Hoadley's Chocolates
Corporate brand
UnclaimedDefunct Australian confectionery company best known for Violet Crumble and Polly Waffle chocolate bars.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Hoadley's Chocolates was an Australian confectionery company whose history developed from Abel Hoadley's earlier preserving and jam business. Abel Hoadley, an English businessman based in Victoria, established A. Hoadley and Company in South Melbourne in 1889. The original business concentrated on jams and fruit preservation, using produce from Hoadley's orchards near Burwood. It later expanded into preserved fruit, candied fruit and peel, sauces, and related products. Several factories were operating by the beginning of the twentieth century, including the Rising Sun Preserving Works on St Kilda Road. Because fruit preservation was seasonal, Hoadley diversified into confectionery. Around 1901 or 1902 he acquired the former premises of Dillon, Burrows & Co. near Princes Bridge and began producing cocoa and chocolate. In 1910 the jam business was sold to Henry Jones Co-operative, while Hoadley retained the confectionery operation and the Princes Bridge factory. Hoadley's Chocolates Ltd was registered in 1913 and was operating by the end of that year. Abel Hoadley retired during 1913, leaving control to four of his sons: Walter, Peter, Albert and Charles. The company remained family-led after Abel's death in 1918. The company's first major product was Violet Milk Chocolates, later known as Hoadley's Chocolate Assortment. In the same year, it introduced Violet Crumble, a chocolate-covered honeycomb confection that became the company's defining product. The name reflected Abel Hoadley's wish to associate the product with violets, his wife's favourite flower, after the simpler name “Crumble” presented trademark difficulties. Initially concentrated in Victoria, Hoadley's began selling interstate by at least 1921, with advertisements appearing in Western Australia and other states during the 1920s. Hoadley's experienced serious financial difficulties during the 1930s. Its recovery was supported in large part by imaginative marketing associated with Albert Hoadley, including collectable card series distributed with confectionery. The cards featured subjects such as cricket, Victorian football and Western-themed imagery. The company continued expanding in the post-war period. Polly Waffle was launched in 1947 and became its second best-known line after Violet Crumble. Other products included Bertie Beetle, White Knight, Clancy Bar, Arctic Mints, Tex-Bar, MinTex Bar and various boxed chocolates. The company used several distinctive Australian distribution and promotional channels. Its products appeared in showbags at events such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show and Brisbane's Ekka. Bertie Beetle, introduced in 1963, eventually received its own low-priced showbag and became an enduring showground product. Hoadley's also sponsored radio activity, including nationwide readings of the poem “Clancy of the Overflow” to promote Clancy Bar. From 1966 to 1972 it sponsored Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds, a national competition for unsigned bands. After financial pressures in the 1960s, Hoadley's Chocolates was acquired by Rowntree's in 1972 and became Rowntree Hoadley Ltd. The new owner rationalised the range while adding further confectionery and non-chocolate products. Rowntree was acquired by Nestlé in 1988, after which the remaining Hoadley's products were marketed first under Rowntree-Nestlé and later under Nestlé. The original corporate entity and brand company therefore ceased to operate independently, although several product names survived. Violet Crumble rights were sold by Nestlé to South Australian confectioner Robern Menz in 2018. Robern Menz also acquired rights to Polly Waffle in 2019 after Nestlé had discontinued that bar in 2009. The history of Hoadley's consequently continued through successor ownership of individual brands rather than through an independent Hoadley's company.
History
Hoadley's Chocolates originated in the Victorian preserving industry. Abel Hoadley founded A. Hoadley and Company in South Melbourne in 1889, initially producing jam and preserved fruit. The business used fruit from Hoadley's orchards at Burwood and later manufactured candied fruit, peel and sauces. Expansion included the Rising Sun Preserving Works on St Kilda Road and several other preserving factories. Seeking to reduce dependence on seasonal fruit production, Abel Hoadley moved into confectionery around 1901 or 1902 by acquiring the former Dillon, Burrows & Co. factory near Princes Bridge. The company began producing cocoa and chocolate alongside its preserved-food operations. In 1910 Hoadley sold the jam business to Henry Jones Co-operative but retained the confectionery operation. Hoadley's Chocolates Ltd was registered in 1913, with Abel's sons Walter, Peter, Albert and Charles assuming control as managing director, purchasing officer, marketing officer and chairman respectively. Abel died in 1918, but the enterprise continued under the family. The original 1913 products included Violet Milk Chocolates, subsequently called Hoadley's Chocolate Assortment, and Violet Crumble. Violet Crumble became the company's signature product. Hoadley's initially sold mainly in Victoria, but interstate distribution was established by the early 1920s. The company was close to bankruptcy in the 1930s and relied on energetic marketing to rebuild its position. Collectable cards issued with products featured sporting and popular cultural themes and helped distinguish Hoadley's products in the Australian market. Post-war growth brought new factories, products and promotional channels. Polly Waffle appeared in 1947 and became a leading product. Hoadley's also developed boxed chocolate assortments, wafer bars, mints and other confectionery. Its products were sold in showbags at major Australian agricultural and entertainment shows. Bertie Beetle, launched in 1963, became particularly associated with showbags. The company sponsored radio readings of “Clancy of the Overflow” in 1956 to support Clancy Bar and sponsored the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds music competition from 1966. Hoadley's financial problems returned in the 1960s. Rowntree acquired the company in 1972 and reorganised it as Rowntree Hoadley Ltd. Production was progressively consolidated, and some older products were discontinued while new non-chocolate lines were introduced. Nestlé acquired Rowntree in 1988, after which Hoadley's products were gradually integrated into Nestlé's Australian portfolio. The independent Hoadley's company no longer exists, but its best-known product identities survived through subsequent owners. Robern Menz acquired Violet Crumble rights in 2018 and Polly Waffle rights in 2019.
- 2019
Polly Waffle rights transferred to Robern Menz
[1]Robern Menz acquired Polly Waffle rights and planned to restore production.
- 2018
Violet Crumble rights transferred to Robern Menz
[1]Robern Menz purchased the Violet Crumble rights from Nestlé.
- 2009
Polly Waffle discontinued
[1]Nestlé stopped making Polly Waffle after poor sales.
- 1988
Nestlé acquires Rowntree
[1]The Hoadley's product portfolio passed into Nestlé ownership through Nestlé's acquisition of Rowntree.
- 1972
Acquisition by Rowntree
[1]Rowntree bought Hoadley's Chocolates and formed Rowntree Hoadley Ltd.
- 1963
Bertie Beetle introduced
[1]Bertie Beetle entered the range and later became strongly associated with Australian showbags.
- 1947
Polly Waffle launched
[1]Hoadley's introduced Polly Waffle, which became its second major product after Violet Crumble.
- 1923
Violet Crumble trademark registered
[1]The Violet Crumble name was formally registered as a trademark after the product had expanded beyond Victoria.
- 1913
Hoadley's Chocolates registered
[1]The dedicated chocolate company began operating, launching Violet Milk Chocolates and Violet Crumble.
- 1910
Jam business sold
[1]Henry Jones Co-operative acquired the jam business while Hoadley retained the confectionery operation and Princes Bridge factory.
Products and positioning
A mass-market Australian confectionery maker with a strong family-business heritage, distinctive purple packaging, nationally distributed chocolate bars, boxed chocolates and event-based showbag products.
Chocolate-coated honeycomb bar · 1913
Violet Crumble
Introduced in 1913, Violet Crumble combined a honeycomb centre with a chocolate coating and became Hoadley's signature confectionery product. Its name reflected the company's violet-themed branding and Abel Hoadley's connection to his wife's favourite flower. The product survived the corporate transition from Hoadley's to Rowntree and Nestlé, with rights later transferred to Robern Menz in 2018.
Chocolate-coated wafer bar · 1947
Polly Waffle
Launched in 1947, Polly Waffle consisted of a wafer-based centre covered in chocolate. It became Hoadley's second most prominent product after Violet Crumble. Nestlé discontinued the bar in 2009 after a recipe and packaging change was poorly received and sales declined. Robern Menz acquired the rights in 2019 and announced plans to resume production.
Boxed chocolates · 1913
Violet Chocolate Assortment
Originally introduced as Violet Milk Chocolates, this boxed assortment was Hoadley's first product. It contained assorted flavoured milk chocolates and was sold in decorative boxes, including embossed plastic designs that later became collectible. The line appears to have ended around the period of Rowntree's acquisition.
Chocolate confection · 1963
Bertie Beetle
Introduced in 1963, Bertie Beetle became closely identified with Australian showbags. A dedicated Bertie Beetle showbag was introduced in 1965 and was traditionally positioned as an inexpensive entry-level showbag. The product later came to be manufactured in New Zealand and continued under successor ownership arrangements.
Chocolate-coated mint bar
White Knight
White Knight was a chocolate-coated mint confectionery bar believed to have originated in the 1950s. It remained part of the Hoadley's-derived product portfolio for decades and was discontinued in 2016.
Chocolate-coated wafer bar · 1956
Clancy Bar
Clancy Bar combined wafers and a jam centre with a dark chocolate coating. Its name was taken from Banjo Paterson's poem “Clancy of the Overflow,” which also supplied the theme for a 1956 radio promotional campaign. The product is discontinued.
Marketing campaigns
- 1966Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds
Australia
Hoadley's began sponsoring Battle of the Sounds, an annual competition for unsigned music bands that had started the previous year.
Outcome. Sponsorship continued until Hoadley's was acquired by Rowntree in 1972.
- 1965Bertie Beetle showbag
Australia
Hoadley's created a dedicated Bertie Beetle showbag for major Australian shows, building a low-cost promotional product around the newly introduced chocolate.
Outcome. The showbag became one of the brand's most enduring event-based marketing formats.
- 1956Clancy Bar radio readings
Australia
Hoadley's arranged broadcasts of Banjo Paterson's “Clancy of the Overflow” across radio stations in multiple Australian cities to promote Clancy Bar.
Outcome. The campaign connected the product with a well-known Australian literary work and supported the bar's rural Australian identity.
- 1930Collectable card promotions
Australia
During the 1930s and 1940s Hoadley's distributed collectable cards with selected products. Series covered cricket, Victorian football, action scenes and Western themes, providing a repeat-purchase incentive during a period when the company was recovering from financial distress.
Outcome. The promotions helped rebuild consumer interest and the cards later became collectors' items.
Brand decisions
2018
Transfer Violet Crumble rights to Robern MenzM&ABackground
Violet Crumble remained a recognised Hoadley's-derived product despite the disappearance of the independent Hoadley's company.
Action taken
Nestlé sold the product rights to South Australian confectioner Robern Menz.
Aftermath
Violet Crumble continued under Robern Menz rather than Nestlé.
2009
Discontinue Polly WaffleOtherBackground
Nestlé introduced a revised recipe and packaging in 2009, but the new version was unpopular and sales were insufficient.
Action taken
Nestlé discontinued Polly Waffle after 62 years of production.
Aftermath
Consumer interest in the discontinued product contributed to later efforts to transfer the rights and restore production under Robern Menz.
1972
Sell the company to RowntreeM&ABackground
Hoadley's faced financial difficulties during the 1960s and was no longer operating as a financially secure independent family confectionery business.
Action taken
The company was acquired by Rowntree and operated as Rowntree Hoadley Ltd.
Aftermath
The new owner rationalised older product lines and expanded into additional confectionery and non-chocolate products.
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