Air NZ lolly maker on most popular flavour, how many you should take
The story traces the history of Horners Confectionary, a New Zealand lolly manufacturer that became the exclusive supplier for Air New Zealand. The business survived economic hardship in the 1980s by automating production and focusing on candy cane manufacturing.
Why it matters
It provides a case study on small business resilience and the impact of free-market economic shifts on local manufacturing.
<p>On a flight to the Gold Coast in 2005, Dhiru Bhikha made a bold statement to his then-teenage son, as they unwrapped the lollies Air New Zealand provides passengers towards the end of each flight.</p> <p><b>By Serena Solomon of </b><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/food/the-family-business-behind-air-new-zealand-s-iconic-lolly" target="_blank"><b>RNZ</b></a></p> <p>“'One day, I'm going to make these lollies and supply them to Air New Zealand'," recalled Raj, his son, who is now 37.</p> <p>It wasn’t a completely unhinged goal. Dhiru bought a small lolly factory in 1984 called Horners Confectionary. Back then, he was an electrical engineer looking to get out of the nine-to-five grind in Auckland.</p> <p>The lolly factory, which was based in the small Waikato town of Te Kuiti, was all Dhiru and his wife, Vina, could afford.
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