GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Not often do you hear about Post and Kellogg's working together. This story is an exception.
That's because, in this case, 'Post' doesn't refer to Post Consumer Brands, Kellogg's top competitor. Instead, it refers to Bill Post, a Grand Rapids man who's responsible for one of Kellogg's most popular items — Pop-Tarts.
Post, who celebrated his 95th birthday over the summer, started working at the Keebler Co. Bakery on 28th St. when he was 16. About 20 years later, he was approached by Kellogg's employees hoping to get some help on their next greatest idea — a toaster pastry.
“Within four weeks, we had a handmade sample," Post said. "Within four months, we had a product that went to test market. They found out that kids really liked them."
That was the summarized version of the process. Sounded pretty simple, but Post said it didn't come without challenges along the way.
"To get a one product test product through a 300 foot oven," he said, "that was very difficult. So we had a lot of scrap and debris going through the oven."
Post added, "We sorted them out and let all the debris go to the pig farmer. The pig farmer was the happiest guy in that ordeal.”
When it was all said and done, they had created four flavors — strawberry, blueberry, apple currant and brown sugar cinnamon.
Post and Kellogg's debuted the Pop-Tarts in Cleveland in 1964, starting with 10,000 cases of each flavor.
"Those just blew off the shelves," Post said. "Kellogg's ran a big page ad that (basically) said, 'Oops! Sorry! We ran on a Pop-Tarts.' From then on, we've been running ever since."
Post, who now lives in Kentwood, said he eats about 3-4 Pop-Tarts every single week. He never gets sick of them — in fact, quite the opposite! The license plate on his car says 'POPTART.'
Post said his favorite flavor is frosted strawberry. When asked about his least favorite flavor, he gave a very political answer, to no surprise.
"Really not. That would be poor publicity," he joked.