Weetabix

Weetabix is a wheat-based breakfast cereal produced by Weetabix Limited. It comes in the form of relatively large biscuits. Variants include organic and Weetabix Minis (bite-sized) versions.cite web |url=http://www.weetabix.co.uk/brands/weetabix/ |title=Weetabix Range |accessdate=2007-07-02 |publisher=Weetabix Ltd. |quote="there's now an even bigger range of Weetabix cereals for you to try, including Weetabix, Weetabix Gold, Weetabix Minis and Weetabix Organic."] The cereal is manufactured in Burton Latimer, United Kingdom and in Canada and exported to over 80 countries. [ [http://www.weetabix.co.uk/about-us/ The Weetabix Food Company ] ]

History

Weetabix was invented in Australia in the 1920s by Bennison Osborne. He and New Zealand partner Malcolm Macfarlane sold the Australian and New Zealand rights for "Weet-Bix" to Sanitarium Health Food Company in 1930. Osborne and Macfarlane then formed the "British & African Cereal Company Pty. Ltd.", and began exporting the product to South Africa. When they introduced the product to the English market they decided to rename the product "Weetabix". In 1936 the name of the company was changed to Weetabix Limited.

Weet-Bix are still marketed today in Australasia and South Africa by Sanitarium. The product was not introduced to North America until 1967 when Weetabix Limited began exporting the product to Canada. The United States followed in 1968. [ [http://www.weetabix.co.uk/about-us/ Weetabix Ltd - About Us] ]

Consumption and nutrition

Weetabix are more typically served with milk (hot or cold) in a bowl, as with any other breakfast cereal, yet sometimes with hot water, topped with fruit (bananas, etc), butter or jam. They are very light and absorbent and when soaked in milk can take on the texture of a light porridge. However, they retain a certain crunchiness for a while.

Weetabix is also high in fibre, with 3.8g of fibre in a 37.5g serving (2 biscuits). [ [http://www.weetabix.co.uk/brands/weetabix/weetabix/ The Weetabix Food Company ] ]

Variants

Weetabix Minis

Weetabix Minis are essentially a sweeter 'bite-size' version of the standard Weetabix biscuits, with various additions depending upon the variety- 'chocolate', 'banana', 'fruit & nut' and 'honey & nut'.

The cereal has been relaunched and renamed at least twice in a relatively short period of time following their launch. Previously, they were known as Fruitibix, Bananabix and Chocobix (depending upon the additions), then as Minibix.

Weetabix Gold

Weetabix Gold are the same as Weetabix, however finer wheat is used in Gold with a more delicate taste and a lighter texture, Gold was launched in 2006. "It's that same great taste, but with Cream Elements infused," was the slogan for the product in the mid 80s.

Organic

Organic versions of Weetabix are sold in various countries.

Oatibix

Oatibix is similar to Weetabix, but is based on oats instead of wheat.

ee also

* Weet-Bix - the original variant of Weetabix
* Shredded Wheat - another wheat-based biscuit cereal.

References

External links

* [http://www.weetabix.co.uk Weetabix Limited corporate website]
* [http://www.cereal.com/Breakfast-Cereals/weetabix.htm More weetabix]