Lotus biscuits to give up Speculoos name in favour of Biscoff

As early as next year, the manufacturer of Lotus biscuits will stop using the Speculoos brand in Belgium, according to Lotus boss Jan Boone.

The company intends to make its biscuits a global brand, which is why it has opted for the American name Biscoff, with an international sound, Boone said in an interview with De Tijd newspaper. The company’s famous speculoos-based spread will also take on this name.

Today, Lotus Speculoos is only present on packaging in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. Elsewhere in the world, the product is sold under the name Biscoff, a contraction of the words biscuit and coffee.

The Lotus boss now wants to use this name everywhere to make the company’s cookies a “global brand”. The name Speculoos will therefore disappear in Belgium and neighbouring countries.

The announcement caused a lot of chatter on social media. "Some people are disappointed, but a lot of people think it's nice too," Boone said on Saturday. The company had research done on the name change. "Almost all consumers agree," the Lotus boss said.

However, Speculoos will not disappear completely. In Belgium, the Netherlands and France, the word "original speculoos" will be added below the Biscoff brand, explained Boone.

It is also about protecting an international brand. "We have worked for years to protect Biscoff,” said Boone. “Otherwise, it would have been copied immediately."