The name Jammie Dodger has nothing to do with the jam filling
Viewers were left gobsmacked after discovering the origin of the name ‘Jammie Dodgers’, and it is not what you might think in a food twist. In a recent episode of BBC One’s Inside the Factory, hosts Cherry Healy and Paddy McGuinness delved into the history of the beloved British biscuit, Jammie Dodgers.
Contrary to popular belief, the name doesn’t derive from the jam filling. One user took to Reddit and shared their shock, writing: “I always thought it was because they dodged the amount of jam they put on the biscuit.” Another added: “No way! I thought it was because of the jam!”
The episode, which aired on January 6, featured an interview with Rebecca Phillips, general manager at the Llantarnam factory where Jammie Dodgers are made. She revealed that the biscuit’s name actually pays homage to Beano character, Rodger the Dodger.
Sorry, this content is no longer supported
This iconic character first graced the pages of The Beano in 1953 and remains one of the comic’s longest-running characters. Rebecca explained: “Just like our biscuits, Roger was said always to be jammy enough to get himself out of sticky situations.”
Jammie Dodgers are made at Fox’s Burton’s Companies Llantarnam factory in South Wales and people loved the show with one writing: “My fave comic and my fave biscuit are related – who’d have thought!” whilst another commented: “I could swear it was about mischief, so a beano character makes sense I suppose! Love a JD.”
Another user on X wrote that they were “hypnotised by jammy dodgers” with another adding they were shocked how one employee has worked there for a whopping 34 years, joking that they must be “sick” of the biscuit.
Commenting on the revelation, Scott Perry, marketing director at Fox’s Burton’s Companies said: “We’ve loved seeing people discover the story behind our biscuits. Jammie Dodgers have always been about fun and mischief, so it feels only right that our name comes from one of the most iconic cheeky characters!”
The beloved biscuit, recognisable by its jam-filled centre and distinctive heart-shaped window, has remained a British household favourite for decades. The programme revealed that the factory’s brass roller churns out an astounding 2,880 Jammie Dodger tops and bottoms every minute – that’s the equivalent to the length of eight double-decker buses.
You can watch the episode BBC iPlayer here. The BBC show follows Paddy McGuinness as he gets an exclusive look at how the South Wales factory produces a whopping 4.4bn biscuits each year.