Who we are

Nothing brings Kiwis together like a biscuit and a cuppa, or a crackling packet of chips. 

That’s why our focus is as much about the community as it is about the food. In fact, The Griffin’s Food Company probably wouldn’t be around today if it weren’t for our communities – when our factory burned down not once, but twice, the locals stepped in to help cover the rebuild.

Back in the day, we put on picnics, sponsored our own rugby team before the All Blacks were All Blacks, and made the treats for our troops during the war. Now, we still manufacture Girl Guide Biscuits, and we put on family days for our team at the Griffin’s Food Company. The way we see it, this is all just part and parcel of being part of New Zealand.  

Our Purpose

Passionate Kiwis crafting New Zealand’s favourite snacks.

OUR VALUES
ARE WHAT DRIVE US EVERYDAY

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Passionate

for what we do and why we do it

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Connected

with each other and our communities along the way

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Creative

in our approach to life

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Brave

enough to make changes

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OUR LEADERS

Steve Burns thumbnail image
Steve Burns
Chief Financial Officer
Peter Richardson thumbnail image
Peter Richardson
Operations and Supply Chain Director
Tracey Seager thumbnail image
Tracey Seager
Innovation Director
Steve Burns image
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Steve Burns
Chief Financial Officer
Steve Burns describes working at Griffin’s in three words – passion, loyalty and commitment. For him, those three words sum up why he chose to work at Griffin’s, what motivates him to work hard and make the business as successful as it can be.

Steve recognised that he wanted to work at Griffin’s when he drove past the Papakura plant and realized that this is where all his favourite treats were made. He reminisced about enjoying MallowPuffs at special occasions like birthday parties, or Krispies every day after school. A year later he got the call and thought “Yeah, I’d love to work there – for the history, the brand and the products.” He’s proud to be part of growing Griffin’s story.

As Chief Financial Officer it’s a great challenge, but he firmly believes that the people – their passion, loyalty and commitment to making Griffin’s great – sets the company apart. He’s excited to take Griffin’s beyond NZ’s borders and make it a truly international brand.

He sees the company culture as a huge enabler of that growth.

“There’s real engagement and enthusiasm that people have in the business, and in return there’s a lot of trust. We aim to have that busy-ness wound back a bit, so we can harness the passion our people show, but so they can still live their lives.”
Peter Richardson image
Peter Richardson
Operations and Supply Chain Director
Peter Richardson is all about fabulous brands – at Griffin’s he loves to reflect on the story, to walk around the office and see the artifacts, old biscuit moulds and tins. The place is steeped with heritage. He sees it as his job to maintain that sense of history.

And yet, there’s been so much change recently at Griffin’s – a new executive team and with it a new energy. There’s a focus on continuous improvement – looking at what’s happening now and where the opportunities are. There is huge scope for improvement and Peter is loving the agility and autonomy he’s found at Griffin’s.

“You can do everything yourself. There’s no bureaucratic stuff to go through. In previous companies, I’d have to get approval for everything – at Griffin’s we can try things and if we fail, we can learn from it and move on.”

The launch into Asia will be another huge opportunity to open new boundaries and to improve the manufacturing plants. He has big plans on a local level too, working more closely with suppliers to benefit both companies, for example.

“There’s a huge bucket of opportunities, but I love that we won’t lose that NZ heritage. The parent company really values that and won’t downgrade the products.”
Tracey Seager image
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Tracey Seager
Innovation Director
Tracey came to work for Griffin’s in a roundabout sort of way. She’d just started a role with Nice & Natural when the company was sold to Griffin’s. While Tracey had been looking forward to working in a small, family company, she says the move to Griffin’s gave her that feeling, and more.

She saw that Griffin’s, being a bigger company, came with a number of “big, exciting projects”, and the chance to be at the forefront of big changes. But its family-focussed culture meant she also felt benefits she’d expected only from a smaller organisation. She felt supported to try – and fail – new things, without needing to navigate layers of bureaucracy or processes. She says that means working at Griffin’s feels fast, exciting, dynamic and empowering.

“I get the best of both worlds. You’re in charge of your own destiny rather just following the global directives. So in that respect, it’s feels really similar to a small company.”

It’s part of the reason by Tracey has been at Griffin’s for 10 years. But she also points to the diverse team she gets to work with, and the opportunities to grow in her career – and help others do the same.

Tracey worked her way up the ranks in the company and values being able to offer those same opportunities to other people. She’s seen a number of people who have been supported to move completely, from different functional areas, and “achieve things they never thought they could”. Now under the ownership of Griffin’s new parent company, those opportunities have expanded yet again, with new markets opening up in Asia.

“We get the opportunities for people movement, and the network we weren’t part of before, without the huge, stifling regulations that usually comes with that.”
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OUR HISTORY

1890s

After emigrating to New Zealand from the UK, John Griffin, a flour and cocoa miller, expanded his booming Nelson business to make delicious biscuits and sweets.

1900s

When two fires ravaged the Griffin’s factory, the public helped fund a new plant. The new factory went on to manufacture some of today’s favourite brands: Gingernuts, Milk Arrowroot, Super Wine, Vanilla Wine, and Round Wine.

1950s

By the 1950s Griffin’s were at the leading edge of the manufacturing industry – their technology included an enrober and cooling tunnels to allow for chocolate coating. The end of the decade saw the first automated wrapping machines installed to make quick work of getting products ready for shelves.

1980s

During the 1980s Griffin’s acquired several now iconic Kiwi brands including British classic Huntley & Palmers crackers, Chitchat chocolate biscuits and Eta foods.

1990s

The 1990s saw the addition of Chocolate Chippies, Shrewsburys, ToffeePops, Sultana Pasties and Squiggles. Along with Chocolate Chippies came the famous Cookie Bear, a much loved character and brand ambassador.

2000s

The Griffin’s Food Company acquired New Zealand-grown company Nice & Natural in 2007, adding a tasty, power-packed range of bars to their portfolio.

2010s and beyond

Today Griffin’s is owned by Universal Robina Corporation (URC). A family-focused leading manufacturer of branded snack foods and beverages the Philippines, URC also has significant operations throughout South East Asia. They are proud of their partnership with Griffin’s and plan on further growing Griffin’s by introducing the portfolio throughout South East Asia.

Our Quality Commitment

We’ve spent 150 years building our reputation for quality food, so yes, we take it seriously. We have a large team dedicated to quality assurance who make sure our bikkies, snacks and crackers are as safe to eat as they are tasty.

We’re also working towards reducing our environmental footprint and improving our recipes – making them more natural, more delicious and better for you.

Here are some of the things we care about at The Griffin’s Food Company.

Sourcing Sustainable Palm Oil
Sourcing Sustainable Palm Oil

We’re committed to the sustainable supply of palm oil. We were one of the first NZ-based FMCG companies to achieve certification from RSPO, a worldwide organization that leads and manages palm oil sustainability efforts.

To learn more, click here
Non-GMO ingredients
Non-GMO ingredients

We take a hard line against GMO ingredients; our products contain non-GMO ingredients. To ensure it stays that way, we have processes to track, monitor and review all our ingredients.

Balanced Nutrition
Balanced Nutrition

We’re actively looking for ways to improve our range – exploring new recipes and adding more natural ingredients to go along with our sweet treats.

It’s about offering more options, so you can make your own balanced choices.

Our new products are being more carefully developed, using natural ingredients to boost flavours.

Sodium reduction with Heartsafe
Sodium reduction with Heartsafe

We are working with the Heart Foundation’s Heartsafe initiative and we’re committed to reducing the sodium levels in chips and extruded snacks.

You can find all the nutritional information on our packs.

Reducing packaging and waste
Reducing packaging and waste

We support the Packaging Accord, which is an industry commitment to reducing the environmental impact of packaging materials.

  • Shipping cartons are made of 60% recycled paper and are 100% recyclable.
  • Our Huntley & Palmers cracker packs are made from 95% recycled board and are 100% recyclable.
Reducing carbon emissions
Reducing carbon emissions

To reduce our carbon emissions, we’re working with experts to conduct energy efficiency studies. This will identify where we can make those really big improvements.

It’s about making better use of what we have, so we can keep doing what we do, with the lightest possible footprint.