It has been more than 10 years since the Polly Waffle was part of the confectionery aisle, but from April, it will be back. The format has slightly changed – bite sized pieces rather than a bar – but the crunchy marshmallow favourite lives once more.
Menz, the fourth-generation family-owned confectioner, is best known for its National Trust Heritage listed Menz FruChocs, as well as being Australia’s largest manufacturer of choc honeycomb including Violet Crumble.
In 2019, it acquired the rights to produce Polly Waffle from Nestlé, but because the original machinery had been decommissioned Menz had to start from scratch.
Menz CEO Phil Sims said, “We have a long history of saving and supporting nostalgic Aussie brands like Violet Crumble and FruChocs, so we have been excited by the opportunity to bring Polly Waffle back.
“Polly Waffle had not been produced in more than 10 years when we acquired it, so we essentially had to start from scratch to find out how we could produce it at our South Australian factory.
Polly Waffle was created by Melbourne-based business Hoadley’s Chocolate in 1947 and was acquired by UK-based confectioner Rowntrees in 1972. Nestlé bought it with the Rowntree Hoadley’s business in 1988, and the Polly Waffle chocolate bar discontinued in 2009.
As with so many things, Covid managed to slow progress, with border closures hindering the development team from sourcing and testing critical manufacturing equipment. A new recipe also needed to be created.
“What we couldn’t anticipate was the number of variables out of our control, from COVID border closures restricting access to equipment, and updated retailer expectations. To recreate the traditional bar would require even more time and funding, without the guarantee that it would have the same quality that consumers remember,” Sims said.
Menz received $1 million in funding through the previous federal government’s Manufacturing Modernisation Fund to bring the bar back into production, but Menz said it will ultimately be around $350,000.
“It was so important to us that we didn’t put a subpar product in the market, especially one as much loved as Polly Waffle. Creating a Polly Waffle Bite was the most responsible way to make bringing back the iconic brand a reality, and we thank our customers and Polly Waffle fans for their ongoing support and patience.
“We know it’s been a journey and we can’t wait for you to enjoy this delicious nostalgic treat, with a modern take in April,” Sims said.
