FruChocs now available Australia-wide after deal with Big W stores

South Australia’s beloved FruChocs are heading out to take over the nation after its maker Robern Menz secured a partnership with Big W stores to offer the fruit and chocolate confection in stores nationally.

TAKING OVER: Polly Love with a giant map of FruChocs — the South Australian favourites are now available across the country. Picture: Matt Turner

South Australia’s beloved FruChocs are heading out to take over the nation.

Manufacturer Robern Menz has secured a partnership with Big W stores to offer the apricot and peach confection in stores nationally.

The sweet has been produced here since 1948, but expats have had to rely on friends or trips back home to get their fix.

Now they’ll be able to get 350g milk or 150g dark FruChocs at a bricks and mortar store. Robern Menz chief executive Phil Sims said South Australians associate them with the taste of home.

“They have connected with it. It is uniquely, quintessentially South Australian,” he says.

He says people are passionate about FruChocs — there are 75,000 subscribers to the Fruchoc Facebook page, and 15,000 members of the FruChoc Appreciation Society.

Cartoonist Jos Valdman’s view.

Mr Sims says Robern Menz has been increasing production by making Violet Crumbles, and the company is still working on equipment to make the revived Polly Waffle, but he would not be drawn on how many more jobs might be created. “There are certainly more FruChocs going to be produced. It has a positive impact with regard to employment but I can’t give you numbers,” he says.

page 18: valdman’s view

As part of the Jobs SA campaign, businesses who wants to hire a South Australian employee can place a free recruitment advertisement in The Advertiser’s Careers liftout until April 27. To do this, email sales2buysearchsell.com.au, phone 131113 or log on to jobssacampaign.com.au