Lyla Lindsey
Arnott's Biscuits is an Australian producer of biscuits and snack foods, founded in 1865 by Scottish immigrant William Arnott. The company is the largest producer of biscuits in Australia, commanding more than 70% of the Australian market and is present in 97% of Australian homes. Despite being sold to the American company Campbell Soup Co. in 1997, Arnott's biscuits are still manufactured in Australia, with manufacturing plants in Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founder | William Arnott |
| Year founded | 1865 |
| Founder's origin | Scotland |
| Founder's year of immigration to Australia | 1847 |
| First bakery location | Morpeth, New South Wales |
| Headquarters | Sydney |
| Manufacturing plants | Virginia, Queensland; Shepparton, Victoria |
| Year acquired by Campbell Soup Company | 1997 |
| Year sold by Campbell Soup Company | 2019 |
| Buyer | Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) |
| Number of employees in Australia | 2400 |
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What You'll Learn
Arnott's biscuits are Australian-made
Arnott's is the leading Australian manufacturer of biscuits and cookies, commanding more than 70% of the Australian market and claiming that its products are present in 97% of Australian homes. The company produces a full range of biscuits, including favourites such as Tim Tams, Mint Slice, and Iced Vo Vos.
While the brand has changed hands several times, it has always remained an Australian-owned company until 1997 when it was acquired by the Campbell Soup Company of North America. This caused controversy, as many Australians wanted the iconic brand to remain in Australian ownership. Despite the change in ownership, the manufacturing of Arnott's biscuits remained in Australia, with the company expanding its facilities in Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane.
In 2018, Campbell's announced its decision to sell its international business, including Arnott's, to private equity firm KKR. This sparked discussions about the possibility of Arnott's returning to Australian ownership. However, as of 2019, the brand remains under the ownership of KKR, a US private equity firm.
Despite the foreign ownership, Arnott's biscuits continue to be made in Australia, with the company employing about 2400 people in the country. The biscuits have become a staple in Australian households, and the company remains committed to innovating and delighting Australians with their beloved biscuit assortment.
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The company was founded by Scottish immigrant William Arnott
Arnott's Biscuits was founded by Scottish immigrant William Arnott in 1865. Born in 1827 in Pathhead, Scotland, Arnott began his career as a baker's apprentice in his native country before emigrating to Australia in 1847. He initially settled in Maitland, southern Australia, and worked for other bakers. However, in the 1850s, he joined the gold rush and set up a bakery business in the mining fields, catering to the growing population of miners. With the money he earned, Arnott returned to Maitland and opened his first bakery shop.
Unfortunately, floods destroyed Maitland in the early 1860s, prompting Arnott to relocate to Newcastle. There, he opened a bakery on Hunter Street, providing bread, pies, and biscuits to the townspeople and ships docking at the local port. Arnott's biscuits, known as Ships Biscuits, became highly popular as food for long sea voyages. By the end of the decade, he had purchased the entire Hunter Street building and opened a larger bakery shop.
To meet the growing demand for his biscuits, William Arnott established his first factory in Newcastle in 1875, known as William Arnott's Steam Biscuit Factory. The factory employed around 50 workers and produced approximately 1.5 tons of biscuits daily. By the early 1880s, the company's popularity surged, partly due to the launch of its Milk Arrowroot biscuit in 1882. This success led the company to expand to Sydney, where it became one of the city's major biscuit suppliers.
William Arnott passed away in 1901, leaving the company to his five sons. They continued the family legacy, guiding Arnott's into a new era of brand success. The company became one of the earliest Australian producers to advertise its goods under its own brand name, adopting a trademarked parrot logo introduced in 1888.
Over the years, Arnott's has remained a beloved Australian brand, with its biscuits becoming staples in Australian households. The company has continued to innovate and expand, solidifying its position as the largest biscuit producer in Australia.
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It is the largest producer of biscuits in Australia
Arnott's is an Australian producer of biscuits and snack foods. It was founded in 1865 by Scottish immigrant William Arnott, who arrived in Australia in 1847. Arnott first settled in Maitland, southern Australia, where he worked for other bakers. In the 1850s, he moved to the goldfields, setting up a bakery business catering to the miners. With the money he made, he returned to Maitland and opened his first bakery shop. After floods destroyed his shop in the early 1860s, Arnott moved to Newcastle, where he opened a new bakery on Hunter Street, providing bread, pies, and biscuits for the townspeople and ships docking at the local port.
By the end of the decade, Arnott had purchased the entire Hunter Street building and opened a larger bakery. He began supplying biscuits to the Newcastle shipping industry, and his Ships Biscuits became popular for long sea voyages. In 1875, he set up his first factory in Newcastle to produce biscuits for a larger market. The factory soon employed a workforce of 50 people and produced around 1.5 tons of biscuits per day. By the early 1880s, Arnott's biscuits had gained popularity, and the company expanded to Sydney, where it became one of the city's biggest biscuit suppliers.
Today, Arnott's is the largest producer of biscuits in Australia, commanding more than 70% of the Australian market. Its products are found in 97% of Australian homes, and it has manufacturing plants in Virginia, Queensland, and Shepparton, Victoria. The company produces a full range of biscuits, including plain biscuits, chocolates, creams, and fruit biscuits. It also manufactures salted snack foods, such as chips, crispbreads, and crackers.
While Arnott's has changed hands several times, it remains a beloved Australian brand, with its products playing a part in many Australians' lives.
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The company has manufacturing plants in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales
Arnott's biscuits are an iconic Australian brand with a long history in the country. The company was founded in 1865 by Scottish immigrant William Arnott, who first opened a bakery in Morpeth, New South Wales, in 1847. Over the years, Arnott's has expanded its operations and now has manufacturing plants in multiple states across Australia.
The company's manufacturing plants are located in Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales. In Queensland, the plant is located in Virginia and manufactures plain, cream, and savoury biscuits. In Victoria, the plant is based in Shepparton. Meanwhile, in New South Wales, the company's roots lie in Newcastle, where William Arnott first established his biscuit-making endeavours.
The Newcastle factory played a significant role in the company's history, as it was here that the iconic Tim Tam was born. This factory continues to operate, contributing to Arnott's diverse range of biscuits, including favourites such as Scotch Finger, Choc Ripple, and Butternut Snap. Over time, Arnott's expanded its presence in New South Wales, with facilities in Sydney, contributing to its status as the largest biscuit producer in Australia.
The company's decision to establish manufacturing plants in these states likely stems from strategic considerations, such as proximity to raw materials, transportation infrastructure, and the availability of a skilled workforce. By having plants in different states, Arnott's can efficiently distribute its products across Australia, ensuring that their biscuits are readily available to consumers nationwide.
While the company has changed hands several times, with ownership by the Campbell Soup Company and, most recently, private equity firm KKR, its Australian heritage remains a pivotal aspect of its brand identity.
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In 1997, Arnott's became a subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company
Arnott's Biscuits Pty Ltd, an Australian producer of biscuits and snack foods, became a subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company in 1997. Founded in 1865 by Scottish immigrant William Arnott, the company was the largest producer of biscuits in Australia. William Arnott first opened a bakery in Morpeth, New South Wales, in 1847, and later moved to Hunter Street, Newcastle, in 1865. Here, he provided bread, pies, and biscuits to the townspeople and ships docking at the local port. The company remained under the control of the Arnott family until 1975.
In the 1960s, a series of amalgamations and acquisitions in the Australian market resulted in the creation of the Australian Biscuit Company Pty Ltd, which included Arnotts, Brockhoff Biscuits, Arnott-Motteram, and Menz in South Australia, among others. This company was later renamed Arnott's Biscuits Pty Ltd. In the 1980s, the Campbell Soup Company, an American food giant, became a shareholder of Arnott's. By 1992, Campbell's had a 33% share, which rose to 70% by 1994.
In 1997, Arnott's Biscuits faced an extortion bid by a 72-year-old Queenslander, Joy Ellen Thomas, who allegedly threatened to poison packets of their biscuits. This, along with difficult economic conditions, weakened the company, and Campbell's gained full ownership. The change in ownership caused controversy in Australia, as people wanted the iconic brand to remain Australian and feared that Campbell's would Americanise the products. Despite the concerns, biscuit manufacturing remained in Australia, and Campbell's expanded facilities in Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane.
In 2018, Campbell's announced its intention to sell Arnott's, and in 2019, the company was sold to another American firm, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), for $2.2 billion. The sale included certain Campbell's International operations, such as the Kelsen Group, and manufacturing operations in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as businesses in Hong Kong and Japan.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Arnott's biscuits are made in Australia. The company was founded in 1865 by Scottish immigrant William Arnott, who opened a bakery in Newcastle, New South Wales.
No, Arnott's biscuits are not Australian-owned. The company was acquired by the Campbell Soup Company of North America in 1997 and sold to the private equity firm KKR in 2019.
Campbell's sold Arnott's as part of a plan to exit its international business and focus on core operations, with the aim of cutting costs and paying down debt.
There are no current plans for Arnott's to become Australian-owned again. KKR is not a long-term owner of companies and is likely to resell the Arnott's brand in the future.
Some popular Arnott's biscuits include Tim Tams, Mint Slice, Full O' Fruit, Iced Vo Vos, and Jatz.
