Weetabix facts for kids
 |
|
A bowl of Weetabix
|
|
| Owner | Post Holdings |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1932 |
| Markets | UK |
Weetabix is a popular breakfast cereal from the United Kingdom. It comes in small, oval-shaped biscuits made from whole-grain wheat. These biscuits are about the size of your palm.
You can find different types of Weetabix, including organic versions and smaller, bite-sized ones called Crispy Minis. Weetabix is made in Burton Latimer, England. From there, it's sent to over 80 countries around the world! If you live in Canada or the United States, your Weetabix is made in Cobourg, Canada.
Weetabix is known for being a good source of fibre. For example, two Weetabix biscuits in the UK have about 3.8 grams of fibre.
Contents
The Story of Weetabix
Weetabix has been made in the UK since 1932. It's actually based on an older cereal from Australia called Weet-Bix. Both cereals were invented by an Australian named Bennison Osborne.
Bennison Osborne first introduced Weet-Bix in Australia in the mid-1920s. He worked with a company called Grain Products Limited. Later, Grain Products sold its businesses in Australia and New Zealand.
After this, Osborne and his friend Malcolm Macfarlane went to South Africa. There, they started a new Weet-Bix factory. While in South Africa, Osborne changed his Weet-Bix recipe a little. He and Macfarlane then got money from private investors to start a new company. They called their new product Weetabix.
In 1932, their company, The British and African Cereal Company Limited, started making Weetabix in England. They used an old gristmill (a mill for grinding grain) in Burton Latimer. In 1936, the company changed its name to Weetabix Limited.
Today, Weet-Bix is sold in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Weetabix first came to Canada in 1967 and then to the United States in 1968.
Over the years, Weetabix Limited has had different owners. In 2012, a company called Bright Food bought a large part of Weetabix. Then, in 2017, an American company called Post Holdings bought Weetabix Limited.
Weetabix in Advertisements
Weetabix has had some fun advertisements over the years!
In the 1980s, Weetabix ads featured the biscuits as cartoon characters. They were like a group of cool, 'street-wise' teenagers. They even had catchphrases like "Neet Weet Mate!" and "OK!". The main Weetabix character, named "Dunk," was voiced by a famous actor, Bob Hoskins.
During the 1990s, the slogan was "Have you had your Weetabix?". The idea was that if you ate Weetabix, you'd be super strong and full of energy. Ads would show funny versions of fairy tales or historical events. For example, in a 2017 ad based on Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack tells the Giant, "Fee fi fo fix, I’ve just had my Weetabix!" This makes the Giant quickly leave!
Weetabix also sponsored the Women's British Open golf tournament for 20 years, from 1987 to 2006. It became a very important golf championship for women in 2001.
Different Kinds of Weetabix
Weetabix comes in many different flavors and forms!
Weetabix Crispy Minis
_with_dessert_spoon.jpg)
Weetabix Crispy Minis are smaller, bite-sized versions of the classic Weetabix. They are often a bit sweeter and come with different additions. In the UK, you can find them in flavors like chocolate, banana, and fruit & nut.
These bite-sized cereals have had a few different names over time. They were once called "Fruitibix," "Bananabix," and "Chocobix." Later, they became "Minibix," and then "Weetabix Minis."
Organic Weetabix
You can also find organic versions of Weetabix in many countries. This means they are made without artificial chemicals.
Weetabix Chocolate
In July 2010, Weetabix launched a chocolate-flavored version of the original Weetabix in the UK.
Weetabix Chocolate Spoonsize
This is a smaller Weetabix biscuit that has cocoa and chocolate chips mixed in.
Weetabix Baked with Golden Syrup
This version of the Weetabix biscuit is sweeter because it's baked with golden syrup.
Weetabix Banana
This is a Weetabix that has a banana flavor.
Weetabix Protein
In April 2016, Weetabix introduced a version with extra gluten protein. It comes in the usual biscuit shape, and also in "Crunch" pipe shapes with regular or chocolate flavor.
Oatibix
Oatibix is another breakfast cereal made by Weetabix Limited. It was first sold in the United Kingdom in August 2006. Oatibix is very similar to Weetabix, but instead of being made from wheat, it's made from whole grain oats.
Other Similar Cereals
- Weet-Bix - The original Australian cereal that inspired Weetabix.
- Frosted Mini-Wheats - Another popular cereal made from sugar-coated wheat.
- Shredded Wheat - A different type of biscuit-shaped cereal made from wheat.
