New Jaffa maker considers race’s return
The door is open for Dunedin’s famous Jaffas race to return after a Kiwi company picked up the licence to bring the sweet back.
Jaffas looked like they were headed for oblivion after the closure of Cadbury’s Dunedin factory in March took the manufacture of several brands such as Pinky, Cadbury Pineapple Lumps and the Buzz Bar to Australia.
But Levin-based company RJs Licorice has secured a deal with Cadbury’s owner, Mondelez International, to make Jaffas under licence in New Zealand. The chocolate-orange balls will be on shelves from October 23.
RJs New Zealand sales director Amy Law said the company had not talked to Mondelez about rescuing the other marshmellowbased brands, but it was happy to pick up Jaffas.
‘‘We’re always open to options, but for us at this stage we had the capability to make Jaffas and so that was the one we were focusing on. The critical thing for us was just to try and keep it on the shelves, because it is such an iconic New Zealand product.’’
Ironically, perhaps, Jaffas will be made by Darrell Lea, RJs’ sister company in Australia, due to manufacturing capabilities, but RJs is hopeful it can eventually bring full production back to New Zealand.
Law said there had also been some internal discussion about the Jaffas race down Dunedin’s Baldwin St which was an annual fixture when the Cadbury factory was still open.
‘‘We won’t rule it out. If there’s support to do it, it’s definitely something we’ll have a look at.’’
Licorice maker RJs has been on the expansion path since its recent acquisition, along with Darrell Lea, by Australian private equity firm Quadrant.
In July RJs bought the Mackintosh’s, Heards, Black Knight, Oddfellows and Fabulicious brands from Nestle.
That move plus the manufacture of Jaffas would ‘‘definitely’’ add at least another 20 jobs to RJs’ 80-strong workforce, Law said.
Quadrant was committed to keeping the factory in Levin.
Paul Chatfield of Mondelez said the company was glad it could hand over stewardship of the Jaffas brand to a company with ‘‘a proud Kiwi heritage’’.