CLASSIC sweet snack McVitie’s Penguins are no longer covered in real chocolate.
Due to soaring cocoa prices, the biscuits that date back to 1932 now have a milk chocolate-flavour coating on them instead.
Sophie Warburton bites into the supermarket alternatives that will still give you that chocolate fix.
Arctic Bars
8x25g, £1.35, Lidl
A GREAT Penguin alternative.
These choc sandwich bars are cheaper, creamier and more chocolatey.
They contain 32 per cent milk chocolate in the outer coating.
But should be called Antarctica bars . . . as that’s where penguins really live.
RATING: 4/5
Bahlsen Pick Up!
5x28g, £2, Sainsbury’s
NOT my favourites. There is too much biscuit and not enough chocolate.
They do contain 45 per cent chocolate but that is all sandwiched between two thick biscuits.
However, these treats are good quality. The chocolate has lots of flavour and the biscuits are snappy.
RATING: 2/5
Chocolate Digestive Bars
8x23g, £2.30, M&S
CRUNCHY biscuits that are dripping in the good stuff – milk chocolate at 47 per cent, to be exact.
Scrumptious but, essentially, they are a finger of plain digestive biscuit dipped generously in good quality chocolate with no filling.
They are also individually wrapped, making them the perfect lunchbox snack treat.
RATING: 4/5
Rocky Stack’d
6x25g, £1.48, Asda
DELECTABLE new treats are sweet, crunchy and have that Penguin-like soft filling.
I really enjoyed how light the biscuits were, with the thin coating and prominent filling.
These are 34 per cent milk chocolate, which is not the highest percentage, but they’ll pass!
RATING: 4/5
Tim Tam
9x18g, £2.50, Sainsbury’s
THE original Penguin rival, Tim Tams come from Australia and were inspired by Penguins after an employee from manufacturer Arnott’s visited the UK.
Well flavoured, with hints of caramel vanilla, but like Penguins, these are only covered in chocolate flavouring, rather than the real thing. Delicious but sadly can’t be deemed a real chocolate bar, so this affects their score.
RATING: 0/5
Rocky Bars
7x19g, £1.48, Asda
ONE of Fox’s most popular products and 45 per cent milk chocolate!
Similar to M&S’s alternative but made of shortcake instead.
They are super-crunchy, light and scrumptious but I prefer the M&S chocolate coating.
Rockys are also lower in calories, at just 95 per bar, compared to 115 calories for the M&S version.
RATING: 3/5
Milk Chocolate Covered Bourbons
6x81g, £2.50, Tesco
SENSATIONAL. Sink your teeth into the 52 per cent milk chocolate coating – the highest percentage of all the ones I tried.
Then you get to the airy biscuit and creamy filling. Although they are rather large, I couldn’t stop myself from going back for more.
RATING: 5/5
