Weetabix Limited facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Breakfast cereal |
| Founded | August 13, 1932 |
| Headquarters | Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, UK |
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Area served
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Europe, North America |
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Key people
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Sally Abbott (Managing Director) |
| Products |
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Number of employees
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c. 2,000 |
| Parent | Post Holdings |
Weetabix Limited, also known as Weetabix Food Company, is a large food company that makes popular breakfast cereals. You might know some of their brands like Weetabix, Alpen, Crunchy Bran, and Ready Brek. They also make Puffins cereal and Snackimals through their Barbara's Bakery division.
Contents
The Story of Weetabix
How Weetabix Started
The idea for Weetabix first came from Bennison Osborne in Australia in the 1920s. He and his friend Malcolm MacFarlane started selling a cereal called Weet-Biscs there. Later, they decided to bring their cereal idea to England.
They set up a company in England and started making the cereal. A man named Frank George offered them an old flour mill in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, to use as their factory. To make their product different in the United Kingdom, they decided to call it "Weetabix." On August 13, 1936, the company officially became Weetabix Limited.
New Cereals and Ownership Changes
In 1971, the company created Alpen cereal. This happened after a company executive tried a special food while on holiday in Switzerland.
Over the years, Weetabix Limited has been owned by different companies. In 2003, an American company called HM Capital bought it. Then, in 2004, Lion Capital LLP took over. In 2012, a Chinese company called Bright Food bought a big part of Weetabix.
Later, in July 2017, an American company called Post Holdings bought Weetabix Limited. This is who owns the company today. It's important to know that Weetabix does not own the rights to the cereal in Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa. In those countries, it's still called Weet-Bix and is made by other companies.
Royal Recognition and Awards
Weetabix has a special connection to the British Royal Family. They held a royal warrant from Queen Elizabeth II. This means they were official suppliers to the Queen. In January 2025, King Charles III also gave them a new Royal Warrant.
Weetabix has also won three Queen's Awards for Export. These awards celebrate companies that are successful in selling their products to other countries.
Recent Company News
In 2019, Weetabix had to pay a fine because some diesel fuel leaked into the River Ise. The company spent a lot of money to clean it up.
In 2021, some workers at Weetabix factories went on strike. This was because of disagreements about their wages and working conditions.
Weetabix has also had some fun online campaigns. They've sparked debates about creating a new county called 'Weetabixshire' and the "correct way to eat your bix."
In April 2023, Weetabix announced that all their packaging is now 100% recyclable. This change helps the environment by reducing their carbon footprint. In December 2023, Weetabix bought another cereal company called Deeside Cereals.
How Weetabix Works
Company Locations
The main office for Weetabix is in Burton Latimer, England. Their large factory site is located between two major roads, the A14 and the A509. They also have another factory in Ashton-under-Lyne.
Making Cereals for Everyone
Weetabix is one of the biggest makers of breakfast cereals in the UK. They also make cereals for major supermarkets that are sold under the supermarket's own brand name.
Weetabix has factories in Europe, East Africa, and North America. They send their cereals to 80 different countries around the world. As of 2012, about 2,000 people worked for the company. The managing director, who is like the head of the company, is Sally Abbott.
Weetabix Brands
Weetabix Food Company makes many different breakfast cereals and snacks:
- Alpen: A popular muesli cereal with oats, nuts, and fruit.
- Barbara's Bakery: This company, bought by Weetabix in 1986, makes natural foods. They are well known for their Puffins Cereal line.
- Crunchy Bran: A high-fiber cereal made from wheat bran.
- GrainShop: This brand is mostly sold in North America. It includes cereals like High Fibre Crisp and Honey Almond Crunch.
- Oatibix: These products are made from oats instead of wheat. The original Oatibix cereal looks a lot like Weetabix, but it's made from whole grain oats. Oatibix Bitesize are smaller versions, and they come in flavors like Sultana & Apple or Chocolate & Raisin.
- Oatibix Flakes: Another oat-based cereal in flake form.
- Ready Brek: An oat-based cereal that you eat hot. It comes in 'Original', 'Chocolate', and 'Seriously Oaty' flavors.
- Weetabix: This is the company's most famous product. It's a whole grain wheat cereal shaped like small biscuits. Weetabix is the top-selling breakfast cereal in the United Kingdom. It's made in factories in England and Canada and sold in 80 countries.
- Weetabix Bitesize: A smaller, "bite-sized" version of Weetabix that is easy to pour into a bowl.
- Weetabix Minis: Sweeter versions of Weetabix Bitesize with different additions like Chocolate Crisp, Banana Crisp, Fruit & Nut Crisp, and Honey & Nut Crisp.
- Weetaflakes: A flaked cereal made from wheat.
- Weetos: A chocolate-flavored ring-shaped cereal.
Weetabix Sponsorships
Weetabix has sponsored many events over the years. They were the main sponsor of the Women's British Open golf tournament from 1987 to 2006. They also sponsored the World Cup in Argentina in 1978. In 1986, Weetabix was the main sponsor of the first BMX World Championships held in the UK.
