Biscuits or Cakes

GerryRyan

Under UK law, no VAT is charged on biscuits and cakes — they are "zero rated".
Chocolate covered biscuits, however, are classed as luxury items and are subject to VAT at 17.5%. McVitie's classed its Jaffa Cakes as cakes, but in 1991, this was challenged by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in court.

This may have been because Jaffa Cakes are about the same size and shape as some types of biscuit. The question which had to be answered was what criteria should be used to class something as a cake or biscuit.

McVitie's defended the classification of Jaffa Cakes as a cake by producing a giant Jaffa Cake to illustrate that their Jaffa Cakes were simply mini cakes.

They also argued that the distinction between cakes and biscuits is simply that biscuits go soft when stale, whereas cakes go hard. It was demonstrated that Jaffa Cakes become hard when stale and McVitie's won the case.

The issue was revisited in an article entitled 'Are Jaffa Cakes really biscuits?' published in the Journal of Unlikely Science (Volume 1, issue 7, 2005).
The article attempted to classify biscuits via a scientific analysis of various features (size, shape, filling etc.) and determined that the Jaffa Cake should be regarded as a biscuit, or 'pseudobiscuit'.

And since the latter has not been proven or accepted, Jaffa Cakes are cakes.

<Discuss>

Archeron

Damn straight! CAKES and to hell with anyone who thinks otherwise.

Faith

I was of the understanding that they were cakes due to their sponge base. Sponge is a cake component. I would buy them if I wanted some tasty biscuits, but I accept them being cakes.

Just a by the by, it's generally polite to reference things when you copy text like that.

WindSock

[Father ted] ah.... heh. Biscuit or cake, biscuit or caaake.....[/Father ted]

Tree

the orangey stuff is jam, not jelly. thar be no gelatine in it.

Dizzyblonde

For all lovers of Jaffa Cakes - Dunne's have a 'Yard of Jaffa Cakes' for around €5.50.
It's a huge long box, on the side it says 'I'm dreaming of an orange Christmas'.

_blank_

They are cakes.

The clue is in the name.

JIZZLORD

a yard of jaffa cakes! :eek:
must find...

_blank_

JIZZLORD wrote: »

a yard of jaffa cakes! :eek:
must find...

Aldi have them for definite, I got one yesterday

kev_s88

mmmm yard of jaffa cakes!!!


think im gonna head into town for lunch and try find a dunnes!


deffo cakes.down with biscuits

JIZZLORD

DesF wrote: »

Aldi have them for definite, I got one yesterday

luckily for me dunnes, aldi and tesco are all within 5 min from where i live.
excellent

Potential-Monke

Am i the only person who doens't like jaffa cakes?

JIZZLORD

Gtfo

_blank_

Has anyone tried Jaffa Cake bars?

Delish

No need for that JIZZLORD, keep it civil, thanks

JIZZLORD

i was only taking the piss, cursed non jaffa cake loving people

rubadub

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Dunne's have a 'Yard of Jaffa Cakes' for around €5.50.

Brilliant, hope the EU zealots dont shut them down for not having metres of jaffa cakes.

tampopo

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Am i the only person who doens't like jaffa cakes?

I don't like them either. Custard creams all the way, baby!