Vimax Porridge - Ground Oats (Top voted first)

JUDE Says:

Sun, February 23, 2014

I am searching for Vimax Porridge, it is finely ground oats, also should come coarsely ground. I would be grateful if somebody could let me know where it is available.

4

Robbie Says:
Fri, December 5, 2014

I just loved Vitmax fine and ate it from a small child in the early 60's till it disappeared from Supermarket shelves. No other porridge could match it for taste or texture. Be great if someone were to bring it back...

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2

Heather Says:
Thu, July 17, 2014

Hi Jude,
If you find some Vimax please let me know as it is the only porridge that I ever liked!

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9

Mrs kiwiana Says:
Wed, March 25, 2015

Vimax was a wheaten porridge - not oats based. It's nutty flavour came from the wheatgerm. I think it was made by Gore company Flemings, who made Creamota which is also no longer available. Vimax was still available in the 1990s as I have recipes from the NZ Herald specifying Vimax. When I contacted Goodman Fielder who took over Flemings they suggested I put rolled oats through the food processor.

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24

Margaret71 Says:
Wed, March 27, 2019

Re: Kim (# 20) Expand Referenced Message

I do wish Vi-Max would come back on the supermarket shelves. I had it every morning as a kid from the 1950's - loved it and so did my children. They always said 'brown porridge' when I asked them what they wanted for breakfast. Weevils indeed - I think the manufacturers were telling porkies. Never saw weevils in my Vi-max before it was cooked, but have found them in other products periodically that are still sold. Grinding down oats does not give one Vi Max, I have tried that. Please bring back Vi-Max.

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1

Jude Says:
Sun, March 2, 2014

Jude says: I have had no response to my search for availability of VIMAX PORRIDGE. I reside in New Zealand. This was available during to 70's and 80's, it was discontinued in the late 80's ot early 90's I think. Brand Sanitarium. Came in fine ground and coarse ground. The contents of this mixture might be known by somebody, which would emable me perhaps to make it up myself.

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3

Helen Says:
Fri, September 19, 2014

Hi Jude...funny...I have just come to the computer to look this very same thing...only porridge I liked too and my mother used to make it up for me so I would eat it (as I wouldn't the other!)

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8

Heather Says:
Tue, December 9, 2014

No problem, they are also known as pantry moths. You could also try contacting Sanitarium and ask how it was made. I personally do not like porridge, it is too gluggy and gloopy. Vimax was not gluggy or gloopy and just tasted totally different to regular oat porridge. Maybe they toasted the whole oats first and then ground them really finely. I would be really interested in your results!

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10

Patrick Says:
Mon, April 27, 2015

What the hell ,,,a few weevils to add protein...no worries. Seriously, I loved Vimax porridge as a kid. Would eat it now maybe with muesli. Am going to mail Sanitarium and find out....

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11

Heather Says:
Mon, April 27, 2015

Patrick,
if you get a reply please share it here.
Thanks!
Heather

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15

Kim Says:
Sat, February 4, 2017

Another year later than the last comment...I got asked this morning by my Grandson why I wasn't having porridge with him and Grandad so I told him its because I havnt liked porridge since they stopped making Vimax and proceeded to google to see if I could find out why it ever disappeared off the shelf. I was amazed to find I wasn't the only one missing it! Still aren't sure from the comments if it was made from oats or wheat. I have also wondered if it had linseed in it giving it that nutty flavour. Let's hope Sanitarium or who ever did make it consider making it again weevils and all!

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16

Vimax Kid Says:
Thu, February 9, 2017

Hi.
I and many others lamented the day when advised that Vimax porridge was no longer to be supplied and I like many others preferred it to any other porridge but only the coarse version. It was made from wheat not oats. If so many people loved it why was it removed from our shelves?
If anyone does start making it again, it would be a great day. Please advise if this great event happens.

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18

Lorraine Says:
Wed, May 10, 2017

yes i am also lookng for the old vimax porridge ued to love it and when i went to stay with friends as a child she used to make it and we would have it with fresh cream and golden syrup Naughty eh! but oh so yummy Also wish they would bring it back.

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25

Margaret71 Says:
Wed, April 17, 2019

I found in one of my mother's old recipe books that Vi-Max porridge had added wheat germ. I mix 2 tbps of wheat germ to a 1/3 cup of oat bran (not oatmeal) and the outcome is pretty close to Vi-Max porridge.

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29

Jenni Says:
Sun, February 9, 2020

Re: Jenni (# 27) Expand Referenced Message

I will try Margarets suggestion of 2 tablespoons of wheat germ and 1/3 cup oat bran and report back. It’s still summer where I live so it won’t be for 2 or 3. months but I’ll get back to you. I would really like to recreate that nutty taste of Vimax

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43

geoff Says:
Wed, November 24, 2021

Re: JustMe (# 41) Expand Referenced Message

you're right. The Vimax refers to vi(tamin)max. Vitamin B, and wheat germ implied. Even the remembered texture has (to me) a wheatgermy aspect to it. Likewise the taste.

Some kids got heatspots with it.

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47

Mark Says:
Sun, May 22, 2022

Well I got a reply from Emma at Sanitarium. They were very helpful. Lots of info ...

Thank you very much for contacting us regarding Vi-Max porrige. This product was not manufactured by Sanitarium and so unfortunately there is not a lot of information we can provide.

However our archivist has had a look into this product out of interest, and has found the following information:

I looked at advertisements for Vi-Max on the NZ Papers Past website, and found that it was made by D.H. Brown and Son Ltd, Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch. See: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19460724.2.133.2?end_date=31-12-1950&items_per_page=10&page=3&query=vi-max&snippet=true&start_date=23-04-1946&title=ESD

and https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19490704.2.18.4

A good description of the product can be found at https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MS19401010.2.85?items_per_page=10&query=vimax&snippet=true

D.H Brown and Son Ltd, the manufacturers of Vi-Max, were flour millers in Christchurch. One website https://ehive.com/collections/3355/objects/662984/bag-flour-vi-meal has a picture of a flour bag, labelled “Vi-Meal” which is described as “A Product of the VI-MAX Factory of D.H. BROWN & SON LTD CHRISTCHURCH”.

A small colour image of the pack can be seen at https://longwhitekid.wordpress.com/category/vi-max-cereal/ (need to scroll down the page).

I hope this is helpful. There is a statement in a forum on the web that it was made by Sanitarium, but this is obviously in error. It was probably sold in our retail shops (along with many products made by other manufacturers), and so that may be how the writer connected it with our company.

We can hear how much you loved this product and hope the above information is helpful to you.

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50

Windy Miller Says:
Tue, May 30, 2023

I was a Miller at DH Brown in Moorehouse Ave in Christchurch in the 1980's. The material we used for Vi-max was a stream of semolina rich with germ and some bran, taken out very early in the wheat milling process. It was very prone to infestation because the product was too fragile for mechanical infestation destroyers. My mum use to make biscuits with it and they had a nutty crunchy flavour. I also doubt the demand was huge either. I remember it was a difficult product to get the right bulk density, too heavy was too low in the bag, too light it was too big in the bag

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51

Brian Says:
Sun, July 16, 2023

Re: Windy Miller (# 50) Expand Referenced Message

PART OF THE Vi-Max STORY.
My father was General Manager of D H Brown and Son at the time VI -Max was first marketed in 1940. Browns was a private flour milling company manufacturing Peerless Flour and associated wheat based products. It was based here in Christchurch.

Prior to 1940 they also manufactured Terry’s Meal an Australian porridge which, presumably was manufactured here for the New Zealand market on behalf of the Australian company. Brown’s management decided that there was an opportunity for a local company to manufacture and market a wheat based porridge here in New Zealand, which they did with Vi-Max. The main opposition here in the south being Diamond Oatis (Timaru Milling Company) and Creamoata which was made by Flemings of Gore.

Charles Haines Advertising Ltd assisted with marketing. The characters Vi and Max were introduced. Similarly Aunt Daisy ( Maud Basham ) was used to spread the word.

When the 1960’s arrived Kiwis wanted to spend less time preparing breakfasts so the popularity of porridge was replaced by quickly prepared breakfasts like Weetbix and muesli. Products like Creamoata, Diamond Oatis and Vi-Max slowly disappeared.

Vi-Max was a wheat based product with added wheat germ. I remember Vi-Max being made in a small building adjacent to the grain store. Later Vi-Max was manufactured through the main flour mill. The property in Moorhouse Avenue, still has a flour mill on it but it is owned by Goodman Fielder an international company who have carried on using the names of loved and trusted household brands including: Meadow Fresh, Edmonds, Chelsea, Puhoi Valley, Molenberg, Vogels and Natures Fresh just to name a few.

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59

Blondie Says:
Tue, November 28, 2023

Re: Mark (# 57) Expand Referenced Message

I realise this...but is close enough for me, and I understand...

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5

David Says:
Mon, December 8, 2014

Seeing this topic sparked my curiosity and I actually have a few questions for those of you who have consumed Vimax as a kid or are searching for it on the shelves... If Vimax is simply "ground oats" as many people put it, couldn't you just find that at a typical grocery store in those plastic bins with all the other grains/oats? Or even opt for using a blender/food processor to finely grind up whole oats?

And are there any other attributes to it that separate it's texture/flavor from normal ground oatmeal?

From the number of individuals I see searching for this product, one might think that think there would be something more to it than oats; which are common place at grocery stores.