Penguin Chocolate and Mint vs Club Mint: How They Differ

McVitie's Penguin Chocolate and Mint: the after-dinner bar

Mint is the one flavour that works against a rich chocolate bar instead of adding to it. In a Penguin it lives in the cream at the centre, which is why the cool note comes through the whole bite rather than only off the surface.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

McVitie's Penguin Chocolate and Mint: the after-dinner bar, in summary: Seven wrapped bars with a cream filling between two thin biscuits, all coated, and the mint running through the middle. Softer than a Club, and best after a meal with an unsweetened medium black tea or black coffee.

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

Mint is the one flavour that works against a rich chocolate bar instead of adding to it. In a Penguin it lives in the cream at the centre, which is why the cool note comes through the whole bite rather than only off the surface.

Cream in the middle, not a heavy shell

A mint Penguin and a Club Mint share a shelf and a flavour, but they are built differently. A Club is one biscuit wrapped in a heavy covering, so chocolate leads from start to finish. A Penguin layers cream between two thinner biscuits and then coats the lot, so the flavour is spread through the centre of the bar and each bite is noticeably softer at a similar weight.

That build matters for mint in particular. Cream keeps hold of mint far better than a set coating does, so the cooling note travels through the bar as you eat it. The covering here is lighter than a Club's, because the filling carries part of the load, and as it softens in the mouth the cocoa arrives first, with mint close behind.

The cool note, explained

The coolness comes from menthol, which stimulates the mouth's cold-sensing nerves and produces a real feeling of chill with no drop in temperature. It explains why a mint bar seems to leave the palate clean, and why it sits so comfortably beside a hot drink. Its aroma also needs warmth to lift from the bar, so a Penguin taken straight from the fridge gives less of both cocoa and mint.

Storage follows from the filling. The cream is the softest part of the bar and the first to suffer in a warm room, so keep the box in a cool cupboard rather than on a sunny worktop or in the fridge. The individual wrappers stop each bar scuffing, blooming or picking up cupboard smells before you reach it, so all seven arrive at the table in the same condition.

Serving it after a meal

This is the Penguin we would save for after dinner. Where a caramel bar needs a strong brew to fight it, the mint version only needs something warm to contrast against. A medium black tea brewed for three to four minutes is right, or a plain black coffee. Leave out the sugar, since sweetness in the cup flattens the cooling note faster than anything else.

Do not dunk it. Within moments the coating is sliding into the tea, and the cream gives way right after, leaving nothing firm to lift out. Unwrap it, set it on the saucer and eat it between sips. There are seven bars of 24.6g in the box, 172.2g in all, which makes it easy to keep one back for each evening of the week.

The packs we stock

McVitie's Penguin Chocolate and Mint Flavour Cream Filled Biscuit Bars, 7 Bars 172.2g (barcode 5000168038476)

What to drink with it

Clipper Fairtrade Everyday Tea, 80 Pack 232g: A dependable medium black tea; brew it three to four minutes and drink it without sugar so the mint stays cool and clear.
Yorkshire Tea Bedtime Brew, 40 Tea Bags 100g: From our decaffeinated shelf, a gentle after-dinner cup for a late mint bar.
L'Or Espresso Ristretto Coffee Pods, 10 Pods 52g: A short black coffee to close a meal, with the mint bar standing in for an after-dinner chocolate.

Elsewhere in the McVitie's range

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

FAQ

What separates a mint Penguin from a Club Mint? A Penguin has cream sandwiched between two thin biscuits under its coating, while a Club puts a single biscuit under a thicker covering. The Penguin eats softer and carries its flavour through the middle.

Why does the mint in a Penguin feel cool? Menthol in mint triggers the cold receptors in the mouth, so it feels cool without anything actually changing temperature.

Does a mint Penguin survive a dunk? No. The coating comes away in the tea almost at once and the cream softens straight after it, leaving nothing firm to lift out.

Should I take sugar in the tea with it? We would not. Sweetness in the cup is the quickest way to dull the cooling mint.

How many mint Penguins come in the box? Seven, each 24.6g and wrapped individually.

Curator's note: Keep this box for the end of the evening meal. One bar and a cup of black tea without sugar, and you will not miss pudding. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: McVitie's Penguin Chocolate and Mint: the after-dinner bar

Field	Detail
Brand	McVitie's
Packs we stock	7 Bars 172.2g
Category	Chocolate Biscuits
Dunkable	No, the coating and cream give way
Best with	Medium black tea without sugar, or black coffee
Occasion	After a meal