The real reason behind the name of McVitie's Hobnobs is leaving fans baffled
The inventor of the beloved biscuit, McVities' Hobnobs has revealed the meaning behind the iconic biscuit's name, leaving fans baffled at the unlikely reason behind the treat's name.
All was revealed in Channel 4's The Secret World of Biscuits when the creator was quizzed over the Hobnob's name, which launched in supermarkets in 1985, the Mirror UK reports.
Pam Langworthy, who helped develop and market the British delight, said: "[The focus groups] said [the biscuit] was knobbly, because, you know, it wasn't a very smooth finish in the way, for instance, Digestive or Rich Tea are. And they said it looked as if somebody had made it at home, maybe made it on a hob."
She added: "And so, I wanted a name that was very easy to say and just rolled off the tongue. And so, 'Hobnob'."
These biscuits have become hugely popular since the 80s, but arguably not as much as McVities' most popular biscuit worldwide, which is the unbeatable digestive.
However, according to British Corner Shop, McVities Hobnobs are available in physical stores in France, USA, Italy, Germany, Canada, Spain, Austria and Denmark.
The name Hobnob also derives from the British verb 'to hobnob'. It means to spend time being friendly with someone important or a celebrity. Mindblowing, right?
Despite focus groups almost steering biscuit makers towards the name all those years ago, it wasn't a done deal from the off. Andrew Easdale, a co-worker of Pam, explained that their superiors wanted to keep it more 'homely'.
He explained: 'There was a sort of I wouldn't say a stunned silence, but there was a, um, hmmm, followed by, 'couldn't you call it something a bit more descriptive, like 'oaty crunchies? I said, 'No, it's gonna be Hobnobs. We need a brand.' Thankfully, the name 'Hobnobs' was agreed and it has become a household name ever since.
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