Northampton Chronicle

Weetabix has been honoured again by the Queen for its ongoing commitment to international trade.

Today's award marks the fourth time the Northamptonshire cereal maker has been honoured by Buckingham Palace with a Queen's Award for Enterprise.
The accolade is one of the most widely respected in the business world and recognises innovation and sustainable development, as well as international trade.

Sir Richard George, the chairman and chief executive of Burton Latimer-based Weetabix, said: "I am delighted that Weetabix has won this award exactly 30 years since we won it for the first time. It has been 30 years of tremendous of hard work leading to a sustained growth and we are all enormously proud of this achievement."

The company which was also honoured in 1974, 1991 and 1996 * was picked out for its continuing achievements in the field of international trade.

Weetabix trades with 80 countries globally and has seen its exports grow by 45 per cent over the past six years, to a point where the overseas custom now accounts for 16 per cent of total sales.
The firm's international manager, Andy Harris, said: "There's a general trend across continental Europe towards eating more breakfast cereals.

"As a firm, we have been very committed to expanding into these markets and have distributors across Europe and have set up our own operations in both France and Germany."

In November, the firm was bought out in a £654 million takeover by the American equity group Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst.

However, fears that the takeover would lead to job cuts from the company's 1,500 workforce now seem unfounded.
Directors at Weetabix last week announced plans to expand the business's Station Road plant, which would mean another 150 staff would be recruited.

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