Melbourne Chocolate

Melburnians seem to take their chocolate heritage for granted. I still find it amazing, and while I still do, I want to jot it down here.

Both Melbourne citizens and Australians in general are fans of chocolate. According to IBISWorld, chocolate and confectionery in Australia is a $2.5b per year industry. If we look at Nielsen’s list of the top confectionery sold in convenience stores during the year to February 2009 by share of value, the top chocolate bars (candy bars, for US readers) were:

1. Mars 2Pak 80g
2. Snickers 2Pak 80g
3. Cherry Ripe 85g
4. Mars Bar 65g
5. Twirl Bar Kingsize 63g
6. Snickers 60g
7. Kit Kat 45g
8. Boost 80g
9. Turkish Delight Twin 76g
10. Cherry Ripe 55g

I’m listing these to highlight an interesting fact. However, we need to examine where each of these chocolate bars were invented:

• Mars Bar – UK in 1932 (basically the same as the Milky Way bar in the US)
• Snickers Bar – US in 1930
• Twirl – Ireland in early 1970s
• Kit Kat – UK in 1935
• Boost – Ireland in 1985
• Turkish Delight – UK in 1914
• Cherry Ripe – Fitzroy, Melbourne in 1924

Yep, the Cherry Ripe holds two of the top ten places for chocolate bar sales, and it was invented in Melbourne. (All the rest come from three places: US, UK and Ireland.)

Noted Melburnian Sir Macpherson Robertson (1859 – 1945) founded the MacRobertson’s chocolate company which, according to Wikipedia, was responsible for the Cherry Ripe, Freddo Frog, Bertie Beetle and Snack. The chocolate company was sold to Cadbury-Schweppes, and the Ringwood-based factory continues to this day. Sadly, they don’t offer any public tours.

The MacRobertson name no longer appears on the Cherry Ripe wrapper, but it does live on in Melbourne through a highschool, a bridge, and the building of the National Herbarium of Victoria.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Are you ready for a Fling™? (friendseat.com)
• Candy Cars (candycraft.muxgo.com)