Weet-Bix facts for kids
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Logo used since 2023, currently used alongside the 1985 logo.
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A bowl of Weet-Bix
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Weet-Bix is a popular breakfast cereal made from whole-grain wheat. It is produced in Australia and New Zealand by the Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company. In South Africa, it is made by a company called Bokomo. Many people enjoy Weet-Bix as a healthy way to start their day.
Contents
The Story of Weet-Bix
Weet-Bix was first created in Sydney, Australia, around the 1910s. A person named Bennison Osborne wanted to make a breakfast food that tasted better than another product called Granose. On August 19, 1926, he officially registered the name "Weet-Bix."
Production of Weet-Bix began in Leichhardt, New South Wales. Arthur Shannon helped financially, creating a company called Grain Products. Osborne's friend, Malcolm Ian Macfarlane, joined to help sell the new cereal. Weet-Bix became very popular. In October 1928, Shannon sold the rights to the Sanitarium Health Food Company. This company is part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia.
Expanding to New Zealand and South Africa
Macfarlane suggested sending Weet-Bix to New Zealand. It was so successful there that they couldn't send enough from Australia. So, Osborne and Macfarlane went to New Zealand and opened factories in Auckland and Christchurch. However, Shannon again sold these rights to Sanitarium.
Osborne and Macfarlane then took Weet-Bix to South Africa. With Shannon's help, they built a factory in Cape Town. This business was later sold to Bokomo. While in South Africa, Osborne and Macfarlane looked for more financial support. They formed a new group, and Osborne improved the product. Then, they went to England to introduce Weet-Bix there.
Weetabix in the UK
In 1932, a company called The British & African Cereal Company, Ltd. was started in London. To make sure it was different from the Weet-Bix sold in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the product in the UK was named Weetabix.
Osborne and Macfarlane were in charge of the company. Osborne managed making the cereal, and Macfarlane handled selling it. They chose Burton Latimer in Northamptonshire for their factory. In 1933, Macfarlane left the company. Osborne sold his share in July 1936, and the company was renamed Weetabix Limited.
Osborne also tried to start a Weetabix factory in the US. This attempt was not successful. Weetabix eventually entered the US market from Canada.
Weet-Bix Clusters were discontinued by June 2025.
Gluten-Free Weet-Bix
In July 2014, Sanitarium launched gluten-free Weet-Bix. This version is made from sorghum grains instead of wheat. Earlier in 2014, Sanitarium changed their Weet-Bix factory in Perth to make only gluten-free products. This ensured no wheat would mix with the sorghum.
Weet-Bix Bites
Sanitarium introduced Weet-Bix™ Bites in 2012. These are smaller, bite-sized versions of the classic cereal. They are made from wheat and have fruit and honey flavors. As of 2024, you can find Weet-Bix Bites in four different types: apricot, wild berry, honey crunch, and coco crunch.
Weet-Bix Popularity
Weet-Bix is considered a very important food in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It's almost like a national symbol. In 2006, an online survey of 16,000 people found Weet-Bix to be Australia's favorite brand.
Since 1985, Weet-Bix has used the famous slogan "Aussie kids are Weet-Bix kids" in Australia. Six months later, a similar slogan was used in New Zealand: "Kiwi Kids are Weet-Bix kids."
Weet-Bix Collector Cards
Sanitarium started putting collector cards in Weet-Bix boxes in 1942. This was a fun way to promote their cereal. They also included cards in other breakfast cereals like Granose and Corn Flakes. In New Zealand, Sanitarium has released cards that are similar to the Australian ones. They also have special series focused on New Zealand, like the "Stat Attack" cards featuring the All Blacks rugby team.
See also
- Weetabix – the UK version of the cereal.
- Shredded Wheat – another breakfast cereal made from wheat.
- Granola
