Tasti

A Kiwi Success Story since 1932

Since we first opened our doors in 1932, we’ve been single-minded about hunting down the best quality ingredients for our customers, because if you use the best ingredients you get the best results. It’s not rocket science but it’s an idea that’s worked for us for over 80 years.

Proudly NZ made since 1932

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE BEST INGREDIENTS

Since we first opened our doors we’ve been single-minded about hunting down the best quality ingredients for our customers, because if you use the best ingredients you get the best results. It’s not rocket science but it’s an idea that’s worked for us for over 80 years. With all these great ingredients to choose from, it was inevitable that we’d come up with some other ways to use them. In the 1970s we made one of New Zealand’s first muesli bars – the iconic Snak Log – and now we’re the largest manufacturer of muesli bars in the country. And we’re always thinking up tasty new stuff.

EARLY DAYS

In the midst of the Great Depression, two friends, Oswald Lawless and Victor Watson started making and selling crystallised ginger. Their ambitions were modest: they needed to create jobs for themselves so they could feed their families. They started in 1932 with a factory in Auckland’s Gillies Ave and in 1935 moved to a bigger factory in Enfield St, Mt Eden, now the site of the Horse and Trap Pub. Wages were £1 a week for the workers and £2 a week for the boss. The fresh ginger would come in large pieces which had to be hand-cut and syruped in oak barrels. The end result was something exceptional – delicious and very popular with bakers, among others.

ADDING INGREDIENTS

It wasn’t just bakers who cottoned on to Tasti’s rather special crystallised ginger. It was also popular with the hotel trade and Gentlemen’s Clubs for heavy drinkers who wanted a remedy for the effects of a big night. Before long Tasti had built a following, so they began making other ingredients, like glacé cherries and peel. It was laborious work, employing up to 40 women to remove cherry stones with a bent piece of wire. In those days ingredients were supplied in large wooden boxes, from which your local grocer would measure out the exact quantity you required. Today the ingredients are much the same, just sealed in packs.

OWNERSHIP CHANGES

In 1965 Mr John Hall, who had been involved with the company for over 20 years took over from Mr Lawless and Mr Watson. Mr Hall was the nephew of James Crisp who ran the sales agency Tasti used since the late 1930s. In 1996 John’s son Simon became our Executive Chairman. In 2020, we established our own independent National Field Sales Team which helps make sure our products are on supermarket shelves throughout the country.

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We are committed to preserving our environment and contributing to the protection of New Zealand, ensuring that it remains just as magnificent in the future as it is today. Here are some of the ways we’re working towards this goal.

Our Packaging is Recyclable

Recycling is great for our environment. It reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals, prevents pollution and reduces greenhouse gases. Find out what, where and how to recycle Tasti packaging below. Read more