Company: Kellogg’s
Rsp: £2.69/560g
Competition: Frosted Shreddies, Weetabix Chocolate
The sell: Kellogg’s believes the ­cereal, which rolls out to stores next month, has the potential to become as big as its £30m Frosties brand in the next four years


The consumer
I didn’t like the packaging of Mini Max. It is boring and would not make me ask my mum to buy it when shopping. The cereal tasted OK and had a nice sweet flavour, but went soggy very quickly. It kept my mum happy because I didn’t ask for any extra sugar. I will eat Mini Max again if we have it in the house, but it is not as good as Frosted Shreddies. Three stars (out of five)
Belinda Riley, aged eight, Haywards Heath

The expert
‘Crunchy little parcels of baked wholegrain wheat’. You can be excused if you have heard this before, as this new Kellogg’s cereal is very like the Shreddies/Bitesize ranges already available. The parcels are smaller and not bad to eat, although a little bland. Kellogg’s is spending a lot on this above the line and with children’s cereals down year-on-year, hopefully it is what the category needs. Three stars
Clifford Frazher, trading controller, Nisa-Today’s

The Grocer
This is a confusing product. The name seems designed to appeal to kids yet the packaging has no obvious cues to attract younger consumers (the tiny image of a cartoon character looks like an afterthought) and is clearly aimed at health-focused mums. I thought the texture of the cereal was probably too harsh and dull for many kids, but it may prove a hit with older consumers I had no trouble polishing off a bowl. In such a crowded market, whether Mini Max catches on is going to be very much down to marketing and promotional investment. Two stars
Vince Bamford, food & drink editor

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