When it comes to porridge, the Scots invented it and it’s lined the stomach of millions of us both growing up and to this day. One of the most famous brands is Scott’s Porage Oats which have been around since 1880, adopting their current name in 1914.
And while the box very clearly spells the breakfast favourite as ‘Porage’, it seems people have only just spotted this. A post on facebook page Very British Problems, stated: “I’ve been eating this for years and I’ve only just noticed it’s spelled ‘porage’.”
The admission quickly started a debate with folk jumping on the post to admit to the same oversight.
One shocked reader said: “What? I buy it all the time and never noticed.” And another added: “It’s always been like that. Since 1914. And I’ve never noticed. Astonishing. And somehow deeply disturbing.”
Some even took the time to double check the spelling was indeed true. “Just had to get mine out of the cupboard to check,” said one. And another replied to the poster to say: “You think that’s bad. I read this while in Tesco and actually went to the cereal aisle to check.”
One woman admitted she needed convincing: “I’ve just checked my stash (3 boxes ATM) and yes! Now I’m going to check Morrisons online search spelling (Dull I know).”
The post has been liked by nearly 3,000 people and it also sparked a debate as to whether the Scots actually spell the staple as ‘porridge’ or ‘porage’. One said: “Eh?! Scottish way of spelling,” and another said: “I think it’s the Scottish spelling.”
Thankfully there were also plenty of followers who knew the real reason behind the spelling on the world-famous brand. The word porage was made up by the makers makers to allow the product to stand out on the shelves.
In 1914, A&R Scott chose the name and the unusual spelling by combining the spellings of ‘porridge’ and ‘potage’ which is a French word for thick soup. It was simply a marketing ploy to distinguish the brand from others on the market.
A subsequent advertising campaign said: “Spell it either way and it means a delicious hot breakfast, but there is a difference. There’s something special about Porage because Scott’s Porage is made from genuine Scottish oats, the real stuff.”
The brand has had some famous faces on the front of their iconic boxes. Highland Games heavyweight champion Jay Scott was the first kilted man featured.
Game of Thrones star Rory McCann, who played The Hound in the fantasy dram, was previously the face of the brand, while Scottish rugby stars Thom Evans and Chris Patterson also appeared in the firm’s adverts.
The company was established in 1880 in the Kingston Dock area of Glasgow. They were bought over in 1982 by their biggest rivals Quaker porridge oats.
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