Gregg's to Close 

In March, Heinz Watties's Limited, a division of Kraft Heinz, announced the Gregg's factory in Dunedin will close, costing as many as 50 workers their jobs.  Gregg's has been an institution and an integral part of the community in Dunedin since it was founded by William Gregg in 1861 (see Peter McDonald's Facebook post).  The distinctive smell of coffee being processed (>) and the mysterious clanking sounds one can sometimes hear emanating from the building will apparently become things of the past, although a timeline for closure has not been announced.
"Gregg's began in the city of Dunedin, where William Gregg first produced Gregg's Club Coffee. It was soon a national institution, winning medals at exhibitions throughout Australasia. Over the years William Gregg became a renowned coffee roaster, spice merchant and food manufacturer, bringing exotic international flavours to New Zealanders countrywide."    --kraftheinz.com
The shutdown of Gregg's marks the loss of another iconic manufacturing concern in Dunedin following on the losses of Cadbury's (May 2018) and Bell's Tea (April 2014).  Heinz Wattie's Limited signalled the closure in an 11 March press release; as many as 350 jobs around New Zealand could be lost.  The Dunedin facility, acquired by Cerebos (the food and instant coffee division of Suntory) in 1984, and then by Kraft Heinz in 2018, has become a casualty of globalisation and the fiercely competitive food industry. 

See also:
--.  "Gregg's coffee factory in line for closure under new proposal.  Otago Daily Times, 11 March 2026.

Jonathan Milne.  "'Most trusted' Kiwi food brand loses battle with supermarket duopoly."  newsroom, 12 March 2026.

Peter McDonald.  "The Rise and Fall of Gregg's, Dunedin's Coffee Legacy."  Facebook post,13 March 2026.

Catherine McGregor.  "What finally broke Wattie's–and what it means for the supermarket shelves."  The Spinoff, 16 March 2026.

--.  "Gregg's coffee factory to close."  Otago Daily Times, 27 March 2026.

Simon Hartley.  Kraft Heinz buys Cerebos Greggs factory." Otago Daily Times, 20 October 2017.
 back >