Krispy Kreme UK is 'getting a more English-friendly' name so people stop mispronouncing it

Well, it's settled then. Krispy Kreme is pronounced Krispy "Cream", not "Crème".

Due to confusion about the pronunciation of the name, the UK franchise of the doughnut brand has announced a name change - a move that separates the franchise from its US counterpart.

The company, which launched in the UK in 2003, says it will now trade under the name "Krispy Cream", according to a press release today.

In addition to the mispronunciation of the name, the company says it also faces confusion on social media. Since 2015, it says there have been more than 30,000 tagged posts sprinkled across social media platforms misspelling the franchise's name.

“The company re-brand is a strategic decision made in acknowledgement that our UK customers have struggled with the pronunciation of ‘Kreme’ (said ‘cream’) since our launch into the UK," spokesperson Charlotte Roberts said. "We hope that the re-brand will settle any confusion as to both the pronunciation and spelling of the name for our customers.”

It says the doughnuts, however, will not change in taste or appearance.

“We want to reassure our loyal fans that the quality of our doughnuts will remain of the highest standard and in line with original recipe that our founder Vernon Rudolph made famous almost 80 years ago," Roberts said.

Krispy Kreme says doughnut lovers can expect to see the new branding rolling out at UK stores soon, with the transition period taking place in 90 Krispy Cream UK stores and 700 cabinets across the country.

Suspicious that it might be an April Fool? The Evening Standard asked Krispy Kreme for a comment to which Head of Marketing, Charlotte Roberts replied:

“For years the Krispy Kreme brand has dealt with tens of thousands of customers who pronounce its name incorrectly, which is something we take very seriously. For this reason, we have propelled this issue into the forefront of the minds of our fans and consumers with this announcement over the last few days. With regard to the re-brand, stay tuned to our social channels to find out more…”