Tim Tam the biscuit was not ready for consumers until 1963. The horse would later be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. In 1958 it also won the Preakness Stakes, and came second in the Belmont, and so just missed the prestigious ‘Triple Crown’, the greatest feat in American horse racing. Tim Tam the horse would go on to further success. His colleagues agreed Tim Tam was playful, fun to say, somehow it just seemed right. It’s Kentucky Derby winning effort made quite an impression on Arnott, who later suggested the horse’s name for his company’s new biscuit. On a wet day, a previously unheralded 3 year old horse came from behind to sprint home and clinch a dramatic victory, by half a length. 1958 Kentucky Derby winner, Tim TamĪlso in 1958, Ross Arnott, great grandson of William Arnott, attended the Kentucky Derby while on a business trip to the United States. The new Australian version would be five years in development. Norris brought the idea of the Penguin back to Australia, and set to work, experimenting with different biscuit textures, and cream flavours.īut getting the mix right proved elusive. – Ian Norris, ‘Sydney Morning Herald’, 2004 There is nothing wrong with coming up with a similar product.’ ‘I thought it was not a bad idea for a biscuit: so, we’ll make a better one. Then made by ‘Macdonalds’, it was one of the most popular bikkies in England. The name came from the colour contrast: the cream was originally white, alongside the dark coloured biscuits it looked to the creators, a bit like a penguin. The Penguin consisted of two rectangular chocolate biscuits, separated by a layer of sweet cream, coated in milk chocolate. In England, he came across the ‘ Penguin’. That year he went on a worldwide fact finding trip, looking for new product ideas for the company. In 1958, Ian Norris was the head of Food Technology at Arnott’s. In each case it studied the existing biscuit, and simply replicated the recipe through trial and error. The ‘Nice’ biscuit had a similar backstory, having first appeared in England in the late 19th century.Īrnott’s began producing both in the early 1900s (the company claimed to be the creator of the ‘Nice’, although this is almost certainly false). The ‘Marie’ was a plain tea biscuit, originally made in London in 1874 to commemorate the marriage of the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, to the Duke of Edinburgh. Arnott’s biscuits range, early 20th centuryĪs well as creating new biscuits from scratch, the company would also co-opt existing biscuit recipes from elsewhere. In the following decades, other products would follow. Arnott’s also launched a line of water crackers, and dried fruit biscuits, the same year. William Arnott himself came up with the first: he created ‘Milk Arrowroot’ biscuits, a mix of milk biscuits and digestives, in 1882. New products were needed to tempt new customers. Ad for the ‘famous’ Milk ArrowrootĪs Arnott’s expanded, it faced competition from other biscuit manufacturers. It would remain in family hands for the next 60 years. When Arnott retired in 1899, his family assumed control of the company completely. He opened his first factory there shortly afterwards.īy this time, his sons had joined him in running the family business. In 1882, Arnott began shipping his biscuits to Sydney, where they found a much larger market. Original drawing of the Macaw, used in the Arnott’s logo The Macaw still appears in the present day logo The bird developed a taste for Arnott’s biscuits, and became a cherished pet.Īrnott liked the bird so much, he adopted a drawing of it, done by his daughter-in-law, as the company’s logo. They had not changed much from the simple recipe he had started with, but proved enduringly popular.Īfter a trip to Scotland in 1870, Arnott was gifted a Macaw by the ship’s captain. ‘Arnott’s Famous Biscuits’, as they were now known, remained his focus. He opened more shops in the surrounding area, and his first factory, in Newcastle, in 1865. The first Arnott’s factory, NewcastleĪrnott’s ‘Steam Bakery’, so called as the ovens were steam powered, was successful enough that he could soon expand. Particularly popular were his biscuits simple treats made with flour, butter and sugar (the actual recipe remains a secret). Making a range of baked sweets, Arnott now found success. He relocated to Maitland, in regional New South Wales, and opened a bakery there in 1853. Arriving in Melbourne in 1851, at the age of 24, he spent two years prospecting.īut when he did not strike it rich, Arnott returned to his trade. William Arnott was a Scottish born baker who was lured to Australia by the Gold Rush. The end result: Australia’s most popular biscuit. The origin of Tim Tams involved a penguin, a racehorse, a copycat, and a lot of chocolate.
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