The Griffin's Story - 1930s
It's been over 140 years since Griffin's first started in Nelson. In that time we have had an exciting journey. Follow our history
from humble flour milling beginnings all the way to where we are today, one of New Zealand's largest branded food companies.
Click on the buttons below to navigate though the decades
1938: Demand rose rapidly for all the tasty treats Griffin & Sons offered. To make enough for everyone to enjoy, the beautiful “Garden Factory” was custom-built in Lower Hutt near Wellington. All the biscuit-making machinery was moved here from Nelson, including an enrobing machine and the Southern hemisphere’s first continuous automatic biscuit-making oven.
1938: The new factory employed 87 staff, most of which were women who lived in the nearby railway workshop housing area. Keeping the business family run, John Griffin’s grandson Charles managed the plant.
1938: Some of our favourite biscuits today were already being made at this time such as Gingernuts, Milk Arrowroot, Super Wine, Vanilla Wine, and Round Wine.
1939: With the outbreak of World War II, Griffin’s did its part by running the factory 24 hours a day to make army ration biscuits. All the while, we still found a way to continue producing biscuits for the Kiwis at home.
