What Haigh's Chocolates does

Haigh's Chocolates is Australia's oldest family-owned chocolate maker, founded in 1915 in Adelaide and currently in its fourth generation of Haigh family ownership. The company operates a vertically integrated bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturing business, sourcing 80% of its cocoa from Rainforest Alliance certified farms and processing it through in-house roasting, grinding, conching, and tempering across three factories. Its product portfolio exceeds 250 chocolate varieties, including an iconic Chocolate Frog range (over 4 million units produced annually), Easter Bilbies, seasonal collections, chocolate blocks featuring native Australian flavours, truffles, gift boxes, and hampers, distributed through 23-26 company-owned retail stores across Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and Brisbane, alongside a nationwide e-commerce channel and a corporate gifting program with over 300 customisable products.

Revenue is generated primarily through direct-to-consumer channels, with company-owned retail stores as the dominant physical channel, complemented by online sales via haighschocolates.com.au with Australia-wide $15 express shipping, and a dedicated corporate sales team handling bulk gift orders. Unit pricing is standard for consumer purchases (e.g., $18.50 for a 140g Milk Peppermint Frogs pack, $31.90 for a 15-pack gift box), while corporate orders operate on quote-based pricing aligned to client budgets. The business also operates a free Visitor Centre experience at the original Parkside site, functioning as a brand engagement and marketing asset.

Recent strategic activity centres on scaling capacity and footprint: a $130M manufacturing facility in Salisbury South opened in September 2025, store count is targeted to grow from 22 to 26 by end of 2026, and in August 2025 the company executed its first non-family CEO succession in 110 years, with former COO Peter Millard replacing Alister Haigh. The company is privately held (AE HAIGH Pty. Ltd., South Australia), has 900+ employees, and is independently financed through organic growth with no disclosed institutional investors.

Name

Haigh's Chocolates

Legal name

AE HAIGH Pty. Ltd.

Website

https://haighschocolates.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Haigh's Chocolates is a fourth-generation, family-owned premium chocolate manufacturer founded in 1915 in Adelaide, Australia, producing over 250 bean-to-bar chocolate varieties across three factories and selling through 23-26 company-owned retail stores, nationwide e-commerce, and a corporate gifting channel serving Australian consumers and businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Confectionery

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAM), Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD), Specialty Food Gift Shops & Hampers (CRAHAGAN)

Keywords

• Artisan chocolate manufacturing
• Bean-to-bar production
• Premium confectionery retail
• Corporate gift hampers
• Ethically sourced cocoa

Headquarters

HQ city

Parkside

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Chocolate Sales: Sale of premium chocolates through company-owned retail stores across Australia including Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and Brisbane.
2. Online Direct Sales: E-commerce sales through haighschocolates.com.au with Australia-wide delivery, including $15 Express Shipping.
3. Corporate/Bulk Gift Orders: Corporate gifting program with over 300 products including gift boxes, hampers, and artisan chocolates with custom branding options for business clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Haigh's Chocolates roasts and manufactures premium bean-to-bar artisan chocolate in-house and sells it through 23 company-owned retail stores across Australia, an Australia-wide e-commerce site, and a dedicated corporate sales team offering over 300 custom-branded gift products. The portfolio spans over 250 chocolate varieties including the iconic Chocolate Frogs range, chocolate blocks and tablets, truffles, filled chocolates, hampers, and seasonal Easter collections (including the Easter Bilby). The company also operates a free Visitor Centre experience in Adelaide showcasing its chocolate-making process.

Product overview

Haigh's Chocolates is Australia's oldest family-owned chocolate maker (est. 1915) operating as a single-brand premium chocolate manufacturer and retailer. The product portfolio centres on over 250 varieties of bean-to-bar artisan chocolates produced at company-owned factories in Adelaide, South Australia. Core products include the iconic Chocolate Frog range (milk, dark, peppermint, strawberry flavours in multiple sizes from small gift boxes to Midi Frogs), chocolate blocks and tablets (Scorched Almond, Honeycomb, Pretzel, Davidson Plum, Cardamom), truffles and filled chocolates, and seasonal Easter products featuring the Easter Bilby. The company also offers a Corporate Gift Range with over 300 customisable gift products for business clients, and Visitor Centre Experiences including guided chocolate-making tours. Products are distributed through 23 company-owned retail stores across Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra, plus online retail with Australia-wide delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chocolate Frogs Range Solid premium chocolate frogs produced from 100% Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa beans, available in milk, dark, peppermint and strawberry chocolate variants and in small and midi sizes; over four million chocolate frogs produced annually for Australian consumers and gifting occasions.
• Chocolate Blocks and Tablets Range Premium milk and dark chocolate blocks and tablets in flavours including Scorched Almond (South Australian almonds), Honeycomb, Pretzel, Davidson Plum, Cardamom, Salted Caramel Crunch and Whisky Maple & Pecan, available in 100g, 200g and 440g sizes for Australian consumers.
• Truffles and Filled Chocolates Hand-dipped truffles and filled chocolates crafted by Haigh's artisan chocolatiers, including selections featuring native Australian flavours such as Wattleseed, Quandong and Lemon Myrtle, sold individually and in curated gift boxes.
• Chocolate Hampers Curated hampers featuring a selection of Haigh's chocolates and complementary gift items for personal and corporate gifting occasions including birthdays, Christmas and thank-you gestures.
• Chocolate Boxes Curated selections of Haigh's chocolates presented in gift boxes for personal gifting and special occasions.
• Premium Milk Chocolate Bar 50g premium milk chocolate bar foiled and wrapped in a decorative sleeve, crafted using sustainably sourced cocoa beans for Australian consumers.
• Berrychocs White chocolate covered strawberry and raspberry-flavoured fruit centres, pan coated in milk or dark chocolate and sold in 200g and 440g packs.
• Chocolate Speckles Creamy milk chocolate and rich dark chocolate drops coated in multi-coloured sugar nonpareils; all natural, gluten free with no artificial colours or flavours, sold in 200g packs.
• Easter Bilby Range Chocolate bilby figures and related Easter chocolate products celebrating Australian native wildlife, with part proceeds supporting the Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia; over one million units sold since 1993.
• Rocky Road and Marshmallow Range Large sharing packs featuring rocky road chocolates and marshmallow products for Australian consumers and gifting occasions.
• Fruit, Nut & More Range Chocolate-coated fruits, nuts and specialty confectionery items including Milk Sultanas, Dark Orange Chocs and Whisky Maple & Pecan Fudge.
• Corporate Gift Range Over 300 premium, personal and customisable gift products including gift boxes, hampers and artisan chocolates with custom branding options for Australian businesses purchasing gifts for staff and clients through a dedicated corporate sales team.
• Visitor Centre Chocolate Experience Free guided and self-guided tours of Haigh's Parkside Visitor Centre in Adelaide showcasing the bean-to-bar chocolate-making process, company history and in-store tastings.
• Extra Large Gift Bag 100% recyclable paper gift bag measuring 39cm x 28cm x 24cm, sold packed flat for filling with Haigh's chocolate treats; one of several gift packaging accessories offered alongside chocolate products.
• Best of Australia Mug with Milk Scorched Almonds Co-developed with Melbourne-based family pottery maker Robert Gordon; a handcrafted ochre-glazed pottery mug filled with South Australian almonds coated in Haigh's premium milk chocolate.

Quantifiable outcome

• Producing over 4 million Chocolate Frogs annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Robert Gordon (Family-owned pottery maker)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Melbourne-based family pottery maker Robert Gordon to create the Best of Australia Mug collection. Robert Gordon handcrafts pottery finished in unique gloss ochre glaze, filled with Haigh's popular South Australian Almonds coated in premium milk chocolate.
• Variety – the Children's Charity of South AustraliacoreOthersMajor financial sponsorship since 2011 plus part proceeds from Large Milk Chocolate Heart sales. Supports Variety's Sunshine Coach Programme providing transport for children with physical disability or social disadvantage.
• Foundation for Rabbit-Free AustraliacoreOthersSince 1993, part proceeds from Easter Bilby sales donated to support the Foundation's work to protect Australian biodiversity and environment from rabbit damage. Over 1,000,000 chocolate Easter Bilbies sold.
• World Cocoa FoundationminorOthersDirect member working in all cocoa growing regions to help farming communities improve livelihoods through certification and sustainable farming practices.
• International Cocoa InitiativeminorOthersThrough Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) Confectionery Sector, part of global partnership with governments, NGOs, and industry to improve lives of West African cocoa farmers and families.
• Adelaide Symphony OrchestraminorOthersCultural sponsorship recipient. Haigh's supports the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as part of community giving program.
• State Theatre Company of South AustraliaminorOthersCultural sponsorship recipient. Haigh's supports the State Theatre Company of South Australia as part of community giving program.
• Theatre Organ Society of AustraliaminorOthersCommunity sponsorship recipient. Haigh's supports the Theatre Organ Society of Australia as part of community giving program.
• Rainforest AlliancecoreOthersRainforest Alliance certification partner for sustainable cocoa sourcing. Currently 80% of cocoa beans sourced from certified farms with target of 100%. Rainforest Alliance merged with UTZ in 2018.
• Mirvac Retail (Broadway Sydney)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partnership for new Broadway Sydney store location. Haigh's Chocolates opened seventh Sydney store at Broadway Sydney shopping centre managed by Mirvac Retail.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Green & Black's: Premium organic and ethically-sourced chocolate brand owned by Mondelez. Comparable ethical-sourcing positioning (organic, Fairtrade) and premium price architecture aligned with Haigh's Rainforest Alliance strategy.
• Ferrero Australia: Global confectionery incumbent operating in Australia through brands such as Ferrero Rocher, Kinder, and Nutella. Competes in premium gifting (Ferrero Rocher) and chocolate-spread adjacencies relevant to Haigh's portfolio.
• Lindt & Sprüngli: Swiss global premium chocolate manufacturer with strong Australian retail presence through Lindt Café and own-brand chocolate shops. Competes in the same premium chocolate gifting and confectionery category with broader global scale.
• Cadbury (Mondelez International): Iconic Australian chocolate brand owned by Mondelez, with significant domestic manufacturing footprint. Competes across mass and premium tiers, providing portfolio breadth that Haigh's single-brand strategy lacks.

Direct peers

• Guylian: Belgian premium chocolate brand specialising in filled pralines and sea-shell chocolates with global gifting distribution. Direct competitor in premium boxed-chocolate gifting segment.
• Hotel Chocolat: UK-headquartered premium bean-to-bar chocolate maker with own-brand retail stores and strong e-commerce gifting platform. Highly comparable vertically-integrated, store-led premium chocolate business model.
• Koko Black: Australian premium bean-to-bar chocolate maker and retailer with own-brand stores across major Australian cities. Direct domestic peer competing in the same premium gifting and chocolate-tourist segments as Haigh's.
• Max Brenner: Premium chocolate brand with chocolate-bar and retail-store concept. Operates in Australia and competes in experiential premium chocolate consumption.

Regional players

• Patchi: Lebanese premium chocolate retailer with flagship store model and strong corporate-gifting business across Middle East, Asia, and select Western markets. Comparable store-led premium gifting concept and corporate channel focus.

Others

• Punt Road Coffee / Robert Timms (manufacturing peers in SA): Australian family-owned premium food manufacturer analogue; not a direct chocolate competitor but a comparable heritage, vertically-integrated Australian premium CPG brand with similar generational ownership profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcxX92WEwbPFcW-4LemgBow
• Facebookfacebook.com/haighs
• Instagraminstagram.com/haighschocolates
• Xx.com/Haighs1915

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Haigh's Chocolates