Alternative names | Pineapple chunks |
---|---|
Type | Confectionery |
Place of origin | New Zealand |
Created by | Charles Diver |
Main ingredients | Chocolate, sugar, pineapple flavouring |
Pineapple lumps or pineapple chunks are a chocolate-covered confection with a soft, chewy pineapple-flavoured middle from New Zealand. They are often identified as Kiwiana.
The Regina Confectionery Company in Oamaru introduced pineapple chunks around 1952–54.[1] Charles Diver, the confectionery chief and floor production-manager at Regina who would later formulate other classic Kiwi sweets, had the task of using up waste product from other lollies of the time. One sweet in particular — an early version of the chocolate fish with a pineapple-flavoured marshmallow middle — resulted in the most marshmallow left over, which Diver used to create pineapple chunks.[2][3] The product's name was changed to pineapple lumps by Regina in the early 1960s to give it a more catchy name.[4]
Cadbury obtained the pineapple lumps name and began manufacturing and selling them under its Pascall brand.[4] In 1995, Regina was bought by Nestlé NZ which shut down the Oamaru factory in 2001. Innovex Holdings purchased the factory from Nestlé, and in June 2001, established Rainbow Confectionery.[5][1] Rainbow sells pineapple chunks under its own brand and, in 2013, it also released pineapple chunks based on a slightly-modified version of Diver's original recipe under the Regina brand.[4][6]
Pascall's Pineapple Lumps were the last product manufactured at the Cadbury factory in Dunedin until its closure by Mondelez International in March 2018. Since the sale of all New Zealand-made stock, all Pascall Pineapple Lumps sold in New Zealand have been imported from Australia.[4][7]
In 2013, Fonterra released a limited edition Pineapple Lumps-flavoured milk in New Zealand after signing a licensing deal with Cadbury [8] In 2017, Jaffas Lumps were released in New Zealand by Cadbury for a limited time.[9] In 2019, Cadbury produced a fusion between Perky Nana bars and Pineapple Lumps called Perky Nana Lumps which were released as a limited edition product in New Zealand.[10] In 2019, Cadbury released a limited edition Dairy Milk chocolate block with Pascall Pineapple Lumps inside. Released initially in New Zealand, it was later also released in Australia.[11] In 2020, Cadbury produced a limited edition mashup of Snifters and Pineapple Lumps, known as Snifters Lumps.[12] In February 2024 a Pineapple Lump flavoured Squiggles biscuit was released.[13]
As of 2023[update], Pams markets a product similar to Pineapple Lumps using the name "Pineapple Flavoured Bites". Countdown also sells a similar product as "Pineapple Pieces".[14]