John Haigh passed away on Friday at the age of 93

John Haigh
Image source: The WEEKLY TIMES

93-year-old beloved South Australian chocolatier passes away

John Haigh of Haigh’s Chocolates has passed away. Picture: Supplied by Family
Image source: The WEEKLY TIMES

The 93-year-old owner of Australia’s longest family-owned chocolate company is referred to as a “revolutionary” after passing away. Haigh Chocolates, the oldest family-owned business in Australia, has lost its CEO.

John Haigh passed away on Friday at the age of 93

His sons Alister and Simon confirmed the news in a statement released on Wednesday, honouring Mr. Haigh as “a cherished father, grandpa, and great-grandfather.”

John Haigh was a pioneer in the chocolate business. He will always be remembered and sadly lost,” the statement said.

“More than any other individual, John Haigh is responsible for the familiar and beloved flavour of Haigh’s Chocolates today.

Employees outside the Haigh's Chocolate factory in Parkside, South Australia circa 1928. Alfred Haigh is pictured on the far left.
Image source: The WEEKLY TIMES (In 1928, workers were seen in front of the Haigh’s Chocolate factory in Parkside, South Australia. The image of Alfred Haigh is on the left-most side.)

“He made Haigh’s into a producer of top-shelf chocolate renowned worldwide and regarded as some of the best in the world.

In addition to improving the product’s quality and flavour, he also enhanced the exclusivity of Haigh’s in-store experience and how Haigh’s is still marketed.

He laid the groundwork for a tremendously successful family firm growing and doing brisk business all over Australia.

There are more than 20 Haigh’s Chocolates stores in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.
Image source: The WEEKLY TIMES (There are over 20 Haigh’s Chocolate shops in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra.)

November 10, 1929, birth date Alfred Haigh, who established the business and put its first store in the Adelaide CBD in 1915, was the great-grandfather of Mr. Haigh.

John would formally join the business in 1946, rising to the position of managing director from 1959 to 1990, when he served as board chairman.

He received training from expert chocolatiers at the Swiss companies Lindt and Sprüngli. Information on the funeral is anticipated to be released later this week.

Who is John George Haigh?

John George Haigh employed sulfuric acid to cover up his crimes long before Walter White disintegrated corpses in bathtubs. John George Haigh, also called the “Acid Bath Murderer,” is on YouTube. Police searched John George Haigh’s warehouse on Leopold Road in West Sussex during a raid in February 1949.

What happened to Haigh?

After being released shortly after the start of World War II, Haigh continued to commit fraud and received additional prison sentences. He was intrigued by the French killer Georges-Alexandre Sarret, who used sulfuric acid to dispose of bodies, as he regretted leaving victims alive to bring charges against him.

Where did Henry Haigh live?

He relocated acid and drums from Gloucester Road to a small workshop he rented at 2 Leopold Road in Crawley, Sussex. (Haigh is also known to have frequently stayed at The George in Crawley.) He drove Archibald Henderson to his workshop on February 12, 1948, on the pretence of exhibiting him as a creation.

Why did Haigh use acid to dissolve someone’s body?

In a Breaking Bad-style attempt to conceal his crime, Haigh had killed someone and disintegrated their body in acid. The fact that he had done it once and intended to do so again, barring one minor error, would prove more surprising as the investigation continued.

John Haigh, who transformed Haigh’s Chocolates, passes away

John Haigh, 93, was instrumental in making his family’s chocolate business a household name. John Haigh, instrumental in creating the venerable South Australian chocolate company Haigh’s Chocolates, died at 93.

He was the grandson of Alfred Haigh, who established the business and put its first store on the market in 1915 in Adelaide’s Beehive Building at 34 King William Street.

The company’s current managing directors, Alister and Simon Haigh, who are also John’s sons, claim that John Haigh is more responsible than anybody else for the flavour of Haigh’s Chocolates that we are familiar with and adore.

After training from Lindt chocolate manufacturers in Switzerland and Sprungli, John Haigh joined the company in 1946.

After travelling there to study production, retail design, and marketing, he took on the role of managing director from 1959 to 1990.

The firm widely credits him with “revolutionising” the brand. Along with improving the product’s quality and flavour, he also enhanced the exclusivity of Haigh’s in-store experience and the way the brand is still marketed, according to Alister and Simon Haigh.

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