Britain’s favourite breakfast cereal is now one of the most popular in the US, thanks to the approval of a basketball team.
On Sunday, the Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini, putting their success down to eating a bowl of Weetabix before the game.
In a press conference following the win, basketball player Amari Williams said: “They got me Weetabix; I had about three of them this morning.
“Coach Pope joined me too, and Brandon Garrison, and I feel like that helped my performance today, for sure.”
Williams said he used to eat the cereal growing up and found it gave him more energy than just eating a few slices of toast before a game.
“My parents always forced me to eat it growing up. We found an international store and I had three this morning,” Mr Williams said.
Team coach Mark Pope added: “We will have a mandatory team breakfast this week, every morning, featuring Weetabix.”
Within hours of the press conference clip going viral online, sales of Weetabix soared.
The breakfast staple surged past Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch on Amazon.
The craze for the wheat biscuit has been seen in local shops too. One Irish import shop in Lexington, Kentucky, said it sold out of Weetabix in just one day, according to Fox News.
Weetabix has confirmed a spike in search interest, while ecommerce sales have grown since the interview.
A Weetabix spokesperson said: “It's fantastic to see Weetabix making waves in the US. With a number of big basketball fans at Weetabix Food Company, word of Amari’s interview started making the rounds on Sunday night.
“We believe that greatness starts at breakfast. And when you have a Weetabix breakfast, you can tackle whatever’s ahead – even reaching the final four in the NCAA.”
The cereal is low in fat, high in fibre and low in sugar, making it a healthy breakfast option.
In fact, the NHS suggests eating high-fibre breakfast cereal such as plain wholewheat biscuits like Weetabix, as it is a good source of fibre.
A high-fibre diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. It helps to slow digestion, making you feel fuller for longer.
Weetabix is also fortified with folic acid and iron, contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
