Morrisons takes biscuits for the kitchen as supermarket chain rebrands to ‘gingerbread person’

They’ve been a much-loved treat for more than 200 years, but now Morrisons have updated the gingerbread men – with a gender-neutral makeover.

The traditional biscuit has been renamed a ‘gingerbread person’ by the supermarket in the name of ‘inclusivity’ after receiving complaints from shoppers.

But even Morrisons bosses appear to be confused by the £1.39 snack – because while the website and shelf labels use the new term, the packets the biscuits come in still say gingerbread ‘man’.

Mike Buchanan of the campaign group Justice For Men & Boys attacks the rebranding as “a hasty attack on a traditional biscuit”: “These kinds of complaints always come from chronically whiny, spiteful harpies who have nothing better to do with their time. Instead of stand up to them, targeted organizations almost always fold, to their eternal shame.’

A Morrisons spokesperson, or perhaps spokesperson, said: “Following feedback from customers, we have changed this to provide everyone with inclusion.”

It is not the first time that the treat has changed its name. The Scottish Parliament cafe began selling gingerbread people in 2018, prompting Conservative MSP Annie Wells to label it a “completely pointless” gesture that simply downplays the real issues of gender equality. Sainsbury’s is also selling gingerbread people, prompting comments online from shoppers such as “I wonder where they are personalized”.

Pret A Manger has human-shaped ‘gingerbread biscuits’, as does Tesco – although the supermarket still sells mini gingerbread cookies.

Costa Coffee avoids the issue of a Santa biscuit, but a character on its festive cups is ‘Ginger, the pepperbread person’.

Greggs, Waitrose and McVitie’s have stuck with gingerbread men.

The first documented occurrence of human-shaped gingerbread was at the court of Elizabeth I. He became a fairy tale character in 1875, with the story of a childless old woman who bakes one, but he then comes to life and escapes.

Later versions had him taunting his creator with the line: ‘Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man!

A Morrisons shopper said: “Maybe now it needs to be rewritten to ‘Run, run at maximum effort!’ You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread person!’

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