Are you eating your favourite sweet treat all wrong? Experts reveal the best way to consume classic biscuits and chocolate for optimum flavour From chocolate digestives to the humble custard cream, experts have weighed in Read more: McVitie's factory boss reveals 'proper' way to enjoy your biscuits By ELLEN COUGHLAN FOR MAILONLINE Published: 15:06 BST, 25 April 2025 | Updated: 15:06 BST, 25 April 2025 For generations, Brits have been dunking, nibbling and snapping their favourite biscuits without a second thought. But there may be an art to consuming out favourite snacks, from chocolate digestives to the humble custard cream - and now experts have weighed in on the definitive methods to achieve optimum taste and texture. Whether you're partial to a Jaffa Cake, can't resist a Kit Kat, or swear by a Creme Egg, there is surely no 'right' way to eat them. Or is there? The definitive guide may have you questioning everything you thought you knew about your favourite sweet treats. Of course, the best way to enjoy a biscuit or bar of chocolate is whichever way you wish - but according to experts, some methods make for the optimum experience. However how you eat some other treats are still left up to personal preference, as perhaps the real joy of biscuits is that there's no 'right' way to enjoy them. It comes after social media was ablaze with biscuit enthusiasts who were told they had likely been enjoying their favourite chocolate digestives incorrectly for years. Meanwhile a top chef revealed the correct way to break off a piece of Toblerone and it appears most of us have been doing it wrong. So how does your way of eating your favourite sweet treat compare to what the experts say is the best? Chocolate Digestives have been favourites among biscuit lovers since they launched back in 1925 Chocolate digestives With their crunchy biscuit base and luxurious chocolate topping, McVitie's Chocolate Digestives have been favourites among biscuit lovers since they launched back in 1925. But Britain's biscuit enthusiasts have likely been enjoying their favourite teatime treat incorrectly for years, a McVitie's factory boss has revealed. For decades, legions of tea-dunkers have savoured Chocolate Digestives with the biscuit side facing down. But in the latest twist in the fraught, years-long debate, Anthony Coulson, general manager at McVitie's chocolate factory in Stockport, has declared the beloved biscuit should be eaten with the chocolate side facing down. The astonishing revelation looks set to split generations of fans of the Chocolate Digestive, which was first rolled out in 1925, eight years after the the Stockport factory opened its doors. 'It's the world's most incredible debate, whether you have the chocolate on the top or the chocolate on the bottom,' the factory boss told BBC Radio Manchester. Mr Coulson, who said he preferred chocolate-on-top, added: 'One of the very first things I learnt when I got to join McVitie's was chocolate side down to eat the digestive. 'Now up until then I'd always eaten it the other way round.' But in an apparent bid to pacify thousands of flabbergasted biscuit eaters, he added: 'You can do it exactly how you want to do it.' A McVities factory boss has suggested the right way to eat the beloved biscuit is chocolate side down Oxford researchers said turning over the biscuit to place chocolate down boosts the 'oral-somatosensory experience' of the chocolate melting on the tongue An astonishing 80 million packets of the humble teatime staple are produced every year, with the chocolate made in Greater Manchester. The genesis of the Chocolate Digestive happened roughly 25 years after the plain biscuit and two years before McVities launched the Jaffa cake. Despite the biscuits often being referred to as chocolate-topped, McVities has disclosed the plain variety actually go through a 'chocolate reservoir' and the chocolate is slavered on its underside. It comes after researchers from Oxford University believe they have settled the debate, and claim that you should pick up the biscuits with the chocolate side up, but flip them over before eating them. The experts say this method allows the brain to register the chocolate coating, while flipping them before eating maximises the 'oral-somatosensory experience' of the chocolate melting on the tongue. In the 2021 study, Oxford University food scientist Professor Charles Spence analysed different ways of eating a chocolate digestive – including chocolate side up, chocolate side down, and with the winning flip. His findings suggest that the biscuits are best enjoyed at room temperature, and when a 'substantial bite' is taken. 'Which side up a half-coated chocolate biscuit should be eaten is a topic that's been hotly debated, which is why we wanted to get to the bottom of the million dollar question,' he said. 'My research suggested that whilst there are merits in both ways, holding the biscuit chocolate side up first to maximise the visual experience and then switching it over as the biscuit is brought toward the mouth provides the best multi-sensory experience.' While the findings suggest that eating the biscuits chocolate side down results in a more delicious experience, previous research by McVitie's shows that just 23 per cent of chocolate digestive eater actually choose to eat their snack this way. This is largely due to the fact that people see chocolate as the topping – much like you wouldn't eat a piece of toast with jam on the bottom. Mark Schomberg, Head of Chocolate and Culinary Craft at McVitie's, said: 'There is no 'right or wrong' way to eat a Chocolate Digestive, however we've previously confirmed that technically speaking the chocolate is on the bottom of the biscuit as that's how it's enrobed when they are created.' Professor Spence's research also revealed that people tend to enjoy eating biscuits if it's more noisy. While it's not the most social way to eat a biscuit, he suggests that eating with your mouth open may help to enhance the taste. Meanwhile, chewing slowly can also boost the flavour, so it's best to linger over each mouthful, according to Professor Spence. Jaffa Cakes The Edinburgh-biscuit company have revealed the chocolate is actually on the bottom of the Jaffa Cake , contrary to popular belief For a small inoffensive treat, Jaffa Cakes can cause a lot of debate. Is it a biscuit? Is it a cake? Should you eat it all in one or nibble off the edge before the jelly? These are questions asked in households across the UK, and while theses questions may always remain a mystery, McVitie's has baffled fans by putting an end to one debate. The Edinburgh-biscuit company has revealed the chocolate is actually on the bottom of the Jaffa Cake, contrary to popular belief. UK social media user known as David claims to have asked the Jaffa Cake team to confirm which side of the treat is the top via Facebook messenger. In screenshots that have since been shared widely, they said: 'Hi David, our Jaffa Cakes go through a reservoir of chocolate, so the chocolate is the bottom, Thanks Jaffa Cake' to which David quickly replied: 'WTF'. The post was then shared to the Facebook group Family Lockdown Tricks and Tips, where many disagreed with the news. 'Lol no really not accepting this. The cake part is the bottom,' said one. 'Omg that's like eating a ham salad sandwich with the ham on the bottom and salad on top. All wrong,' added another. In a screenshot of a Twitter conservation shared widely on UK Facebook groups, McVitie's appear to have confirmed that chocolate goes on the bottom of a Jaffa Cake ''I refuse to accept this,' said a third. 'The bad news just keeps on coming. What a year,' a fourth wrote. 'Their own advert shows choc side up on the plate!' a fifth noticed. Users also took to Twitter to share their shock, with one writing they were 'horrified' at the news. McVitie's have previously weighed in on the debate, revealing that it's not just Jaffa Cakes but all their sweet treats that have the chocolate on the bottom. Marketing director Kerry Owens previously told MailOnline: 'When we make our McVitie's chocolate biscuits – whether that be Chocolate Hobnobs, Chocolate Digestives, or even Jaffa Cakes – they go through a reservoir of chocolate on the production line. 'This essentially 'enrobes' the bottom in chocolate - so we can confirm that the chocolate is officially on the bottom of the biscuits.' Toblerone can be tricky to to grapple with, as many struggling to break off a piece of the delicious Swiss chocolate when they indulge in the popular snack It's a classic chocolate treat that's beloved by many, but Toblerone can be tricky to to grapple with, as many struggling to break off a piece of the delicious Swiss chocolate when they indulge in the popular snack. But now a top chef has shared the correct way to break off triangles from the sweet treat, leaving many perplexed. Chef Koudy, from the Czech Republic, revealed the triangles are supposed to be pushed together and pinched before being snapped off an be eaten. Eating a bar of Toblerone usually involves tugging at the bar to snap away each of the triangular pieces. But with Chef Koudy's method it's a matter of just placing your finger on the tip of the piece and instead of trying to firmly pull the chunk of chocolate off the bar, he instead pushes it towards it. Taking to TikTok, the food influencer demonstrated the bar being snapped off piece-by-piece, ensuring you don't end up with chocolate all over your hands. Eating a bar of Toblerone usually involves tugging at the bar to snap away each of the triangular pieces Taking to TikTok, the food influencer demonstrated the bar being snapped off piece-by-piece, ensuring you don't end up with chocolate all over your hands (pictured doing it the wrong way) 'Do you know Toblerone should be pushed together to break?' he wrote in the caption. The video has since racked up nearly 50 million views with many commenting their shock. 'Each day I learn new things,' one person wrote. However, many said they just bite straight into the chocolate bar, while others worried about touching a piece of chocolate you don't eat. 'I personally eat it like normal chocolate,' wrote one. 'Aren't we supposed to just take a bite?' said another. KitKat has finally settled the hotly-contested debate over the 'correct' way to eat the iconic chocolate bar KitKat has finally settled the hotly-contested debate over the 'correct' way to eat the iconic chocolate bar. Viral videos have surfaced on TikTok showing KitKats being eaten in 'unmentionable' ways, with many controversially chomping the block 'like an animal' without breaking apart the fingers. And the confectionery brand has stepped in to let Australia know once and for all - that as long as you 'have a break' to enjoy your KitKat, then you're doing it right. From savouring the crispy wafer to taking one big honking bite out of the corner, fans are outraged by some of the ways people take on a KitKat. The contentious topic has long been debated, with plenty of table-flipping passion no less, but this week a new point has been unearthed - is there even a 'wrong way' to enjoy a KitKat? 'We know Aussies are extremely passionate about how they eat their KitKat, and fans across the country are stepping up to defend their technique,' Nestlé head of marketing confectionery Joyce Tan said. 'Whether you snap, nibble or chomp, what really matters is that you take a break from your day to enjoy your KitKat your way.' The Rybka Twins - Sam and Teagan - shared a TikTok video showing how they eat KitKat differently. Sam took a big bite out of the block while Teagan snapped off a finger first before eating. Veronica also shared an amusing video showing the two different ways Aussies eat KitKat 'No Sam, not that like. Poor KitKat,' one wrote, while another pair of twins said: 'This is like my and my sister.' TikTok star Millie Ford, from Sydney, left her followers outraged after she shared an amusing video of herself reenacting a school teacher munching on the chocolate bar without snapping off a finger. 'What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost,' she said. Her video has been viewed more than 1.5million times, with one saying: 'The KitKat did nothing to you why have you forsaken it like this?' Another wrote: 'You did not just bite into a KitKat like that.' While one said: 'She ate the KitKat like that because the teachers did that... in my school at least.' Custard Creams The custard cream is said to have originated in 1908 in England and the biscuit design is Victorian with baroque markings The custard cream is said to have originated in 1908 in England and the biscuit design is Victorian with baroque markings. There has been a debate for years on the best way to enjoy the buttery, creamy vanilla biscuit. Whether people dunk them into a hot cup of tea or pull the biscuit apart to lick the vanilla cream centre. Taking to Reddit one Brit was keen to settle the debate on the correct way enjoy the delicious treat. The post read: 'Ignoring other features such as dunking in tea or similar, do you eat custard creams either: 1. As they are, in a couple of bites. 2. Split them in half, eat the cream out of the middle, and then eat the separate biscuits.' Many rushed to the comments with their own thoughts with one person saying there is a third way to eat the biccie. One person said: 'One other option; split in half. Eat the half with no cream on and then the other half with the cream.' Another added: 'This is the correct answer. Potentially even nibbling away the biscuit edges underhanging the cream before eating the remaining portion.' Someone else said: 'Split in half, eat the non cream bit. Do this again. Stick the two cream bits together creating a double cream.' A fourth added: 'Eat the biscuit around the edge, scrape of the biscuit above the cream, eat the biscuit on the bottom around the cream then eat the cream with biscuit on top' Jammie Dodgers Jammie Dodgers, a popular British biscuit, are typically enjoyed by dipped in tea, or as a standalone snack Taking to Instagram threads Danny, from Leeds, asked his followers the pressing question Many rushed to the comments with their own way to eat the biscuit, while some agreed with Danny Jammie Dodgers, a popular British biscuit, are typically enjoyed by dipped in tea, or as a standalone snack. After briefly adding dairy to their recipe, Jammie Dodgers reverted back to a vegan-friendly recipe in 2020, sparking joy among plant-based diet followers across the globe. Meanwhile over the years, the biscuit has seen a variety of limited edition flavors, including toffee, lemon, and even berry blast. In 2009, they were even reportedly sent to the International Space Station as part of a care package for British astronaut Tim Peake. However despite being one of the only British biscuit to make it to space, the debate is still strong on what is the correct way to devour the delicious snack. Taking to Instagram threads Danny, from Leeds, asked his followers the pressing question. He wrote: 'How do you eat your Jammie Dodgers? I think I eat mine the weirdest way. 'Eat the top edge, eat the bottom edge and then boom centre goes in one.' Many rushed to the comments with their own way to eat the biscuit. One person wrote: 'Nibble all the outside and the biscuit leaving the jam then eat that…yes I'm weird.' Another said: 'I'm the same. Save the best till last.' While someone else agreed adding: 'Leaving the jam bit until last.' A Cadbury's worker has revealed the 'correct' way to eat a Creme Egg - and it involves licking out the filling A Cadbury's worker has revealed the 'correct' way to eat a Creme Egg amid significant debate about the best way to consume the confectionery. Shaheed Khattak, a systems maintenance engineer at the Cadbury factory in Bournville, Birmingham, said you firstly have to bite off the top of the popular chocolate treat. He explained that you then have to eat the filling, before eating the rest of the shell on its own. Speaking to the HuffPost, Shaheed said: 'Who are these people out there eating them whole? You're asking for death by Creme Egg. 'You have to bite the top, eat out the centre and then eat the shell on its own. Obviously.' He also revealed that the Creme Egg production line takes up two entire floors of the Cadbury's factory in Bournville. Share or comment on this article: Are you eating your favourite sweet treat all wrong? 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