For South Africans who thought they had already eaten their last bowl of the original ProNutro, there may be a small glimmer of hope, Cape {town} Etc reports.
UK-based South African food company Biltong & Bangers has formally expressed an interest in buying ProNutro from PepsiCo after the multinational announced that the much-loved breakfast cereal would be discontinued.
The company, which reportedly specialises in South African food products for consumers in the UK, made the offer on Heritage Day following an enormous reaction to news that ProNutro production would come to an end.
Its proposal is ambitious: buy the brand, the original recipe, relevant intellectual property, production know-how and even the old manufacturing equipment, with the possibility of finding South African expertise to get production going again.B
PepsiCo confirmed on 23 September that it was ending ProNutro production in South Africa after a lengthy review. The decision followed problems with the cereal’s ageing manufacturing equipment, which the company said had become outdated and unreliable.
An attempt to introduce a new version, known as ‘New Generation ProNutro’, also failed to win back consumers. The new recipe and production process were met with criticism over the cereal’s taste, texture and ability to mix properly. PepsiCo subsequently halted production and said it had investigated ways of bringing back the original product.
However, the company said it could not reproduce the taste and texture consumers had come to expect. Rather than continue selling a version that had disappointed its customer base, PepsiCo decided to discontinue the cereal.
Biltong & Bangers wants the original back
The company posted its offer on social media, asking PepsiCo a very direct question: ‘So…how much do you want for it?’ The business has been selling ProNutro to South Africans in the UK for the past 18 years, although it acknowledges that running a cereal manufacturing operation is outside its core expertise.
Its business is focused on biltong, boerie and South African food retail in the UK. That hasn’t stopped its owners from putting the idea on the table.
‘We’re talking the ORIGINAL recipe, the relevant IP, production know-how and all the old equipment,’ – Biltong & Bangers
The proposal is to bring together South African expertise to determine whether the old production process could be revived, while keeping the brand’s manufacturing roots in South Africa and potentially creating jobs.
Online responses have turned the proposal into something bigger than a simple business enquiry. According to Biltong & Bangers, thousands of comments followed its posts about ProNutro, with consumers expressing strong support for the idea of keeping the original product alive.
Some commenters even offered practical help, including assistance with contracts, instrumentation, cereal production processes and sourcing raw materials. Others asked whether they could invest or suggested crowdfunding the purchase.
The reaction highlights just how strongly ProNutro is tied to memories of South African breakfasts for many consumers. Its disappearance is not simply the loss of another supermarket product for those who grew up eating it.
There is also an obvious commercial question behind the nostalgia: whether the reaction from consumers represents enough demand to support a viable independent operation.
It is only an expression of interest for now
Despite the excitement, there is no indication in the statement that PepsiCo has agreed to sell ProNutro or that a deal is currently being negotiated. Biltong & Bangers described its message as an ‘official expression of interest’ and invited PepsiCo to make contact if it is prepared to sell.
The company also openly admits that producing cereal is a very different business from running its existing shops. However, Biltong & Bangers believes South Africa has the people and technical knowledge needed to explore the possibility.
In a nod to the country’s well-known spirit of making a plan, the company ended its Heritage Day message with a familiar phrase:
‘’n Boer maak ’n plan.’ – Biltong & Bangers
For now, ProNutro remains discontinued. But the online response has raised an intriguing possibility: the end of PepsiCo’s ProNutro may not necessarily have to mean the end of the original cereal altogether.
This article was originally written by Cameron Kelly for Cape {town} ETC.
