Definition of the word banoffi pie

The origin of the word "banoffi pie" is a combination of the names of two key ingredients in the dessert - banana and toffee. The word "banoffi" itself is a playful twist on the original names of the Apple Offi Pie, which was created by a chef named Joe Wells at a restaurant in Sussex, England in the 1970s. According to Wells, he mistakenly heard someone call this particular pie "Apple and Offi Pie" instead of "Apple and Oscar Filipponi Pie" (a brand of Italian toffee) over the phone, which eventually led to the pie's name being shortened to "Apple Offi Pie." Over time, bananas replaced the apples in the recipe, resulting in what we now know as Banoffi Pie. The name Banoffi Pie itself was coined by the owner of the restaurant, Eric Terridge, in the early 1980s, shortly after Wells sold the recipe to Nestle for distribution in its instant custard mix product. Initially, Nestle began printing the name "Banoffi" on the package as a brand name, leading many people to believe it was a product of Nestle rather than just the name of the pie. This confusion led to a trademark dispute with the Williams Food Company, which claimed ownership of the name Banoffi. In 1996, Nestlé lost that trademark dispute, but the name Banoffi Pie remained popular, and it has since become an enduring cultural icon in the United Kingdom and beyond.