Last Updated on October 28, 2022 by Jim Edwards
Violet Crumble is a popular Australian candy bar consisting of an artificial honeycomb coated with delectable chocolate. Let’s take a look and decipher whether people love this candy or despise it. So, without any further delay, let’s dive right in!
Contents
History of Violet Crumble
Violet Crumble was invented by a man named Abel Hoadley, founder of Hoadley’s Chocolates. The company began operations as a jam factory in 1889 and was located in South Melbourne. In a few years’ time, Hoadley was able to expand his business and by 1895, he had turned his factory into a 5-story facility which produced jams, fruit preservatives, sauces, jellies, and confections.
Soon after, Hoadley acquired the company Dillon, Burrows, & Co which allowed him to expand his product line and add chocolate, cocoa, and vinegar to his product portfolio as well. In 1910, Henry Jones Co-operative acquired the jam business from Hoadley and in 1913, Hoadley’s chocolates was founded.
That same year, Hoadley introduced his first chocolate range, which he packaged in a purple box that was embellished with violet flowers. The packaging was inspired by his wife’s love for the purple color and violet flowers. A piece of honeycomb included in the box assortment was so well received by the public that Hoadley decided to turn it into an individual confectionery.
However, this proved to be more challenging than anticipated since the honeycomb bits collected moisture and began to clump together as they cooled. To tackle the problem, Hoadley layered the honeycomb bar with chocolate to preserve the crunchiness and dryness of the honeycomb. And so, the Violet Crumble bar was born in 1913.
At first, Hoadley planned to rename his new invention “Crumble,” but he discovered that he couldn’t trademark the name. So, instead he registered the name “Violet Crumble,” using a purple wrapper with a little flower emblem, in honor of his wife and her favorite flower, the violet. It was a huge hit right away.
Rowntree’s, an English firm, bought Hoadley’s Chocolates in 1970 and began producing Violet Crumble in Adelaide until 1985. Soon after, Nestlé acquired Rowntree’s in 1988 and shifted production to Campbellfield in Melbourne’s northwestern suburbs. Robern Menz purchased the Violet Crumble candy brand, along with its accompanying plant, intellectual property, and equipment, on January 11, 2018.
What Does Violet Crumble Look Like?
Retaining most of the aesthetic features from previous iterations, Violet Crumble today bears an uncanny resemblance to how it looked when it was first introduced. The candy comes in a glossy solid purple wrapper with the name of the candy printed at the front in bold.
The packaging also displays an appetizing picture of the candy itself with crumbles spread across the front of the wrapper. The violet flowers, however, are nowhere to be seen anymore.
What Does Violet Crumble Taste Like?
When speaking of taste, flavor, and texture, this candy bar seems to be surrounded by mixed reviews. The wrapper of the candy boldly claims “It’s the way that it shatters that matters” and almost everyone who has tasted the candy agrees that it does justice to the statement.
The solid crunch you’re met with as soon as you bite into the candy is one of the main highlights of the product.
While some absolutely love the satisfying crunch, there are critics that find it repulsive as if biting into a dense chalky Styrofoam. But once you move past that, you’re greeted with a sweet and toasted aroma reminiscent of the toasted marshmallows that we adore so much.
The crumble is extremely rewarding, it crackles and yields in the mouth, melting into a joyful sweet puddle. It helps that the chocolate covering is made of authentic chocolate.
The coating is a little on the sweet side, but that’s to be expected given that it is an Australian candy. Additionally, the candy bar is more filling than one would expect from a lightweight chocolate-coated honeycomb bar that weighs only a little over an ounce and is loaded with air.
Some crumble lovers even love to pair these sweet crunchy treats with other snacks and beverages such as hot chocolate. The ability of the candy to go well with other foods is also one of the things Violet Crumble fans appreciate greatly.
The Negatives of Violet Crumble
Like we mentioned before, this candy has amassed a bag of mixed reviews with many loving the treat for its sweet taste, crunchy texture, and marshmallowy aroma, while others are beating down on the candy for a variety of reasons. Let’s see what some of these are!
Starting off with the crunch sound that is drummed into your ears as soon as you bite into the candy. While there are indeed those who love it, many others find the sound too loud as if you’re biting into stiff Styrofoam or dry balsa wood. In fact, many find the sound displeasing and downright annoying.
Another big complaint that critics have is about the ingredients. While the candy is advertised as a chocolate-coated honeycomb, the candy, for obvious reasons, does not have an actual honeycomb center and is instead a look alike made out of hydrogenated palm oil and sugar. Many people feel that better ingredients could be used to synthesize the artificial honeycomb center.
Moreover, being a hard crunchy candy, some people even complained that when purchasing the product online, they were delivered an already broken candy bar. In all fairness, this could very likely be the shipper’s fault and not of the product.
Lastly, some people reported that the chocolate used for the coating was of poor quality and taste strange and not in a good way. It is worth noting that complaints such as these were only very few.
Nutritional Facts
Violet Crumble can be purchased in individual bars or in a pack of 6 or 12 bars. There is also a nugget version that is essentially a small, bite-sized version of the candy. Each serving size equals one candy bar which approximately weighs 50g. The nutritional facts per serving are as follow:
| Serving Size | 1 bar (50g) |
| Calories | 237 |
| Total Fat | 8.6g (11%) |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 90mg (4%) |
| Protein | 1.2g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 38g (14%) |
| Total Sugars | 32.9g |
| Vitamin D | 0% |
| Potassium | 0% |
| Calcium | 0.7% |
| Iron | 0% |
Cadbury Crunchie Vs. Nestle Violet Crumble Blind Taste Test
In this video, we are conducting a blind taste test to see which candy bar has the better flavor, the Cadbury Crunchie or the Nestle Violet Crumble.
Summary
Violet Crumble is an immensely controversial candy bar. Whether or not you like the candy depends on your personal taste and preferences. If you’re one to fancy a sweet and crunchy treat, then you’re going to have the time of your life with this confection. There’s only one way to find out though, and that is by tasting it. So, give this candy a try and who knows, this might turn out to be your new favorite treat of all time.
Violet Crumble – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s the Difference between Crunchie and Violet Crumble?
Violet Crumble has a more crispy texture compared to Crunchie bars, as well as a more prominent marshmallow taste and aroma.
What Flavor Is Violet Crumble?
It is a chocolate-coated honeycomb flavored candy.
What Is Australia’s Oldest Chocolate Bar?
Australia’s oldest chocolate bar is the “Cherry Ripe.”
Why Is It Called Violet Crumble?
The candy is called Violet Crumble due to its purple packaging that had violet flowers depicted on it. The packaging was inspired by Abel Hoadley’s wife’s love for the color purple and violet flowers.
Related Articles
Your Ultimate Guide to the Snickers Candy Bar
Candies That You Can Eat with Braces
Pez Candy – The Ultimate Guide
Image Credits
“Violet Crumble” by Like_the_Grand_Canyon is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
“Found my favorite candy Violet Crumble @worldmarket today. I held back only because it’s so hot outside today.” by AngryJulieMonday is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
“violet crumble” by sidstamm is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
“50 – Crunchies, Violet Crumbles & Cherry Ripes” by salomonrbc is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
I’m Jim Edwards and I started this website to share my love of Junk Food. We cover new junk food, desserts, snack foods, fast food secret menus, candy (of course!) and other related news. We love trying “secret menus” at restaurants. And we love trying new products too. So, we are trying to have some fun with our hobby and share some useful information with you, our community. Please feel to send us your suggestions and feedback through the contact form. And if you have products you would like us to try, let us know…!
