Kiwi Icons: The Pineapple lump man

Pineapple lumps have been in the news recently but did you know they were a mistake?
A yummy chocolatey mistake.  Nevertheless they have gone on to become one of the most iconic lollies New Zealand has ever known.
And expats around the world often have requests of friends visiting - bring pineapple lumps.
Charles Richard Diver wasn’t actually supposed to be making pineapple lumps.
In 1952, he was told to find a way to use up the waste from the daily run of marshmallow.  The most waste came from a type of chocolate fish with pineapple marshmallow.  
Diver used it to create chunks of the marshmallow and before long the forerunner of pineapple lumps were born.  
Diver was born November 22, 1910 in Alexandra, Otago to John and Elizabeth.  He worked at the Regina Confectionery Factory as confectionery chef and floor production manager and it was during his time that the pineapple lumps were created.
He was also responsible for other sweets.
Pineapple lumps were introduced to the public around 1952-54.  Originally they were called pineapple chunks with the name changed in the 1960’s.
Cadbury’s later acquired the name and began selling them under their Pascall brand.  A variety of other brands also sell similar named products.
The Diver family still has a copy of Charles’ original recipe.   The children remember being used as guinea pigs for the lumps and other sweets.
Meanwhile Regina has also continued producing pineapple chunks themselves and now used a slightly modified version of Charles’ original recipe.
And for anyone who wants to know - the Diver family kept theirs in the freezer.
Charles died on May 5, 1994 aged 83 and is buried in the Oamaru Lawn Cemetery with his wife Ivy.

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