Frank L. White (c. 1867 – February 15, 193

was a professional
chef best known as the model for the fictional breakfast chef (often identified as "
Rastus") still featured on the boxes of, and advertising for,
Cream of Wheat breakfast cereal. A native of
Barbados, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1875, where he
became a citizen in 1890. He was working as a
master chef at a Chicago restaurant at the time he was photographed for the cereal box in 1900.
White lived in
Leslie, Michigan, in his last decades, dying aged about 70 in 1938, and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Leslie. In June 2007, the concrete marker on his grave was replaced with a granite gravestone.
[1][2]
The Cream of Wheat chef will be removed from packaging, B&G says. B&G Foods will remove the image of a Black chef from the packaging of its Cream of Wheat, the company said in a statement. The food manufacturer announced it was reviewing the packaging in June after widespread protests against systemic racism pushed several companies to re-evaluate their branding. The image has been on packages of the hot cereal mix since around 1900. "While research indicates the image may be based upon an actual Chicago chef named Frank White, it reminds some consumers of earlier depictions they find offensive. Therefore, we are removing the chef image from all Cream of Wheat packaging," the statement from B&G Foods said.