Weetabix petition campaign to see county renamed ‘Weetabixshire’ in honour of cereal's farmers

Makers of Burton Latimer’s best-loved export – Weetabix – have celebrated the famous brand with a tongue-in-cheek petition that could see the area around the factory renamed.

The cereal giant hopes the change.org petition could establish a ‘Weetabixshire’ zone with a 50-mile radius, with the centre point being the Weetabix factory in Burton Latimer.

Three 7ft tall ‘Welcome to Weetabixshire’ signs have been erected in Burton Latimer, and on the edges of St Neots and Rutland to mark the new proposed county lines.

Weetabix, who are up to their typical cheeky antics, have also rebranded Burton Latimer Town Cricket Club to Weetabixshire Cricket Club and Meadowside Primary School in Burton Latimer to Weetabixshire Primary School, bringing the brands affection for its hometown to life and bringing the community together.

Ian Watson, 70, who has been working at Burton Latimer Cricket Club for 30 years, says he has ‘tremendous pride’ after witnessing the installation of the county signs for his newly renamed Weetabixshire Cricket Club, and fully backs the lobby.

Local resident, Victoria Grundy, said: “I live in the local area, and I’d be really proud to be associated with Weetabixshire – l think my friends and family would be too.”

Another local, Tanis Hignall-Bowman, who spotted the signs said she thought they were ‘fabulous’.

Although not everyone is convinced, with one passer-by branding the campaign ‘wrong,’ exclaiming that ‘you wouldn’t rebrand Milton Keynes, would you?’

Steve Battison also rejected the notion, saying: “It’s a cereal box, not a county.”

But that’s not stopping Weetabix, who are campaigning to keep the county and hope to gather more signatures in the coming days to support making Weetabixshire a reality.

To reward the residents of Weetabixshire, the brand is inviting members of the public to get behind the creation of the new county.

As an incentive, 100 people randomly selected to declare their allegiance via the website will receive a free breakfast delivered to their door – terms and conditions apply.

Jim Beaty who farms at Burton Wold, ‘a stone’s throw’ from the factory, produces wheat exclusively for Weetabix and features in the latest publicity campaign.