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Hobnob biscuit

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This article is about the biscuit. For other uses, see Hobnob.

Hobnobs
TypeOat
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Created byMcVitie's
Invented1985
1987 (Chocolate variant)
Main ingredientsRolled oats

Hobnobs (sometimes stylized as HobNobs) is a biscuit brand owned by British company McVitie's. They are made from rolled oats and are similar to a flapjack-digestive biscuit hybrid. McVitie's launched Hobnobs in 1985 and a milk chocolate variant in 1987.[1] The plain variety is manufactured at Tollcross factory in Glasgow, and the chocolate variety is made at the Harlesden factory in north-west London.[2]

They are primarily sold in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Ireland but are available in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and several European and Asian countries (e.g. Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong). In Italy they are now marketed as a variety of digestive biscuits, having previously been known as Suncrok. They were also released in Canada in November 2012, made available in Wal-Mart's British modular section in their food aisles. The McVitie's Hobnob is the third-most-popular biscuit in the UK to "dunk" into tea, with its chocolate variant sixth.[3] In 2014 a UK survey declared the Chocolate Hobnob the nation's favourite biscuit.[4]

History

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Cylindrical blue package with a golden brown biscuit on the side of the packing
Abbey Crunch

The Colchester Priory Biscuit, a precursor to the Hobnob, was created in the 1800s by two unknown local bakers. This later morphed into Abbey Crunch, and in turn the Hobnob, both of which were sweeter due to the addition of golden syrup.[5][6][7] Abbey Crunches, sold with the tagline "the original oat biscuit",[5][8] were packed into a PET tray created by blow moulding and protected from moisture with a Rayophane MXXT film wrapping.[9][10]

Since McVities have stopped manufacturing the biscuits, cooks such as Mary Berry have created their own recipes for home baking.[11][12][13]

The commercial recipe for Hobnob biscuits was introduced by McVitie's in the UK in 1985.[14] A best seller, demand for the plain Hobnobs led to the introduction of a chocolate variant in 1987.[14] The biscuit is available in many varieties, including dark chocolate, chocolate orange, and Hobnob bars. Other Hobnobs-branded snacks include a Hobnobs flapjack. Hobnobs contains approx 0.16 g of sodium per biscuit.[15]

The name Hobnob comes from the verb 'to hobnob', which means to spend time being friendly with someone who is important or famous.[16] Channel 4's Secret World of Biscuits programme claims that the name comes from the two words "hob" (suggesting home-cooked on a stove) and "knobbly" referencing the texture.[17]

Manufacture

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Plain Hobnobs are made at the Tollcross factory in Glasgow. The chocolate variety is made at the Harlesden factory in north-west London.[18] The basic ingredients for Hobnobs are oats.

Marketing

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The original tagline of the Hobnobs was "one nibble and you're nobbled",[19] and was removed. It has since been brought back, but slightly changed by adding "hob" to the beginning of the last word.[20]

The tagline "Chocolate now has Hobnobs underneath" was used for the introduction in the UK of chocolate Hobnobs.

References

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  1. ^ Osman, Richard (2017). The World Cup Of Everything: Bringing the fun home. Hachette UK.
  2. ^ "See how chocolate digestives are made at a London biscuit factory". Time Out. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Chocolate digestive is nation's favourite dunking biscuit". The Daily Telegraph. 2 May 2009.
  4. ^ "What is the nation's favourite biscuit". Kernpack. 11 December 2014. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015.
  5. ^ a b Dalby, Tom (3 April 2018). "Colchester is 'the proud home' of the biscuit which inspired the Hobnob". Essex County Standard. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  6. ^ "A local historian from Colchester fascinated by the". East Anglian Daily Times. 21 April 2018. ProQuest 2028094063. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  7. ^ Ward, Mark (2 June 2003). "Web takes the biscuit". BBC. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Abbey Crunch". nicecupofteaandasitdown.com. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  9. ^ Food Manufacture, vol. 45, Morgan-Grampian, 1970, p. 74
  10. ^ Food Processing, vol. 52, Techpress, 1983, p. 29
  11. ^ Mary Berry (2018), "6", Fast Cakes: Easy Bakes in Minutes, ISBN 978-1472243003
  12. ^ "Abbey Crunch Biscuits". veggie-recipe.com. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  13. ^ Scott, Cara-Louise (4 April 2023). "Recipe: Abbey Crunch Biscuits". redbrick. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  14. ^ a b "McVitie's History". McVities.co.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  15. ^ "United Biscuits". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
  16. ^ "Hobnob".
  17. ^ The Secret World of Biscuits. Channel 4. 8 August 2021.
  18. ^ Marketer, The Conscious (31 December 2020). "Harlesden: The last of the inner-city London suburbs". Medium. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  19. ^ Justin Holloway (24 June 1999). "Keeping up with the Jonesness". Salon. Archived from the original on 28 October 2004. Retrieved 28 January 2007.
  20. ^ "Hobnobs". McVitie's. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
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