Cereal gets surreal swirls

Weetabix has given its Ready brek brand a makeover to widen its appeal to youngsters and their mums with new flavours and portion sizes.

Chocolate and strawberry flavoured drops that melt when heated are the new ingredient in Ready brek Swirls. When stirred, the drops produce swirls of colour in the milk which makes the cereal visually appealing. Weetabix hopes that the interactive element will appeal to children, while mums will be reassured by the brand’s healthy reputation.

“With new product development contributing 46% of the total value growth in 2004/05, it is important that Weetabix continues to develop and lead this sector. With our Ready brek brand, the Weetabix Food Company can lead innovation while maintaining its trusted reputation of ‘what are you made of?’ wholegrain goodness for both parents and kids,” says chief executive Ken Wood.

Weetabix also plans to attract the convenience-driven market with its new single portion Ready brek sachets. The new packaging means there is no need to measure out the correct helping of cereal, which will help to reduce preparation time.

“‘Hot’ is the fastest growing sector in the UK cereal market, generating 36% value growth year-on-year. More than 1.3m new households bought hot cereals this season through sachets and it is clear that ‘convenience’ is a key driver of this growth, combined with the acknowledged health benefits of both oats and wholegrain,” says Wood.