas, Wing Dings, Flipper Dipper, Splatz and Mini Splatz
A group of Penguin sub-brands and format extensions launched by McVitie's in 2003. The products adapted the Penguin name and character to different shapes, sizes or eating formats and were supported by a substantial promotional campaign.
Chocolate wafer · 2008
Penguin triple-chocolate wafers
A wafer-based extension introduced under the Penguin brand, adding a lighter, layered texture to the brand's established chocolate flavour profile.
Marketing campaigns
- 2003Penguin spin-off launch campaign
United Kingdom
McVitie's supported the launch of Penguin Chukkas, Wing Dings, Flipper Dipper, Splatz and Mini Splatz with a reported £5 million promotional campaign.
Outcome. The campaign accompanied a broad attempt to extend Penguin into additional formats.
- 1970P-p-p-pick up a Penguin
United Kingdom
A television advertising campaign used the stuttering line, "When you feel a little p-peckish, p-p-p-pick up a Penguin!" The slogan linked the brand name to a memorable verbal performance and an everyday snacking occasion.
Outcome. The line became strongly associated with Penguin advertising.
Brand decisions
2025
Change the coating description to chocolate flavourGeneration changeBackground
The cocoa content of the coating was reduced below the minimum level required to describe it as chocolate.
Action taken
Product descriptions began referring to the coating as chocolate flavour.
Aftermath
The change altered the product's labelling and consumer-facing description while preserving the Penguin biscuit format.
2007
Remove trans fats from PenguinStrategyBackground
United Biscuits faced criticism over trans-fatty acids in the cream filling of Penguin biscuits.
Action taken
The company removed trans fats from the product and began advertising the change by December 2007.
Aftermath
Penguin was promoted as free from trans fats.
Recent events
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