White Wheat For Weetabix

With a six-month sowing window and offering yields on a par with alternative wheats sown in late autumn, Zircon offers high gross margins. It is ideally suited to planting after sugar beet or late lifted roots and because of its early maturity, growers can combine it early and have it stored safely in the barn before other wheats.

According to KWS UK, the breeder of Zircon, trials show that the variety has a low nitrogen requirement, reducing growing costs when compared to other milling varieties. Being late drilled, disease pressure is reduced and this, coupled with very stiff straw can also bring savings in spray costs.

“With a pale seed coat and white endosperm, Zircon produces lighter, sweeter-tasting flour, with paler bran than standard UK red wheats,” says KWS UK Product Development Manager, Kirsty Richards.

“Tests with a range of manufacturers show that Zircon can be used for a range of foods from whole grain breads to breakfast cereals.”

“While volume needs aren’t large, this contract closely meets a specialist niche market for a key UK customer, says Centaur’s Richard Jenner.

“We expect it to appeal to growers in the Eastern Counties, but there’s no reason why those in the East Midlands shouldn’t also take a look at the contract.”

Head of Purchasing at Burton Latimer based Weetabix Food Company, Tony Lennon, says that the company has always used white wheat in its Weetabix Minis range.

“White wheat contributes greatly to the taste and colour of the product,” he says.  “While we have had to source white wheat from abroad as well as in the UK, this contract will improve provenance.”

The Weetabix Food Company has three varieties of Minis all of which are produced at a new plant built in 2002 to accommodate the success and growth of what is a key product for the business.