156:
selling it directly to customers using a horse and van. In 1913, he established a partnership with his two sons, Ronald and James, based in
Wellington. The business became a limited liability company in 1937, with third-generation Whittakers still the sole shareholders in the company. In 1969 the company moved from Wellington to Porirua, because they needed more space and their premises at 167 Vivian Street were under threat from motorway development. The Peanut Slab was invented in the 1950s and Whittaker's began exporting it in 1985. In the 1970s and 80s they also produced SantƩ Bars, Toffee Milk Bars and K-Bars. The company began producing large blocks of chocolate in the 1990s. In 1992 the company formed J. H. Whittaker New Zealand Ltd.
140:
148:
171:'s 2009 bad publicity surrounding palm oil and changes in product size, and further fallout from Cadbury's closure of its Dunedin factory in 2017. In 2023, Whittaker's also won 'Most Trusted Confectionary' and 'Most Trusted New Zealand Iconic Brand'. Organisers of the 2023 survey stated that Whittaker's success stemmed from its engagement with its customers, integrating their ideas into the business. Whittaker's was also transparent about aspects of their products, including price changes, which helped build trust with consumers.
36:
127:. Whittaker's is the largest chocolate brand in New Zealand. Approximately 30% of their production is now exported. The company controls its entire manufacturing process in its facility in Porirua, identifying itself as a "bean-to-bar" manufacturer. James Henry Whittaker (1868ā1947) started the business in
220:
visited New
Zealand in February 2023 and said via Instagram that he liked New Zealand chocolate. Whittaker's responded by sending Sheeran a block of Creamy Milk with Sheeran's face on the label, calling it the 'Ed Block'. Whittaker's then teamed up with Sheeran to auction signed T-shirts and a supply
196:
In 2014 Whittaker's set up a programme to support and improve cocoa bean production in Samoa, and in 2017 expanded the programme to include New
Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In 2019 Whittaker's admitted that while some bars have ethically-sourced cocoa beans, the sugar is primarily
166:
The company's marketing phrases include "A passion for chocolate since 1896" and "Good honest chocolate" and also "from bean to bar". In 2011 it was listed as New
Zealand's third most trusted brand by a Bradley Colman survey. From 2012 to 2023 Whittaker's was voted New Zealand's most trusted brand,
155:
James Henry
Whittaker (1868ā1947) worked in the British confectionery industry from the age of 14 and moved to New Zealand with his wife Leah Alice in 1890. He was a salesman for Cadbury's chocolate before and after his move to New Zealand. In 1896 he started manufacturing chocolate confectionery,
213:. The label had the chocolate variety 'Creamy Milk' written in MÄori as 'Miraka KirÄ«mi'. The initiative was met with both praise and hostility from the public. In 2024 Whittaker's announced that it would no longer produce the MÄori label, but would be supporting MÄori Language Week in other ways.
204:
Apart from being named as New
Zealand's most trusted brand, the company has won other awards including 'Exporter of the Year' at the 2021 ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards and Supreme Award in the 2022 Wellington Gold Awards, which are awarded to recognise businesses in the Wellington region.
208:
In 2020, Whittaker's produced a limited-release MÄori language label for its 'Creamy Milk' chocolate block for social media engagement purposes. In August 2022 the company distributed chocolate with a MÄori label nationwide for
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197:
sourced from
Thailand. Thailand is known to have child labour in the sugar cane industry. In 2020 Whittaker's announced that its 116 products made with Ghanaian cocoa beans would now be '
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appeared in an advert as a fictionalised time-travelling James
Whittaker, appearing in Wellington's Civic Square.
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Evaluation of
Support for Fairtrade Business Development in Pacific Island Countries: Final Evaluation Report
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The company has provided commercial sponsorship for motor sports in New
Zealand and for the
1025:"Whittaker's has made an Ed Sheeran chocolate bar, but not even the singer himself has one"
8:
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1136:
List and review of 52 varieties of Whittaker's family blocks, novelty bars and mini slabs
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Certified'. The company also uses small amounts of beans from Samoa and Nicaragua.
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918:"Whittaker's Claim Top Prize At Wellington Export Awards [Press Release]"
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999:"Chocolate lovers stand up against racist backlash to Whittaker's Miraka Kirīmi"
840:"Whittakers and Mondelez cannot confirm their chocolate is free of child labour"
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488:"New Zealand's most trusted brand hasn't changed in a decade, survey says"
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In March 2024 Whittaker's announced the discontinuation of Toffee Milks.
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1100:"'Childhood favourite disappears': Classic Kiwi treat to be axed"
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84:
768:"Good Honest Samoan Cocoa: Reconnecting with our Pacific family"
542:"Here are the top 10 most trusted brands in New Zealand in 2023"
143:
Whittaker's Chocolates & Confectionery Company's Fargo Truck
1347:
20:
1050:"Choccy treat for Sheeran will sell for Auckland flood relief"
944:"Whittaker's picks up supreme award at Wellington Gold Awards"
915:
436:"Whittaker's serves up scrumptious support for the All Blacks"
1414:
636:"Cadbury backlash a win for Kiwi chocolate brand Whittaker's"
623:– via Proquest Australia & New Zealand Newsstream.
589:– via Proquest Australia & New Zealand Newsstream.
1130:
891:"Whittaker's announces new Rainforest Alliance partnership"
973:"Whittaker's gives Miraka Kirīmi chocolate block the chop"
514:"Whittaker's ā 2022 Trusted Brands New Zealand Winner"
602:"Chocolate wars heat up as Whittaker's appeal firms"
916:Wellington Chamber of Commerce (19 November 2021).
463:"Cadbury falls from grace in most-trusted survey"
189:In June 2014, Whittaker's expanded its market to
1488:
151:MÄori-language label for Whittaker's Creamy Milk
221:of chocolate to raise funds for victims of the
178:filmed an advert for Whittaker's in the 1930s
131:in 1896 and it was later moved to Wellington.
1156:
817:
738:"Whittaker's Chocolate expands into Malaysia"
633:
256:
1512:Food and drink companies established in 1896
686:"Nigella Lawson causes a stir in Wellington"
654:"The bitter aftertaste to Cadbury's closing"
304:"The bitter aftertaste to Cadbury's closing"
259:"Greta's mates: The responsible generation"
238:List of bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers
19:"K Bar" redirects here. For the knife, see
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34:
1522:New Zealand companies established in 1896
1170:
385:"Wellington Classics: A Slab on the Back"
361:
359:
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355:
353:
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721:Whittaker's J.H. Returns (short version)
568:"Lessons in Whittaker's tasty marketing"
272:
270:
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223:2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods
146:
138:
704:Whittaker's J.H. Returns (long version)
599:
1489:
996:
865:"Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports"
672:"Lawson filming at Wellington station"
460:
399:– via Wellington City Libraries.
350:
277:Adams, Christopher (6 November 2010).
1144:
970:
966:
964:
793:"Revitalising Samoa's cocoa industry"
536:
534:
276:
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1023:Jack, Amberleigh (2 February 2023).
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971:Armah, Mildred (12 September 2024).
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600:Edmunds, Susan (13 September 2016).
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379:
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327:
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369:". J. H. Whittaker & Sons, Ltd.
333:"Whittaker, James Henry, 1868-1947"
13:
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634:Susan Edmunds (24 February 2017).
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14:
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1502:Food manufacturers of New Zealand
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997:Jacobs, Maxine (16 August 2022).
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279:"Tough task wooing the tastebuds"
46:Private limited liability company
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461:Hannan, Hayley (25 July 2011).
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102:J.H. Whittaker & Sons, Ltd
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566:Owen, Scott (4 August 2015).
308:Otago Daily Times Online News
243:
1131:Whittaker's official website
942:Wong, Justin (7 July 2022).
674:. Stuff/Fairfax. 6 May 2014.
174:In May 2014, celebrity chef
7:
818:Fairtrade ANZ (July 2016).
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180:Wellington railway station
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16:Confectionery manufacturer
1507:New Zealand confectionery
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1215:The Longest Drink In Town
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389:Wellington City Magazine
869:US Department of Labour
518:www.trustedbrands.co.nz
1292:Chelsea Sugar Refinery
1105:The New Zealand Herald
467:The New Zealand Herald
391:. June 1986. p. 9
283:The New Zealand Herald
152:
144:
1420:Goody Goody Gum Drops
1368:Spaceman Candy Sticks
1363:Rainbow Confectionery
1171:Brands of New Zealand
150:
142:
1210:Lemon & Te Aroha
1079:www.whittakers.co.nz
772:www.whittakers.co.nz
415:www.mgcarclub.org.nz
85:Porirua, New Zealand
1497:Chocolate companies
1455:Lewis Road Creamery
660:. 23 February 2017.
257:Dr Siouxsie Wiles.
211:MÄori Language Week
199:Rainforest Alliance
108:) is a New Zealand
30:
1205:Lemon & Paeroa
799:. 11 November 2019
690:New Zealand Herald
310:. 23 February 2017
182:. Later, in 2022,
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658:Otago Daily Times
606:Manawatu Standard
167:benefitting from
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897:. 8 April 2020
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748:. 19 June 2014
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895:FMCG Business
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1399:Big Ben Pies
1394:Jimmy's Pies
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1373:Tangy Fruits
1343:Fruit Bursts
1236:Double Brown
1110:. Retrieved
1103:
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982:13 September
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546:morefm.co.nz
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411:"MG Classic"
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129:Christchurch
113:manufacturer
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80:Headquarters
65:Christchurch
43:Company type
25:
1378:Whittaker's
1322:OOB Organic
1297:Cookie Time
1200:Foxton Fizz
1193:Soft drinks
1084:25 February
1059:25 February
1034:25 February
901:5 September
803:5 September
777:5 September
342:25 February
123:, based in
106:Whittaker's
55:Chocolatier
29:Whittaker's
1491:Categories
1246:Steinlager
875:20 January
742:Whittakers
614:1818471333
580:1700787621
472:25 October
446:21 January
420:21 January
288:7 November
244:References
218:Ed Sheeran
184:Karl Urban
161:All Blacks
1476:No Frills
1425:Jelly Tip
1408:Ice cream
1177:Beverages
1054:NZ Herald
1008:16 August
827:. Coffey.
572:The Press
121:chocolate
1327:Wattie's
1317:Mainland
1241:Lion Red
1112:29 March
849:13 April
844:Stuff NZ
610:ProQuest
576:ProQuest
232:See also
191:Malaysia
117:palm oil
51:Industry
1430:Trumpet
1387:Savoury
1358:Pascall
1353:Minties
1312:Le Snak
1229:Alcohol
752:19 June
726:YouTube
709:YouTube
619:18 July
585:18 July
498:18 July
395:18 July
367:History
314:3 March
216:Singer
169:Cadbury
135:History
125:Porirua
72:Founder
61:Founded
1450:Anchor
1348:Jaffas
953:8 July
927:8 July
871:. 2019
612:
578:
523:29 May
119:-free
67:, 1896
21:Ka-Bar
1443:Dairy
1415:Fruju
1220:Wests
1184:Primo
1029:Stuff
1003:Stuff
977:Stuff
948:Stuff
825:(PDF)
746:Scoop
640:Stuff
492:Stuff
92:Owner
1471:Pams
1280:Food
1114:2024
1086:2023
1061:2023
1036:2023
1010:2022
984:2024
955:2022
929:2022
903:2022
877:2021
851:2020
805:2022
779:2022
754:2014
621:2021
587:2021
553:2024
525:2022
500:2021
474:2011
448:2021
422:2021
397:2021
344:2023
316:2017
290:2010
724:on
707:on
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