The Polly Waffle is set for a return to Aussie shelves after being acquired by Adelaide’s Robern Menz

Almost a decade after a local chocolate bar favourite was removed from Aussie shelves, Adelaide’s Robern Menz has promised a return of the famous Polly Waffle.

Robern Menz marketing manager Polly Love was named after the Polly Waffle chocolate bar.

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Almost a decade after a local chocolate bar favourite was removed from Aussie shelves, Adelaide’s Robern Menz has promised a return of the famous Polly Waffle.

The Adelaide confectioner has acquired the rights to the product from Swiss giant Nestlé, taking ownership of the brand and trademark, as well as the famous recipe.

The Polly Waffle - a crispy wafer tube filled with marshmallow and coated in milk chocolate - was last made at Nestlé’s Melbourne factory but was discontinued in 2009.

With the manufacturing equipment decommissioned since then, Robern Menz chief executive Phil Sims said work was underway on planning a new production line.

“With production ceasing almost ten years ago, Polly Waffle has entered into the territory of Australian legend,” he said.

“There are kids and even young adults out there who don’t really know what a Polly Waffle is and haven’t tasted it before, but there are also many devoted fans who have been campaigning hard for its return.

“There is even a Facebook page that has over 55,000 members petitioning to bring back the Polly Waffle.

“As an Australian family owned business, we have a real affinity for local brands and to have the opportunity to revive them and bring them back into the market is such a privilege.

“We also love a challenge and are honoured to be the business that gets the chance to try to bring back the Polly Waffle.”

Mr Sims confirmed that production of the Polly Waffle would take place at the company’s Glynde factory, but would not be drawn on when the brand would make an official return to supermarket shelves.

Robern Menz marketing manager Polly Love has a close attachment to the iconic chocolate bar.

“I was named after the chocolate bar - it was one of my mum’s favourites when she was pregnant with me,” she said.

“I definitely remember having it as a child - I was definitely sad when it stopped being produced.

“It seemed quite fateful. I’ve been working for Robern Menz for ten years, which is about the same time it’s been off the market so there’s a bit of a joke going around that this is why I’m here - to bring it back.”

Polly Waffle was created by Melbourne-based business Hoadley’s Chocolate in 1947 and was acquired by UK confectioner Rowntrees in 1972 and then by Nestlé in 1988.

Nestlé business executive officer – confectionery, Chris O’Donnell, said: “We are very excited about the idea of Polly Waffle coming back.

“Polly Waffle is one of those iconic brands that despite its absence from market still has a loyal following.”

The Polly Waffle deal comes a year after Robern Menz announced the acquisition of Violet Crumble from Nestlé, which the company began producing and distributing from Glynde in October 2018.

Mr Sims said bags of bite-size Violet Crumbles would also reappear on shelves from March, after being withdrawn nearly ten years ago.