Weis (frozen foods company) facts for kids
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| Owner | Unilever |
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Weis is a popular Australian brand. It is owned by a big company called Unilever. Weis makes yummy frozen treats like ice creams and fruit desserts. They are famous for their Weis Bars, which are shaped like bars. You can find Weis Bars in most Australian shops and supermarkets. They come in boxes of eight mini bars or four regular-sized bars. The place where Weis used to make its treats was in Toowoomba, Queensland. Now, all Weis products are made in Minto, New South Wales.
Contents
The Story of Weis
How Weis Bars Began
The first Weis Fruito Bar was created by Les Weis in 1957. He sold it from his own small shop in Toowoomba. The original Fruito Bar had a mix of pineapple, banana, and passion fruit.
Popular Flavors and Growth
Two years later, in 1959, the Mango and Cream bar was launched. This quickly became the most popular Weis Bar. Weis became well-known in Australia.
Weis Goes Global
In January 2016, Weis started selling its products in China. This was a big step for the company! Weis had already been sending its bars to Japan for over 20 years. At that time, almost 30 out of every 100 Weis products were sold outside Australia.
A New Owner for Weis
Until August 2017, Weis was a family-owned Australian company. The Weis family had run the business for two generations. Then, they sold the company to Unilever. Unilever is a very large company from England and the Netherlands.
Moving Production
In late 2019, Unilever decided to close the original Weis factory in Toowoomba. This meant that 93 workers lost their jobs. All Weis products are now made at Unilever's factory in Minto, which is in western Sydney.
Awards and Recognition
In 2009, the Weis Bar was honored as part of Queensland's Q150 celebrations. It was named one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland. This award recognized the Weis Bar as an important "innovation and invention" from the state.
