Heinz Wattie's Limited (or simply Wattie's) is a New Zealand–based food producer of frozen and packaged fruit, vegetables, sauces, baby food, cooking sauces, dressings and pet foods.
History
Founded in Hawke's Bay in 1934 by Sir James Wattie and Harold Carr, the company initially operated under the name J. Wattie Canneries Limited, then later J Wattie Foods Limited, and related companies. Its first product was jam, as Wattie was unhappy that an Auckland jam-making business intended to import jam pulp from Australia.[1]
In February 1962, the company's factory and plant in Hastings was largely destroyed in a fire.[1][2][3] The fire destroyed the main steam line from the boiler room to the processing plant. The four boilers themselves were not damaged and production was restored in 50 hours. The insurance claim for damage was half a million pounds, the largest insurance loss in New Zealand to that date.[3]