Change of strategy in choc campaign
The man behind a campaign to keep some Cadbury confectionery made in Dunedin is now eyeing up a locally owned chocolate maker.
Dunedin city councillor Jim O’Malley’s campaign to produce Cadbury’s iconic Kiwi brands – including Jaffas, Pineapple Lumps, Buzz Bars and Pinky Bars – ended after Dunedin Manufacturing Holding (DMH) withdrew its bid with global food giant Mondelez International.
DMH attracted $5 million in pre-pledges to keep chocolate and confectionery making in Dunedin, and now the company plans to crowdfund to buy and expand craft chocolate maker Ocho (Otago Chocolate Company).
O’Malley said Ocho was already producing a quality product and there was less risk.
He envisaged the products to be in the same space as Whittaker’s artisan bars, but ‘‘we are going to target exports early on in our development’’. That was likely to be Asia, particularly China.
For the local market DMH also wanted to produce a block chocolate, and he was already in talks with distributors products.
Ocho founder Liz Rowe said the company was currently unable to grow because of the small-scale equipment it was using.
‘‘A bigger operation will mean we can invest in some state-of-theart craft chocolate making machinery, and the increased production will open up potential opportunities in tourism and export, and also mean we can work more closely with our supplier communities in the Pacific,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s important to me, though, that we retain the emphasis on making premium quality craft chocolate because that’s been my interest since starting Ocho, and where I think the growth potential is.’’
DMH was now calling for expressions of interest from experienced company directors.
‘‘We have an ambitious timeline and we are looking for a board who can make a significant investment with their knowledge, energy and time over the next year,’’ O’Malley said.
A crowdfunding campaign was scheduled to begin on October 31, and if successful the board would appoint a chief executive. about the Healthcare chain Hardy’s went into receivership owing more than $648,000, its first receivers’ report shows. @Hardy’s, trading as Hardy’s, and head franchisor Healthy Living Trading Company (Healthy Living) were put in receivership in July. The receivers’ report released last week showed that Hardy’s operated seven stores and owed 31 employees $46,251. Head receiver Kare Johnstone of McGrathNicol said the employees had since been paid. The report showed Hardy’s owed $546,6478, while Healthy Living owed $102,116. A stocktake on July 4 showed that Hardy’s had $288,000 worth of stock on hand. All assets had either been obtained by the receivers or sold in staged auctions.
Foodstuffs has apologised for a sign at an Auckland Pak’n Save that blamed striking workers for a lack of products on its shelves, when it was the result of a distribution problem. First Union criticised Pak’n Save for a ‘‘cynical tactic by a nasty company’’ when a sign was put up at the Clendon store blaming industrial action at the distribution centre for a lack of chicken available for shoppers. North Island chief executive Chris Quin, on behalf of chilled and frozen food centre CTD Nesdale, agreed the sign was put up in error and apologised for the confusion it had caused. He said the disruption was because of a change in supply, not union negotiations.
The All Blacks have tied with Whittaker’s as the most loved Kiwi brands in a Colmar Brunton survey. But Cadbury appears to be feeling the sting of closing its Dunedin factory and culling hundreds of jobs. The chocolate company fell to 11th place after enjoying a spot in the top five last year. The top five most-loved brands were Whittaker’s, All Blacks, Air New Zealand, Tip Top and Edmonds. Trade Me moved up from 10th place to sixth-equal with Pineapple Lumps and Wattie’s. Colmar Brunton chief client officer Sarah Bolger said the top three qualities of the leading brands were ‘‘being Kiwi’’, ‘‘well-known’’ and ‘‘great value for money’’.