Whittaker's facts for kids
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| Private limited liability company | |
| Industry | Chocolatier |
| Founded | Christchurch, 1896 |
| Founder | J. H. Whittaker |
| Headquarters | |
| Owner | Whittaker family |
Whittaker's is a famous chocolate company from New Zealand. Its full name is J.H. Whittaker & Sons, Ltd. They make delicious chocolate that is free from palm oil. The company is based in Porirua, New Zealand. Whittaker's is the biggest chocolate brand in New Zealand. About 30% of their chocolate is sent to other countries.
Whittaker's controls its whole chocolate-making process. They do everything at their factory in Porirua. This means they are a "bean-to-bar" maker. James Henry Whittaker started the business in Christchurch in 1896. Later, the company moved to Wellington.
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A Sweet History of Whittaker's
James Henry Whittaker was born in 1868. He started working in the British candy industry when he was 14. In 1890, he moved to New Zealand with his wife, Leah Alice. Before and after moving, he sold chocolate for another company called Cadbury's.
In 1896, James started making his own chocolate. He sold it directly to people using a horse and a van. In 1913, he teamed up with his two sons, Ronald and James. They set up their business in Wellington. The company officially became a limited company in 1937. Today, the Whittaker family still owns the company.
In 1969, the company moved from Wellington to Porirua. They needed more space for their factory. Also, their old building was going to be affected by a new motorway.
Popular Products and Growth
The famous Peanut Slab was created in the 1950s. Whittaker's started sending it to other countries in 1985. In the 1970s and 80s, they also made other popular treats. These included Santé Bars, Toffee Milk Bars, and K-Bars. In the 1990s, the company began making large blocks of chocolate. In 1992, they formed a new part of the company called J. H. Whittaker New Zealand Ltd.
Whittaker's and Sports
Whittaker's has helped support sports in New Zealand. They have sponsored motor sports events. They also supported the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team.
Trusted Brand and Advertising
Whittaker's uses marketing phrases like "A passion for chocolate since 1896." They also say "Good honest chocolate" and "from bean to bar." In 2011, a survey found them to be New Zealand's third most trusted brand. From 2012 to 2022, Whittaker's was voted New Zealand's most trusted brand. This happened partly because of problems another company, Cadbury, had.
Famous people have also helped advertise Whittaker's. In May 2014, the chef Nigella Lawson filmed an advertisement. It was filmed at the old Wellington railway station. In 2022, actor Karl Urban appeared in an advert. He played a time-traveling James Whittaker in Wellington's Civic Square.
Expanding to Other Countries
In June 2014, Whittaker's started selling its chocolate in Malaysia. This helped them reach more customers.
Sourcing Cocoa Beans
In 2014, Whittaker's started a program to help cocoa bean farmers in Samoa. Cocoa beans are used to make chocolate. In 2017, the New Zealand government also joined this program. In 2020, Whittaker's announced that many of its products would be 'Rainforest Alliance Certified'. This means the cocoa beans come from farms that follow good environmental and social practices. They also use small amounts of beans from Samoa and Nicaragua.
Awards and Recognition
Whittaker's has won many awards. Besides being New Zealand's most trusted brand, they won 'Exporter of the Year' in 2021. This award is for companies that do well in sending products overseas. They also won the Supreme Award in 2022. This award celebrates top businesses in the Wellington area.
Māori Language Initiative
In August 2022, Whittaker's showed a special chocolate bar wrapper. It was made for Māori Language Week. The wrapper had 'Creamy Milk' written in Māori as 'Miraka Kirīmi'. This idea received both praise and criticism from the public.
Ed Sheeran and Whittaker's
The singer Ed Sheeran visited New Zealand in February 2023. He posted on Instagram that he liked New Zealand chocolate. Whittaker's sent him a special 'Ed Block' of Creamy Milk. It had his face on the label. Later, Whittaker's and Ed Sheeran worked together. They auctioned signed T-shirts and chocolate. This helped raise money for people affected by the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods.
Product Changes
In March 2024, Whittaker's announced a change. They said they would stop making Toffee Milks.
See also
