A US expat living in the UK lauded the “very versatile” breakfast staple, although she conceded that she viewed it as “war food” when she first arrived in the country
(Image: Girl Gone London/YouTube)
A US expat living in the UK has included a much-loved UK cereal on a list of British things the “rest of the world really needs”. Kalyn, who has lived in the UK for around a decade, operates the Girl Gone London channel on YouTube, covering everything from UK and American cultural differences to local cuisine.
She highlighted the food in question in a recent video titled ‘9 British things the rest of the world really needs’. In it, Kalyn praises various things she’s noticed in the UK, from brown tourist signs to bunting.
One of the foods to make the list, however, was a popular cereal that she described as “very versatile”, although she conceded that she viewed it as “war food” when she first arrived in the UK.
Kalyn said: “The next one on my list is Weetabix, which I did think was basically war food the first time I moved to the UK, but here’s the thing about Weetabix…”
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She continued: “We don’t really have it in the US, and it’s very versatile. So, you’re not entirely sure what to do with it as an American when you first encounter it.
“Some people actually eat it like dry with butter, which I haven’t tried, but that’s what I would have assumed that you were supposed to do with it.”
She added that most people add milk to make it “mushy and like a cereal” before describing the various ways you can enjoy the breakfast favourite, including making it “very mushy like a porridge.”
Kalyn highlighted how you can tailor this depending on your personal preferences, making it “mushy in the middle but not mushy on the outside” or even the “opposite”, adding that you can “just do lots of things with it”.
Weetabix first went into production in 1932, when Bennison Osbourne and Malcolm MacFarlane (the founders) secured a disused flour mill in Burton Latimer to begin producing the iconic cereal.
(Image: Girl Gone London/YouTube)
In the Second World War, the sale of Weetabix was limited to the North East and the Midlands, an act of being ‘zoned’ to limit waste and boost efficiency until the end of wartime rationing.
Burton Latimer houses mills that export to more than 80 countries around the world. In 2012, the Chinese firm Bright Food purchased a 60 per cent stake in the company as part of a £1.2bn deal.
Kalyn wasn’t the only person to notice the cereal’s versatility. It was also used as an ingredient in the 1950s, and its use beyond the breakfast table continues to this day.
In the official recipe book, fans can learn how to use Weetbix and Oatibix to make pancakes, smoothies, snack bars, protein balls, a coating for chicken, mac ‘n cheese, and even cheesecake.