Darrell Lea

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Darrell Lea Chocolate Shops is an Australian company that make and sell chocolate. It is privately owned by the Lea family, and is perhaps the largest privately owned confectionery manufacturer in Australia. It was established as a company in 1927.

Darrell Lea has 75 privately owned outlets and 475 outlets are owned by independent contractors, and at peak times employs at least 1000 people.

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[edit] History

It is owned by the Lea family, who began with Harry Lea. Lea started the first shop in New South Wales in 1927 in Sydney's Haymarket. During the Depression, a shop became vacant in Pitt Street, and a factory was built under the arches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. His first chocolate creation was called Bulgarian Rock.

Monty and Harris Lea, two sons of Harry, opened a manufacturing operation in Melbourne, with their first shop in Swanston Street, in 1940.

Maurice Lea opened five shops in Brisbane in 1966 and delivered fresh stock until he retired in 1996.

In 1962, Monty’s son Jason Durard Lea (28 September 1942 - 12 September 2005),[2] later the Managing Director of the Company from 1983 to 1998, commenced full-time employment with the company as a trainee manager.

Robert Lea, Harry's Grandson, opened a shop in Adelaide in 1966.

In 1982 the Kogarah factory was rebuilt due to a fire two years before, and set up with modern chocolate-making machinery.

[edit] Products

Their range comprises 500 products, with 60 extra items created for Easter and Christmas, including:[1]

  • Assorted Chocolate Box
  • Assorted Chocolate Carton
  • Assorted Liqueurs Gift Box
  • Cherry Liqueur Gift Box
  • Chocolate Praline Shells Box
  • Coffee Creams
  • Dark Chocolate Box
  • Dark Chocolate Carton
  • Dark Chocolate Ginger Carton
  • Hard Centres Chocolate Box
  • Hard Centres Chocolate Carton
  • Hazelnut & Honey Gift Box
  • Macadamia Presentation Box
  • Milk & Dark Ginger Box
  • Milk Chocolate Box
  • Milk Chocolate Carton
  • Peppermint Cream Gift Box
  • Peppermint Milk & Dark Chocolate Carton
  • Praline Sweet Hearts Gift Box
  • Rose Turkish Delight Box
  • Soft Centre Chocolate Carton
  • Soft Centres Chocolate Box
  • Traditional Chocolate Box Assortment
  • Traditional Creams Box

In recent years Darrell Lea has had many demands for their licorice from overseas, in particular the U.S. and Canada. They offer an ordering service to this end.

Recently Darrell Lea's line of soft licorices have started to be sold in Canadian shops as well as Trader Joe's grocery stores in the United States.

[edit] Community Involvement

Darrell Lea has sponsored a local high school so that they may conclude and continue their studies, and a local facility which works with people with intellectual disability. They help organisations like Starlight Foundation and the Red Cross, as well as local youth groups.

[edit] Industrial Relations

On August 19, 2007 The Workplace Ombudsman took chocolate chain Darrell Lea to court, with accusations of pressuring casual sales assistants into signing the company's workplace agreement. Darrell Lea threatened to reduce shifts for casual staff as young as 16, if they refused to sign the agreement.

Following a public outcry, Darrell Lea CEO, Mr John Tolmie announced a decision to abandon their proposed workplace agreements, which would have resulted pay cuts for its casual staff.

[edit] References and External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1] Darrell Lea