Crumbs! King Charles’ cake chef invented the white chocolate digestifs that took 2023 by storm, selling 1.7 million packs
- McVitie’s was forced to increase production as it sold 1.7 million packs
- A Channel 4 documentary will reveal they are the invention of Mr Craggs
The man behind McVitie’s most sought-after biscuit in a decade turns out to be the creator of the King’s Coronation cake.
Robert Craggs’ simple white chocolate digestive was one of the surprise hits of 2023, going viral on social media as fans posted videos of themselves on TikTok in an attempt to track down the cookies.
McVitie’s was forced to ramp up production as it sold 1.7 million packs of cookies, three times as many as expected.
Now a Channel 4 documentary on Tuesday will reveal they are the invention of Coronation cake maker Mr Craggs, McVitie’s product development chief.
In the program Inside McVitie’s At Christmas he tastes white chocolate with miso and crispy cookies before the cookie goes into production.
The man behind McVitie’s most sought-after cookie in a decade turns out to be the creator of the King’s Coronation cake
Robert Craggs’ simple white chocolate digestive was one of the surprise hits of 2023, going viral on social media as fans posted videos of themselves on TikTok in an attempt to track down the cookies.
McVitie’s was forced to ramp up production as it sold 1.7 million packs of cookies, three times as many as expected
“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve delivered this year,” said Mr Craggs, who was trained by the late Royal chef Graham Newbould.
“I probably have one of the greatest jobs in the entire company. I travel a lot, I taste extensive food, I watch food trends day in and day out.’
The coronation cake, inspired by archived recipes for previous royal cakes, took five months to make, from design to decoration. Baking took 120 hours and decorating 160 hours.
The base layer had matte stone glaze to symbolize the Stone of Destiny, on which Scottish kings were crowned, while the second layer was engraved with a pattern of the Zalspoon, used by the Archbishop of Canterbury during the ceremony.
The third level was inspired by King Edward’s Chair, which has been the centerpiece of coronations for 700 years, and the final level was topped with a ceramic interpretation of the Sovereign’s Orb, one of the Crown Jewels.
“The whole process has been an incredible honor and a wonderful journey, including working with the different professions,” said Mr Craggs.