McVitie's Fig Rolls: Storage, Serving and Tea Pairings

McVitie's Fig Rolls: The Soft One in the Tin

Almost every biscuit in the tin is trying to stay crisp, while a fig roll is trying to stay soft. Once you know that, every rule for storing, dunking and serving it turns round.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

McVitie's Fig Rolls: The Soft One in the Tin, in summary: Soft pastry wrapped round a fig paste that makes up 30% of the recipe. Do not dunk it or chill it; keep the pack sealed in a cool cupboard so the casing stays cakey, and pour an everyday black tea.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

Almost every biscuit in the tin is trying to stay crisp, while a fig roll is trying to stay soft. Once you know that, every rule for storing, dunking and serving it turns round.

Fig paste first, pastry second

Fig paste heads the ingredient list at 30%, ahead of wheat flour, glucose syrup, sugar, palm oil, water and salt. That order explains how it eats: a thin, cakey wrapper around a dense, jammy centre, with the fig seeds giving a faint grit that some people love and some cannot get on with. It tastes of fruit first and biscuit second.

It contains wheat (gluten), and the label warns of possible egg, milk, nuts and soya, so read the current pack if any of those matter in your house. Among the McVitie's lines we stock it is the odd one out. Rich Tea is built around the dunk and the digestives around a dry crumb, while a fig roll is soft all the way through and ignores the cup entirely.

Storage runs backwards

With a crisp biscuit the enemy is damp; with a fig roll it is dry air. Left open, the pack dries out and the casing loses its cake-like give and toughens, so fold the wrapper tightly or move the rolls to an airtight tin, and keep them away from a warm cupboard. Do not put them in the fridge either: cold firms the fig centre and mutes the fruit.

The upside of softness shows in a bag. With nothing rigid to snap, a fig roll squashes rather than crumbles, and with no coating there is nothing to melt, so it survives the bottom of a rucksack or a lunchbox better than most biscuits. We stock the one 200g pack; once it is open, a small airtight tin keeps the rest soft.

Why the dunk gains nothing

You can dunk a fig roll, but there is no reason to. Dunking exists to soften a dry biscuit, and this one is already soft, so all the tea can do is weaken the casing until it slips away from the fruit. Treat it as a dry eat with a moist middle and put the cup beside it rather than under it.

Neither the tea nor the biscuit needs to be strong. A plain everyday black tea with a little milk is the default, and a breakfast blend works if you like a firmer cup. Earl Grey suits it too: bergamot is gentle and so is the fig, so neither shouts the other down. A spiced rooibos chai picks up the warmth in the fruit, and coffee drinkers should go short and dark.

The packs we stock

McVitie's Fig Rolls Biscuits, 200g (barcode 5011021004163)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for McVitie's Fig Rolls Biscuits, 200g says it contains wheat (gluten), and it may contain egg, milk, nuts and soya. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.

Ingredients, as published: Fig Paste (30%), Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Palm), Water, Salt, Raising Agent (Sodium Bicarbonate), Wheat Starch, Acid (Citric Acid).

Typical values per 100g	Per 100g
Energy	383 kcal
Fat	8.6g
of which saturates	3.8g
Carbohydrate	71.7g
of which sugars	34.8g
Fibre	3.0g
Protein	3.4g
Salt	0.6g

Ingredient and nutrition information for this product, as published on the manufacturer's label. The pack in your hands is the final word.

What to drink with it

Twinings Everyday 120 Plant-Based, 348g: An everyday cup, brewed to a medium strength, which is all a fig roll asks for, with or without milk.
PG Tips English Breakfast Special Blends Speciality Black, 70 Tea Bags: A firmer breakfast cup for anyone who likes their tea with more grip against the sweet fruit.
Good Earth Rooibos Chai, 15 Tea Bags 34.5g: A rooibos chai whose warm spice runs alongside the fig rather than across it.
L'Or Espresso Ristretto Intensity 11 Coffee, 40 Pods 208g: A short ristretto for coffee drinkers, bitter enough to set off the jammy centre.

Elsewhere in the McVitie's range

The full range is on the McVitie's brand page.

FAQ

Does a fig roll count as a biscuit? Only just. It is soft pastry around a fig paste centre, with nothing in it that snaps.

Why have my fig rolls gone hard? The pack was left open and the casing dried out. Keep it tightly closed, or in an airtight tin, somewhere cool.

Should fig rolls go in the fridge? No. Cold firms the centre and dulls the fig, so a cool cupboard is the right place.

What allergens are in McVitie's Fig Rolls? The published list shows wheat (gluten), and the label warns that egg, milk, nuts and soya may be present. Read the current pack before buying for someone with an allergy.

What tea goes with fig rolls? An everyday black tea, milk optional. Earl Grey and a spiced rooibos chai are both good alternatives.

Curator's note: Take two out, close the pack straight away and pour an ordinary cup of tea. Fig rolls reward being left alone. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: McVitie's Fig Rolls: The Soft One in the Tin

Field	Detail
Brand	McVitie's
Packs we stock	200g
Category	Chocolate Biscuits
Allergens (as published)	It contains wheat (gluten), and it may contain egg, milk, nuts and soya.
Dunkable	No point, it is already soft
Best with	An everyday black tea or Earl Grey
Storage	Sealed, in a cool cupboard, never the fridge