Polly Waffle returns to Aussie shelves on Friday, but not in the form you remember

The mysteries of Roman concrete and ‘true’ Damascus steel have long puzzled modern man. Now, an Australian business has revealed another lost technology: the Polly Waffle chocolate bar.

South Australian confectioners Menz, which acquired the rights to the Polly Waffle chocolate in 2019, has confirmed the sweet treat will return to supermarket shelves on Friday in a new format.

Dubbed Polly Waffle Bites, they will take the form of small, spherical chocolates, superseding the chocolate bar produced by Nestle until 2009.

Taking to social media last month, Menz CEO Phil Sims said difficulties in creating an old-school version of Polly Waffle contributed to the new ball format.

“Polly Waffle had not been produced in more than ten years when we acquired it, so we essentially had to start from scratch to find out how we could produce it at our South Australian factory,” Sims said.

While acknowledging the toll of COVID-era supply chain issues and changing retailer expectations, Sims admitted recreating the ‘original’ bar would “require even more time and cost, without the guarantee that it would have the same quality that consumers remember.

“As much as we have tried, we were unable to recreate the bar.”

Menz previously revived the Violet Crumble chocolate bar, delighting fans with a taste and texture very close to its original incarnation.

Other defunct snack favourites, like Toobs and Spearmint Leaves, have experienced their own near-enough recreations.

However, Sims’ admission suggests future manufacturers may have difficulties reviving complex favourites of the past.

The shape of Australia’s confectionary industry will also dictate the kind of sweets to experience a second life.

Menz is best-known for its original Fruchocs product but is one of the few local producers willing to take a gamble on reviving an old product.

Outside of its local competitors like Darrell Lea and Haighs, and the aforementioned giants like Nestle and Cadbury, that leaves smaller, boutique producers, who are more likely to release homages than acquire aging intellectual property to revive a defunct brand.

Nevertheless, fans of Polly Waffle — which first made its way to Australia shelves through confectioner Hoadley’s, before its acquisition by UK-based Rowntree’s, and its eventual pick-up by Nestle — are eagerly awaiting the appearance of Polly Waffle Bites.

The 125-gram packets will reportedly cost $5.50 a pop.

SmartCompany has contacted Menz for comment.