The History of Honey Bunches of Oats

As a long-time employee of Post, Vernon J. Herzing wanted to create a new kind of cereal to delight his daughter. While at home on a random Saturday afternoon in 1986, Herzing began combining different Post cereals and formats together. He created several different mixtures and had his daughter taste each one. After many tries, Herzing discovered a winning combination of crunch and sweetness. Post agreed with Herzing and his daughter and put the cereal — dubbed Honey Bunches of Oats — into production. The new cereal hit store shelves in 1989. Notably, it was the first of its kind; at the time, no other cereal used a medley of textures and formats like Honey Bunches of Oats did. The new cereal was an immediate hit and became particularly popular with families. Today, Honey Bunches of Oats remains a beloved cereal option and can be found on grocery store shelves all over the country.