Sunny Boy Cereal facts for kids
Sunny Boy Cereal is a warm and tasty breakfast food, also known as porridge. It's made from a mix of three healthy grains: wheat, rye, and flax. This cereal is produced in a town called Camrose, Alberta, in Canada. Many people enjoy eating Sunny Boy Cereal with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a splash of cream to make it even more delicious!
The company that makes Sunny Boy Cereal also creates other food products. These include different types of flours (both regular and organic), pancake mixes, and other foods made from grains.
The Story Behind Sunny Boy Cereal
The history of Sunny Boy Cereal began a long time ago, in 1926. Two brothers, Walter and Edgar Byers, moved from Nova Scotia to Camrose, Alberta. There, they started their own business called Byers Flour Mills.
Just a few years later, in 1929, the Byers brothers came up with a new idea for a hot cereal. They used wheat, rye, and flax that were grown right in their local area. They named this new and healthy cereal "Sunny Boy Cereal."
Over the years, the company changed hands a few times. In 1991, Byers Flour Mills was sold to a company called the Alberta Wheat Pool. The mill then operated under a new name: "Prairie Sun Grains."
Later, in 1998, the Alberta Wheat Pool joined with another company, the Manitoba Wheat Pool. They formed a bigger company called Agricore Cooperative Ltd.
In 2000, Agricore decided to sell the Prairie Sun Grain business and the Sunny Boy brand. A food broker from Calgary named Pat Maloney bought them. Even though the mill itself wasn't part of the sale, Maloney continued to use the facility until a new mill owner could be found.
In June 2003, the companies Prairie Sun Grains 2000 Ltd. and Camrose Milling Company Inc. faced financial difficulties. However, by December 2003, new owners took over. Jim, Elmer, Larry, and Randy Schroeder bought the Camrose mill and the Sunny Boy brand. Their company was named Schroeder Milling Ltd.
Finally, in 2007, Patricia and Brad Shapka purchased the Sunny Boy brand and the Camrose mill. They created a new company called Sunny Boy Foods Ltd., located in Edmonton.
How the Packaging Changed
Over the years, the way Sunny Boy Cereal is packaged for stores has changed quite a bit.
The original box was made of cardboard and had a very recognizable design. This design was updated when it became necessary to show both imperial (like pounds) and metric (like kilograms) weights on all packages. Later, the imperial weights were removed completely from the packaging. Eventually, the cardboard boxes were replaced by plastic pouches that you can reseal, which helps keep the cereal fresh.
