35 Tons Of Cake A Week

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31125, 30 July 1966, Page 12

35 Tons Of Cake A Week

<SptciaUp writttn for "Th* Pro*" bp A. J. PETRKI

TIARK cake, light cake, fruit cake, sponge cake, iced cake, plain cake, filled cake—more than 1600 tons of it every year, in 80 different varieties —that is the output of Ernest Adams, Ltd., a Christchurch-born firm which now has factories at Dunedin and Invercargill.

The company started as < Adams Bruce, Ltd. Mr Ernest i Adams arrived in New Zea-1 land from Australia in 1921 ' and went into partnership i with Mr Hugh Bruce, a pastry- < cook whose factory premises were on the site of the pre- ' sent Ernest Adams factory at 462 Tuam street Adams ;

Bruce, Lti, was formed and took over shops which had been operated by Mr Bruce, subsequently opening others, including at Timaru and Lyttelton.

Soon the company also started operations at Dunedin and Invercargill, and within 12 months was also operating in Wellington. A business had been started there by Mr Adams’s brother, Joseph, and the Christchurch firm took it over. This factory supplied North Island shops, and the Dunedin shops were supplied by the Dunedin factory. Mr Bruce retired about 1927. He had intended to retire earlier, but had become so interested in the new business that he decided to stay on. After this Adams Bruce decided to make chocolates as well as cakes and pastries, and an expert was brought out from the United States to advise on their manufacture, which was done in the Wellington factory. In 1928 Adams Bruce took

over an Auckland business, and the widespread business, so the North Island factories were disposed of in 1929, and the South Island company became Ernest Adams, Ltd. Adams Bruce, Ltd., continued in the North Island to manufacture cake, chocolates and also ice-cream, and had

the right to sell chocolates In Adams Bell, Ltd., which had been started by another brother of Mr Ernest Adams, Mr George Adams, in partnership with a cousin. Extensions By this time Adams Bruce had four factories making cake: in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland, and a factory in Wellington made chocolates. About this time Mr Ernest Adams decided he could not do justice to both his family the South Island. The South Island factories of Ernest Adams, Ltd, concentrated on the manufacture of cake. The new company prospered, and its premises in Christchurch were extended within five years. Since then many further extensions have been made: three in the last 15 years, and neighbouring properties have been bought so that the factory now stands

on about one acre and a half between Tuam and St Asaph streets. Since Its establishment the Dunedin factory has also been extended, and a small factory area behind the Timaru Ernest Adams store makes only one line. The company had a shop at Invercargill from soon after its Inception, and about 1938 the Invercargill factory was started. Later, about 1960, land was bought at Invercargill, and a new small factory built 400 Agents The Christchurch building used at present was started in 1926, and of course has been altered and added to several times since then. The present office area was added about two years ago. Except for the Nelson and Blenheim area, Ernest Adams Ltd. has shops all over the South Island—and 400 agents. The firm makes a wide variety of cakes, and will make any type as long as there is sufficient demand for it says the managing director (Mr Hugh Adams). The company believes in having a wide variety: if a housewife can buy a different cake each week for a year or more she Is not likely to become tired of the product as Mr Adams explains. Production at the Christchurch factory runs at about 35 tons of cakes, puddings and pastry a week, and during a year the factory consumes tons of flour, butter, sugar and thousands of eggs. Large quantities of dried fruit are imported from Australia. One third of material costs go in eggs, and the firm is one of the biggest if not the biggest user of dried fruit in New Zealand. The biggest difficulty at the

moment is the lack of import ! licences for machines; the 1 firm has several times made j its own machines, but this is i a costly and time-consuming ; business. An example of the difficul- , ties this imposes can be seen

in the manufacture of lamington cakes: a licence to import a chocolate enrober, costing about £SOO, was refused, and so all these cakes must be dipped in chocolate by hand, a rather messy and time-consuming process. The Christchurch factory

employs about 100 persons, the Dunedin factory about 50, and the Invercargill factory about 25. One of the biggest ovens of its type in the world is in the Christchurch factory. It takes 500 five-pound cakes at the one time. Another smaller oven is used for cooking sponges. A small department makes puddings, and another makes pastry, while others produce the cream and marshmallow fillings, and icing. Quality Tests Considerable quality testing is done throughout the mixing and cooking processes, and there is a test kitchen included in the factory. Each day samples of the day's pastry production are baked to ensure the quality is up to standard. At present Ernest Adams, Ltd. is negotiating overseas for export outlets, and it is expected that substantial export business will develop to the future. On the homo market the company has considerable competition “our biggest competition is the housewife,” says Mr Ernest Adams. Each year about 2000 persons—mainly women—are shown through the factory.

The picture shows some of 500 cakes being placed In a big oven.

Canterbury Industry