Penguin Orange Chocolate: Storage, Earl Grey and Coffee

McVitie's Penguin Orange: keeping the citrus alive

Orange is the most fragile flavour you can put in a chocolate bar, carried by light aromatics that escape quickly. That makes this the Penguin where storage matters most, and the one where the individual wrapper really earns its keep.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

McVitie's Penguin Orange: keeping the citrus alive, in summary: An orange note over the cocoa, in seven wrapped coated bars, and the citrus is the first thing heat and air steal. Keep the box cool, never cold, and pour Earl Grey or a strong breakfast blend.

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

Orange is the most fragile flavour you can put in a chocolate bar, carried by light aromatics that escape quickly. That makes this the Penguin where storage matters most, and the one where the individual wrapper really earns its keep.

Same build, faster flavour

The orange Penguin shares the three-layer build of the rest of the line, with a biscuit at the base, a filling above it and a coating over everything, and changes only the aromatic. Citrus sits close to the surface in a coated bar, so an unwrapped bar at room temperature gives a bright orange lift over a rounder cocoa note. That contrast is the reason to choose it over the plain version.

Sweetness runs high, though a notch below the caramel Penguin, because the acidity of the citrus takes some weight off the finish. The published allergen statement for this barcode lists wheat (gluten), milk and soya; check the current pack for the full details. The box holds seven bars of 24.6g, 172.2g in total, each sealed in its own wrapper.

Why this bar hates the fridge

Cold is the enemy of orange. Citrus aromatics need warmth to leave the surface of the bar, so a chilled Penguin Orange tastes almost entirely of chocolate, and a cold coating stays stubbornly firm on the tongue as well. Keep the box in a cool cupboard, well away from the oven and out of direct sun, and it will hold its character.

Heat and open air steal the citrus before they touch anything else, which is why the wrapper matters more here than on any other Penguin. An unopened bar keeps its orange; one left unwrapped on a desk soon loses it. Treat the box as seven separate servings and open each one only when you are about to eat it.

Earl Grey, breakfast tea or a medium roast

Earl Grey taken black is our first choice. Bergamot is a citrus oil in its own right, so it keeps company with the orange rather than clashing with the cocoa, and to our mind no Penguin has a better partner. For an everyday mug, a strong breakfast blend with milk does the job, with enough body to answer the sweetness without burying the fruit.

Coffee works if you choose carefully. A medium roast drunk black suits it, while a very dark roast adds a burnt bitterness that swamps the cocoa and hides the fruit, which defeats the point of choosing orange. Whatever you pour, keep the bar out of the mug: dunking melts the coating into the drink and takes the citrus with it.

The packs we stock

McVitie's Penguin Orange Chocolate Biscuit Multipack, 7 Biscuits 172.2g (barcode 5000168038490)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for McVitie's Penguin Orange Chocolate Biscuit Multipack, 7 Biscuits 172.2g (barcode 5000168038490) says it contains wheat (gluten), milk and soya. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.

Typical values per 100g	Per 100g
Energy	520 kcal
Fat	26.8g
of which saturates	15.2g
Carbohydrate	62.8g
of which sugars	40.8g
Fibre	2.4g
Protein	5.2g
Salt	0.2g

Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. The pack in your hands is the final word.

What to drink with it

Glengettie Welsh Breakfast Tea, 80 Tea Bags 250g: A strong breakfast blend with milk for the everyday mug, with body enough for the sweetness.
Yorkshire Tea Gold Blend Loose Leaf Tea, 250g: Brewed in a pot, a fuller breakfast cup that stays in the background and lets the orange come forward.
Tetley Redbush Vanilla, 40 Tea Bags 100g: Vanilla sits comfortably with orange and chocolate, which makes this a gentle evening alternative.

Elsewhere in the McVitie's range

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

FAQ

Which allergens does the Penguin Orange label name? The published allergen statement for this barcode lists wheat (gluten), milk and soya. Always check the current pack before buying.

Does chilling a Penguin Orange spoil it? It mutes it. The orange needs warmth to come through, so a chilled bar tastes mostly of chocolate; a cool cupboard is the better home.

What is the best tea with Penguin Orange? Earl Grey, taken black, because bergamot is a citrus note that runs with the orange. A strong breakfast tea with milk is the everyday alternative.

Can I have coffee with an orange Penguin? Yes, a medium roast drunk black. Very dark roasts tend to smother the citrus.

Why has my bar lost its orange flavour? Warmth and open air take the citrus aromatics first. Keep bars wrapped until you eat them and store the box somewhere cool.

Curator's note: Pour a black Earl Grey and let the bar sit on the saucer while the tea settles. It is the grown-up's Penguin, and in a house of adults it tends to leave the box first. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: McVitie's Penguin Orange: keeping the citrus alive

Field	Detail
Brand	McVitie's
Packs we stock	7 Biscuits 172.2g
Category	Chocolate Biscuits
Allergens (as published)	It contains wheat (gluten), milk and soya.
Dunkable	No, the coating takes the orange with it
Best with	Black Earl Grey, or breakfast tea with milk
Store	Cool, and wrapped until eaten