People only just realising how iconic biscuits Hobnobs got its name

Sure, a cup of tea might be an absolute British staple. But a nice cuppa on the sofa in front of the telly isn’t quite complete without one thing.

Biscuits, obviously.

Maybe you’ve got in a selection box because they were on offer at the shops, perhaps you’ve got some fancy new ones to try, or, more likely, you’ve opened up a tube of your absolute favourites.

Chocolate digestives, custard creams, Nice, Jammie Dodgers, Ginger Nuts, malted milks, maybe even Party Rings – I’m not judging.

And there’s also Hobnobs, of course.

Hobnobs are a classic. (John Keeble/Getty Images)

But while most of the names kind of indicate directly what kind of biscuit they are, Hobnobs seems the oddest. Because what does that even mean?

Well, thankfully (because I know you’re on the absolute edge of your seat), a documentary explained just how the iconic British biccies got their name.

Channel 4’s The Secret World of… dived into biscuits and more specifically - hobnobs.

Pam Langworthy, who helped to develop and market the oaty treat, oversaw a team that was tasked with making a new biscuit for consumers to be excited about, but was still easy and economical for McVitie’s to make.

Inspired by tasty flapjacks, the British snack brand added oats to a new recipe for a different texture - with the biscuits ending up being a hit with focus groups.

Hobnob anyone? (Getty stock photo)

Langworthy found those 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 said during the doc.

“And so, I wanted a name that was very easy to say and just rolled off the tongue. And so, ‘Hobnob’.”

One of Langworth’s colleagues at the time, Andrew Easdale was also tasked with pitching this unique name to their bosses.

“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?’” he revealed. “I said ’no, it’s gonna be Hobnobs. We need a brand.”

And it certainly worked, the biscuit became an absolute staple with McVitie’s calling it ‘the nation’s crunchiest companion’ and it was soon followed by the various chocolate and bar versions.

So, there you have it – the biscuits are knobbly and looked like they’ve been made on a hob. Hobnobs.

Topics: Channel 4, Documentaries, Food And Drink

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_