William Menz

William Menz (10 November 1849 – 26 March 1898) was founder of the South Australian biscuit and confectionery business W. Menz & Co..

History

Menz was born in Wakefield Street, Adelaide, the son of John Menz (16 December 1818 – 10 April 1860), and was educated at the German School conducted by Adolph Heinrich Leschen and Theodor H. Niehuus (also on Wakefield Street), then at W. A. Cawthorne's Victoria Square Academy. He began working for grocers G. Wood & Son, then around 1865 took over the grocery business in Wakefield Street, which had been established by his mother Magdalena Menz (1 January 1819 – 12 October 1895) in 1850. The business prospered, and in 1878 his brother August Hermann Menz (12 March 1855 – 3 December 1922) joined the firm. On the death of William, August Hermann took over the firm until 1919, when a limited liability company was formed, with him as managing director. He married Wilhelmine H. A "Minna" Menz (15 November 1865 – 18 June 1951) on 9 May 1889; they had two sons, Hermann Victor (1890–1984) and William Oscar (1896–1991), and a daughter, Anna Magdalena (1891–1955) and lived at Beulah Road, Norwood.[1]

Hermann Victor Menz became managing director in 1922. He was captain of the Adelaide Rowing Club.[2]

Timeline W. Menz & Co.
  • Magdalena Menz's grocery store opened on Wakefield street.
  • Began bread making
  • November 1878: New premises and dwelling erected at corner of Divett St. and Wakefield street
  • 1880 or 1884 began making biscuits
  • 1892 began making confectionery[3]
  • Fire July 1895 (directly opposite the Fire Brigade headquarters)[4]
  • 1906 Albany Murray, son of Alex Murray jun., running the biscuit-making factory.
  • September 1913 New building completed on the original site[5]
  • June 1920 Building extended to Roper Street.[6]
  • 1951 W. Menz & Co. floated as public company.[7]
  • December 1953: New biscuit plant opened at Galway Avenue, Richmond.
  • 1964 Menz joined with Motteram and Arnott's Biscuits to form Arnott-Motteram-Menz; later simply Arnott's.
  • 1992 US company Campbell Soup Company took over Arnotts Biscuits[8]
  • 1992 Robern purchased Menz Confectionery, becoming Robern Menz[8]

Robern Menz

Robern Menz is a confectioner in South Australia. Its factory is at Glynde in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide. Until 2018, its most popular and famous product was FruChocs.

In 2018, Robern Menz bought the brand, recipe and manufacturing equipment for Violet Crumble from Nestlé. The equipment was moved from the Nestlé factory at Campbellfield in Melbourne to the Robern Menz factory at Glynde.[9]

In 2019, Robern Menz signed another deal with Nestlé, this time to produce the Polly Waffle which was discontinued in 2009.[10]

References
  1. "Obituary". The Chronicle. Adelaide. 9 December 1922. p. 37. Retrieved 24 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "Captains of Industry". The News (Home ed.). Adelaide. 5 December 1927. p. 8. Retrieved 24 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Biscuits and Sweets". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 13 September 1913. p. 9. Retrieved 24 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Destructive Fire in Wakrfield Street". South Australian Register. Adelaide. 25 July 1895. p. 6. Retrieved 24 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Adelaide's Old-Established Biscuit and Confectionery Firm". The Register. Adelaide. 13 September 1913. p. 11. Retrieved 24 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Additions to W. Menz and Co.'s Factory". The Register. Adelaide. 3 June 1920. p. 5. Retrieved 24 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "W. Menz Becoming Public Company". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 12 January 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 24 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. About us – Timeline, Robern Menz official site
  9. Keane, Daniel (11 January 2018). "Nestlé sells Violet Crumble to FruChocs manufacturer Robern Menz". ABC News. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  10. "The Polly Waffle Is Coming Back 10 Years After It Disappeared". FiveAA. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
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