FEATURE Story
The Return of an Aussie Icon - Polly Waffle
Life is looking pretty sweet for Australia’s homegrown confectionery fans with the news that the ‘Polly Waffle’ is making a delicious comeback.
The Polly Wafe was discontinued in 2009 and the new one won’t look like the original version – the indulgent 50-gram, waffle wafer tube, flush with marshmallow and coated in compound chocolate.
At the end of April, the supermarket shelves will be brimming with Polly Wafe Bites!
South Australian confectionary brand, Robern-Menz is bringing them back as little round balls in a convenient snack pack.
This is the most that can be hoped for in 2024 as the machinery which was used to create the original Polly Wafe is now officially kaput. Menz had to go back to basics and virtually reinvent the wheel.
“The Polly Wafe had not been produced in more than 10 years when we acquired it, so we had to start from scratch to see how we could produce it at our South Australian factory,” explains CEO, Phil Sims.
Menz has already been the sweet saviour of another Australian iconic chocolate – the Violet Crumble, which has also returned in bite sized chunks, to critical acclaim.
Both bars were originally created in Melbourne by Hoadley’s Chocolate – a brand that was once known as A. Hoadley & Company. It was founded in Australia in 1889 by English businessman, Abel Hoadley and it started off making jams before it hit the big time with confectionery.
The first successful bar was the Violet Crumble released in 1913 and reportedly named after Abel’s wife, Violet. The Polly Waffle was a relative late comer and did not go into production until 1947.
There were also loads of other delicious Hoadley treats including the Clancy Bar – a wafer with a jam-centre coated in dark chocolate (the bar took its name from the poem, Clancy Of The Overflow) and another winner was the White Knight, which was chocolate coated peppermint and the mighty Tex Bar – a twin layer bar with a caramel base and a malt cream fudge top coated in dark chocolate.
Also worthy of an honourable mention was Hoadley’s Luncheon Bar – a wafer bar filled with caramel cream and peanuts coated in milk chocolate. Hungry?
During the heady 1950s and 1960s, the Hoadley’s Chocolates show bag was a big hit at agricultural fairs all over Australia. It was one of the hottest sellers in the showbag pavilions.
However, despite all this, Hoadley experienced mixed fortunes. The company was eventually acquired by overseas players in 1972.
At the Polly Wafe peak in the 1990s, there were reportedly over 10 million bars produced annually. Australians could simply not get enough of them. They became trophies, given to arriving tourists and taken abroad to fend off homesickness.
But food fads come and go and they were eventually discontinued in 2009 because of poor sales.
Phil Sims clearly believes that absence does make the heart grow fonder and that we will all fall in love with Polly Wafe Bites. He says that the company has worked really hard to get the texture and the flavour right.
“It was so important to us that we didn’t put a lesser version on the market, especially when it comes to a chocolate as much loved as the Polly Wafe,” he explains.
“We can’t wait for everyone to enjoy this delicious nostalgic treat with a modern take, in April,” he says.
And who knows, perhaps if the Polly Wafe Bites are successful, some of the other fabulous but discontinued Hoadley’s Bars might also be considered as next in line for a revamp.
Now that would really be a sweet taste of the past.
FANTAILS
One of Australia’s signature lollies was discontinued in 2023 after nearly a century of tempting celebrity bedazzled sweet lovers. They were chocolate covered caramels with movie star stories on the wrapper.
VEGEMITE
Invented in 1923 – this spread made from brewer’s yeast is now back in Australian hands after being owned by an American company for several decades.
JAFFAS
Produced by Sweetacres in 1931. These orange chocolate balls were famous for the noise they made when dropped and rolled down the sloping wooden floors of picture theatres.
ROCKY ROAD
It was first created in 1853 to utilise the lollies that had arrived from Europe in less than great shape. But when mixed with local nuts, marshmallow and chocolate they were utterly delicious.
LAMINGTON
Originated somewhere between 1896 to 1901 in Toowoomba, Queensland when a piece of Lord Lamington’s sponge cake was accidentally dipped in melted chocolate, according to its legend.
CHIKO ROLL
Created in 1951 by Frank McEncroe in time for the Wagga Wagga Show. It was inspired by the Chinese spring roll and first sold as the “Chicken Roll” (despite the fact that it did not contain chicken).
CHERRY RIPE
Created in 1924 by the Australian company MacRobertson’s Steam Confectionery Works.
CASK WINE
South Australian grape grower Thomas Angove conceived the cask – a resealable plastic bag inside a cardboard box in the 1960s, also known as a gooney. It has now been reinvented by a new Australian company ‘A Glass Of’ as a mini-gooney, holding just 200ml of sommelier chosen Australian wine. It’s sold in a tasting set of five, chosen by an Australian sommelier.
