Hoadley’s Violet Crumble bar
Posted: April 2, 2011 Filed under: advertising, confectionery | Tags: 1911, 1923, 1950, 1956, Abel Hoadley, confectionery, Hoadley's, Nestle, Rowntree, Trove Australia, Violet Crumble 4 Comments »Hoadley’s began its life as a jam and preserve-making business. In 1910, Hoadley’s sold the jam component of their business to Henry Jones and began the path to establish Hoadley’s Chocolates Limited in 1913, the year the Violet Crumble bar was born. Abel Hoadley’s story is outlined in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
HOADLEY’S NEW WORKS.
The foundation-stone of the new confectionery and cocoa works of Messrs. A. Hoadley and Sons was laid on Saturday by Mr. Abel Hoadley, the founder of the firm. The works, when completed will consist of two floors and a basement, and the area of floor space will be over 10,000 square feet.
Mr. Hoadley, when laying the stone said that the builidng would be an entirely new departure as far as Australia was concerned, the material used being silicate bricks. Each floor would be supplied with hot and cold water services, and provision had been made for dressing-rooms for the employees, each of whom would have a separate locker. There would also be a dining room, from which, access could be gained to the roof, a portion of which would be laid out as a roof garden. ……. St Kilda Road
In 1923, the Violet Crumble bar was 10 years old and cost 3d : The Advertiser – 28 July 1923. In 1950, Hoadley’s raised the price from 4d to 5d : Sunday Herald – 10 September 1950. The price rose by about a penny a year and was 8d by 1954.
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In 1956, Hoadley’s was advertising their range of confectionery products on radio. The Australian Women’s Weekly – 22 August 1956.
Rowntree bought Hoadley’s in 1971. In 1989, Nestle bought Rowntree. The Violet Crumble is still with us nearly 100 years on. And these days you’ll need around $2.00 to buy yourself a 50 gram bar.
still worth every cent
We were told Violet Crumble bars were no longer being made, which we thought sacrilege. Glad to see it isn’t true and that it is only the bag of VCs which is no longer available.
Truly scrumptious!
I’m really disappointed that the bags of VC’s are no longer available as I send these to my son and his friends in Norway. There is another brand but personally it is no comparison.
I was astounded to find the bags are no longer available. Very disappointing. When you look at the description of the process of making VC on Wikipedia, I think it was probably a cost cutting measure.