Britain’s best loved breakfast cereals revealed

Brits have officially gone nutty for Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut – invented by breakfast boffins in Manchester in 1980.

The nuttier variation on cornflakes were released to the public 44 years ago and were a hit from the off – in the first three months, sales were three times as large as the projected figure from Kellogg’s. They’ve since gone from strength to strength, though it took them until 2011 to cross the Atlantic and be released in America.

Second on the list of greatest ever cereals were Crunchy Nut’s older brother Cornflakes (28 percent), invented in the late 1800s by William Kellogg. Nowadays, approximately 66 million boxes are produced in this country each year.

In third place in the poll came Coco Pops (23 percent), followed by Weetabix (21 percent), Frosties (20 percent) and Rice Crispies (18 percent), while Shreddies (16 percent), Cheerios (15 percent) and Ready Brek (14 percent) also remain popular cereals with older Brits. So, it’s no surprise that a third (33 percent) of Brits admit that eating cereal takes them back to their childhood.

However, the days of eating cereal at the breakfast table alone are over, as many Britons favour cereal as a cheeky nighttime snack – over a third (37 percent) of those surveyed said it one fo the best things to eat late at night. The research of 2,000 Brits, conducted by Perspectus Global, also reveals that according to the British public, the perfect bowl of cereal has “ice cold” milk and that milk should be semi-skimmed milk (53 percent)

And while 29 percent have whole milk and 16 percent add skimmed to their bowl of cereal, the research shows that 15 percent of Gen Z and millennials aged 18-44 are now adding oat or plant-based milk instead. The research also reveals that many Brits are truly creatures of habit, especially when it comes to eating cereal, with a fifth saying they have a particular bowl they eat it from.

More than one in twenty (seven percent) will always use the same spoon to eat their cereal with. Overall, 18 percent insist on pouring the milk themselves, claiming that no-one else knows the right amount to add, while 14 percent have a separate cereal to eat during the week and a more indulgent variety to enjoy at the weekend.

Although 18 percent of Brits don’t add anything to their breakfast bowl, 23 percent will cut up a banana to top with their cereal, while a naughty 19 percent will sprinkle it with sugar. 18 percent enjoy strawberries with their breakfast cereal, while 17 percent opt for a drizzle of honey. Controversially, 13 percent of Brits admit they save the sugary milk to drink afterwards.

1. Crunchy Nut Cornflakes                35%
2. Cornflakes                                         28%
3. Coco Pops                                         23%
4. Weetabix                                           21%
5. Frosties                                              20%
6. Rice Krispies                                      18%
7. Shreddies                                           16%
8. Cheerios                                            15%
9. Ready Brek                                       14%
10. Special K Red Berries                      12%
11. Cookie Crisp                                     11%
12. Shredded Wheat                             10%
13. Alpen                                                  10%
14. Bran Flakes                                       9%
15. Krave                                                  8%
16. Country Crisp                                   7%
17. All Bran                                              7%
18. Bitesize Shredded Wheat             6%
19. Weetos                                              6%
20. All-Bran                                              4%