Weetabix

Weetabix logo

Weetabix is a whole grain wheat breakfast cereal produced by Weetabix Limited in the United Kingdom. It comes in the form of palm-sized (approx. 9.5 cm × 5.0 cm or 4" × 2") rounded rectangle-shaped biscuits. Variants include organic and Weetabix Minis (bite-sized) versions.^[1] The UK cereal is manufactured in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, and exported to over 80 countries.^[2] Weetabix for the North American market (Canada and the U.S.) is manufactured in Cobourg, Ontario, in both organic and conventional versions.

Weetabix is made from whole grain wheat and the version sold in the United Kingdom has 3.8 g of fibre in a 37.5 g serving (2 biscuits) (10.1% by weight).^[3] The product sold in North America has 4 grams of fibre in a 35 g serving (11.4% by weight).^[4]

History

Weetabix is the British version of the original Australian Weet-Bix. Both Weet-Bix and Weetabix were invented by Bennison Osborne, an Australian. Weet-Bix was introduced in Australia through the company “Grain Products Limited” in the mid-1920s, with funding from businessman Arthur Shannon and marketing assistance from Osborne’s New Zealand friend Malcolm Macfarlane. To both Osborne’s and Macfarlane’s disappointment, Grain Products sold both its Australian company (in 1928) and then its New Zealand company (in 1930), to the Sanitarium Health Foods Company. Osborne and Macfarlane then went to South Africa where Arthur Shannon, the owner of Grain Products, funded another Weet-Bix factory. While in South Africa, Osborne modified his Weet-Bix recipe and with Macfarlane, obtained private funding and began the development of a new company, The British and African Cereal Company Limited, naming the new company's product, Weetabix. The company commenced business in England in 1932 in an unused gristmill at Burton Latimer, near Kettering.^[5] In 1936, the name of the company was changed to Weetabix Limited.

Weet-Bix is currently marketed in Australasia by Sanitarium and South Africa by Bokomo. The product was introduced to North America in 1967, when Weetabix Limited began exporting the product to Canada. The United States followed in 1968.^[6]

On May 3, 2012 Bright Food announced it was taking a 60% stake in Weetabix in a deal that values the company at £1.2bn.^[7] Baring Private Equity Asia acquired the remaining 40% from Lion Capital in 2015.

On 18 April 2017 it was announced that Post Holding would buy the company from Bright Food. ^[8]

Two Weetabix in a bowl

Advertising

In British advertising in the 1980s, Weetabix anthropomorphized the biscuits, representing a group of 'street-wise' young teens, beginning as 'skinheads'. Their appearances on the packaging and associated publicity featured catch phrases such as "titchy breakfast cereals" to describe rivals, with the response "Neet Weet Mate", "OK!". The lead Weetabix was voiced by Bob Hoskins.^[9]

Weetabix was the title sponsor of the Women's British Open for two decades, from 1987 until 2006. It became a women's major golf championship in 2001.

In 1981, Weetabix aired an advertisement entitled 1, which showed a big "1" as a crop circle-like figure in a field.

Variants

Weetabix Minis

Weetabix Minis are a sweeter 'bite-size' version of the standard Weetabix biscuits, with various additions depending upon the variety: 'chocolate', 'banana', 'fruit & nut' and 'honey & nut'.

Outside of the UK, the cereal has been relaunched and renamed at least twice in a relatively short period of time following their launch. Previously, they were known as Fruitibix, Bananabix and Chocobix (depending upon the additions), then as Minibix.

Organic

Organic versions of Weetabix are sold in various countries.

Weetabix Chocolate

Weetabix launched a chocolate-powder infused version of the original Weetabix in the UK in July 2010 in a 24 pack size.

Weetabix Chocolate Spoonsize

A smaller-sized Weetabix biscuit with cocoa and chocolate chips.

Weetabix Baked with Golden Syrup

A sweeter form of the Weetabix biscuit which is baked with golden syrup.

Weetabix Banana

A banana-flavoured version of Weetabix.

Weetabix Protein

A version with added wheat gluten protein granules was introduced in the UK in April 2016, available in three forms, the standard biscuit shapes, as well as regular and chocolate flavour "Crunch" pipe shapes.

Oatibix

Oatibix and milk, with cereal box

Oatibix is a breakfast cereal that was introduced in the United Kingdom in August 2006. It was invented by Weetabix Limited. It is similar to Weetabix, but is based on whole grain oats instead of wheat.

Related products

• In April 2007, Weetabix Limited also introduced Oatiflakes, which is also released with Raisin, Cranberry and Blackcurrant varieties.
• Oatibix Bites are a smaller "bite-sized" version of Oatibix that can be poured into a bowl, similar to Weetabix Minis, and more like a traditional breakfast cereal. It is available as Oatibix Bites, Oatibix Bites with Sultana and Apple and Oatibix Bites with Cranberry varieties.

See also

• Weet-Bix
• Frosted Mini-Wheats - sugar-coated wheat pellets
• Shredded Wheat - another wheat-based biscuit cereal.
• Ruskets - a similar product, formerly manufactured by Loma Linda Foods in Riverside, California.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Weetabix.

• Weetabix
• Weetabix Food Company