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 whole-grain wheat breakfast cereal. It is made in Australia and New Zealand by the Sanitarium Health Food Company. In South Africa, it is made by Bokomo. Many people enjoy Weet-Bix as a healthy start to their day.
Contents
The Story of Weet-Bix
Weet-Bix was created by Bennison Osborne in Sydney, Australia, in the mid-1920s. He wanted to make a breakfast food that tasted better than other options at the time. On August 19, 1926, he officially registered the name "Weet-Bix."
Production of Weet-Bix began in Leichhardt, New South Wales. Bennison Osborne managed the production, and Arthur Shannon helped with money. They formed a company called Grain Products. Osborne's friend, Malcolm Ian Macfarlane, joined them to help sell the new cereal.
The cereal quickly became very popular. In October 1928, Arthur Shannon sold the rights to Weet-Bix to the Sanitarium Health Food Company. This company is part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia.
Weet-Bix Goes to New Zealand and South Africa
Macfarlane suggested sending Weet-Bix to New Zealand. It was so successful there that they built factories in Auckland and Christchurch to keep up with demand. Later, Osborne and Macfarlane took Weet-Bix to South Africa. They built another factory in Cape Town. This factory was later sold to a company called Bokomo.
How Weetabix Started in the UK
While in South Africa, Osborne and Macfarlane decided to create a similar product for the United Kingdom. In 1932, they started the British & African Cereal Company, Ltd., in London. They named their new cereal "Weetabix" to make it different from Weet-Bix.
They chose Burton Latimer in Northamptonshire for their factory. Osborne focused on making the cereal, and Macfarlane handled the marketing. In 1933, Macfarlane left the company. Osborne later sold his share in 1936, and the company became Weetabix Limited. Osborne also tried to start a Weetabix factory in the United States, but it was not successful at that time.
Different Kinds of Weet-Bix
Weet-Bix comes in a few different forms today.
Gluten Free Weet-Bix
In July 2014, Sanitarium introduced Gluten Free Weet-Bix. This version is made from sorghum grains instead of wheat. To make it, Sanitarium turned their factory in Perth into a special facility just for making gluten-free products.
Weet-Bix Bites
Sanitarium also created Weet-Bix™ Bites in 2012. These are smaller, bite-sized pieces of the cereal. They are made from wheat and often have fruit and honey flavors added. You can find Weet-Bix Bites in flavors like apricot, wild-berry, and honey crunch.
Weet-Bix: A National Favorite
Weet-Bix is considered a very important and well-loved food in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In 2006, an online survey found that Weet-Bix was Australia's favorite trademark.
For many years, Weet-Bix has used famous slogans. In Australia, the saying "Aussie Kids are Weet-Bix kids" started in 1985. Six months later, New Zealand adopted a similar phrase: "Kiwi Kids are Weet-Bix kids." These slogans show how much the cereal is a part of daily life for kids in these countries.
Collectible Weet-Bix Cards
Sanitarium began putting collectible cards in boxes of Weet-Bix in 1942. This was a fun way to market their cereal. They also included cards in other breakfast cereals like Granose and Puffed Wheat.
These cards often featured different themes, like sports or history. In New Zealand, Sanitarium also released special card series. Some of these were about the All Blacks, New Zealand's famous rugby team.
See also
- Weet-Bix cards – a list of Weet-Bix collector cards
- Weetabix – the UK version of the cereal, sold in many countries.
- Shredded Wheat – another breakfast cereal made from wheat.
