Australia going FRENCH? Here is the proof!

[phkrause]

Gladussee Van Brodies went out of business a long time ago. As far as I can remember weetabix has been here since we moved here in 1973. I was asking my wife and she doesn't remember either. So there is a possibility that the Weetabix company bought out Van Brodies and changed the name to Weetabix! I'll have to look into it.

pk

[Nan]

Just coming back in here after a couple of days....

So Stan you want me to find the slowest boat I can, and send you

some Aussie Weetbix?

Weetbix is actually the highest selling breakfast cereal in New Zealand, and well up

there in Australia. A couple of years ago Sanitarium Weetbix rated as one of the most

trustworthy commercial names in the country (I cannot remember the exact details of that

survey).

Weetbix is the 'gold standard' for that kind of cereal, and comes in small bit sized versions,

and some with dried fruit, if you want variation.

There are multiple other imitations on the cereal market here, Vitabrits is the longest running.

Sanitarium make a lot of cereals, my current favourite is Granola Clusters.

Do I eat Weetbix - No. That might be related to their being the standard cereal of my childhood.

Others in my family still have great liking for them. Crunched up dry and mixed up with honey,

or crunched up with mashed banana and fresh cream (we had a cow in those days) was a good way to

go, though.

And this should be way TMI for anyone LOL.

[phkrause]

When you say Weetbix your really meaning Weetabix? Just asking to make sure we are all talking about the same cereal.

pk

[Planey]

PK, let me quote from one of your previous posts:

Quote:

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 British market they decided to rename the product "Weetabix". In 1936 the name of the company was changed to Weetabix Limited.

So yes, it would appear that "WeetBix" and "Weetabix" were originally the same product. I would suggest that since the 1920's the recipes would most likely have diverged slightly (thus making the Aussie/Kiwi version obviously superior to the Pommie version.)

Graeme

[phkrause]

Thanks for the info. Here's more: "The food product was originally invented in Australia in 1900. The company was founded in 1932 by Frank George, changing its name to Weetabix in 1936, and incorporated in 1975. It is situated just south of Kettering. The company does not have the rights to the product in Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. In these countries, the brand is called Weet-Bix made by Sanitarium Health Food Company of New Zealand. The company used to import its wheat from Australia until the 1970s, when it became too expensive, so bought locally instead. Alpen was invented in 1971, when the marketing director went on holiday in France, and tasted a local delicacy."

pk