Creator of Pop Tarts William Post dies aged 96

The creator of a delicious breakfast treat adored across the world has died aged 96.

Pop Tarts inventor William Post has died.

Pop Tarts inventor William Post has died at the age of 96.

The delicious toaster treats hit shelves in 1974 and were an instant hit in America and overseas.

Post has long been credited with coming up with the iconic snack. But in interviews, he would often say it was a team effort.

The creator of Pop Tarts has died aged 96.

The snack king was working as a manager for Hekman Biscuit Company when Kellogg’s asked the company to create a breakfast pastry that could be put in the toaster.

He came up with Pop Tarts, which are now sold in supermarkets across Australia.

Speaking in 2021, Post told WWMT: “There were so many naysayers. Some of my good friends would say, ‘I don’t know Bill’.

“They would tell us it’s not such a good idea.”

But Post proved his doubters wrong, and Pop Tarts were quickly flying off shelves, selling out in in some supermarkets.

Now 60 years on, Pop Tarts are sold in almost every US supermarket as well in supermarkets in the UK, Australia, Canada an Europe.

They come in a range of flavours and maintain annual sales of around $1billion in the US alone, according to CNBC.

Post previously told how it took months to work out how to create the perfect Pop Tarts - which were at first called fruit scones.

He said: “We had to put a sheeter over another sheeter, so a 60-ton piece of equipment had to be raised on a platform - guys at the bakery thought that was crazy - but we had to make two dough sheets to come out to make the doubled layer Pop-Tart with filling in between.”

In 2021, Post said his favourite flavour was strawberry - one of the four original flavours alongside cinnamon sugar, blueberry and apple currant.

He said: “We have a seniors group at church and you have to bring your lunch every once in a while.

“I always bring my Pop-Tarts and of course they all think, ‘Poor guy, that’s all he can eat’.

“But I just like to have them as a snack.”

Pop Tarts inventor William Post has died. Credit: X

Post, who was raised in Michigan, started working at Hekman at the age of 16, and returned to the company after serving in the Army Air Corps in occupied Japan.

He married his high school sweetheart Florence shortly after, and they spent an incredible 72 years together before her death in 2020.

By the age of 21, Post worked at Hekman full time as a personnel manager before working his way up to plant manager.

Three years after Pop Tarts took off, Post started working in Keebler’s corporate offices before leaving the company at the age of 56.

He decided to retire - but then could not turn down an offer from Kellogg’s to be their consultant.

Post - known to his family and friends as Bill - spent 20 years in the position, travelling the world as part of the job.

He died on Saturday, his family said.

“Bill was loved and will be missed immensely by his children: Dan and Jackie Post and Rachel and John DeYoung,” they said.

“The lights of his life were his adoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren who visited him so often.”

-With The Sun.