Cerebos facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Processed foods |
| Founder | Mawson & Swan |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products |
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| Owner | Kraft Heinz (Asia Pacific) Premier Foods (UK) K+S (Western Europe) Bud Group (South Africa) |
Cerebos is a well-known brand that started with salt. Today, it also sells other food flavorings and healthy supplements. Different companies own the Cerebos brand in different parts of the world. For example, Kraft Heinz owns it in Asia Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand. Premier Foods owns it in the UK, K+S in Western Europe, and Bud Group in South Africa.
A Scottish chemist named George Weddell created the salt. It was first sold by a company called Mawson, Swan & Weddell. The company Cerebos Ltd officially started in 1894.
When Cerebos salt first came out, it was special. Before this, salt often came in big blocks. People had to scrape off what they needed. Salt would also stick together, a problem called caking. This happens when pure salt crystals absorb moisture from the air. Cerebos salt was different because it had special ingredients to stop it from caking. This meant it would "run" freely from the shaker. Their famous slogan was "See How It Runs".
The brand's logo shows a small boy chasing a chicken. He is trying to pour salt on its tail. This comes from an old belief that you could catch a bird by salting its tail.
History of Cerebos
Cerebos salt was even taken on an important journey. The explorer Ernest Shackleton listed Cerebos salt among the few valuable supplies. He took it on his dangerous trip in the James Caird boat. This was part of his escape from the Antarctic.
From 1923 until the mid-1900s, Cerebos Ltd had a factory. It was located in North Acton, in northwest London, UK. A company called Rank Hovis McDougall (RHM) bought Cerebos in 1968. The factory site was later turned into homes in the 1990s.
Where Cerebos is Sold
Cerebos salt is sold in many places around the world. These include Western Europe (like France, where it's spelled Cérébos), Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
In Australia and New Zealand, the Cerebos operations were part of Cerebos Pacific. Now, Kraft Heinz owns most of these businesses. They bought them from Suntory Holdings in 2018. This includes many popular local brands:
- Greggs (New Zealand)
- Robert Harris (New Zealand)
- Bisto (New Zealand)
- Raro (New Zealand)
- atomic (New Zealand)
- Whitlock's (New Zealand)
- L'affare (New Zealand)
- Bruno Rossi (New Zealand)
- Gravox (Australia)
- Fountain (Australia)
- Toby Estate (Australia)
- Saxa (Australia)
- Foster Clark's (Australia)
- Mocopan (Australia)
- Asian Home Gourmet (Australia)
Cerebos Branding and Other Products
The image of a boy chasing a chicken with salt has become a symbol of the Cerebos brand.
The Cerebos salt company also created the popular 'Bisto' gravy powder. This product is a mix of salt, flavorings, and colors. It was first made at their salt factory in Middlewich, Cheshire, in the United Kingdom.
