Where Pickling Meets Excellence!
Chippies…
Was started as a home industry over 30 years ago and has since grown into a major supplier of pickled onions to the supermarket chains throughout South Africa. Chippies is situated centrally within South Africa and draws its supply of onions from various provinces in the country, ensuring continuity of supply throughout the year.
The factory is situated in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands surrounded by sugar cane farms, orange orchards, vegetable farms and forestry.
How the great taste came to be…
Ever wonder where the super-delicious pickles recipe comes from…? Here follows the legend of the famous Chippies Pickles…
Long, long ago (in July 1954)… not so very far away (in fact, only about 3km away)… lived a man called Owen Williams, aka ‘Chips’ Williams, and his wife, Edith (neé Brady). They bought a farm, named it Bradwill (Brad-y and Will-iams), where they ran a dairy herd.
During the war, a man named Westermeyer were making pickled onions which he supplied to ships passing through Durban. After the war, Westermeyer worked as a bookkeeper at Scott & Mills.
Chips Williams offered him accommodation in the old bacon factory and suggested he should resume pickle-making. However, this did not turn out as they had hoped, and the Williamses took over the pickle-making. They experimented with onions, chow-chow and baby beets, which they sold under the brand name “Chippies”.
They sold their farm in 1967 and continued pickle-making in a building attached to their new home in High Street, Richmond.
Chips was preparing to continue with his factory in “The Barn” on Willow Park when he suddenly died. Edith continued alone with the business until 1980, when she sold to Peter (and Pam) Lowen, who had been Managing Director of Mount Pleasant Orchards Ltd., near Thornville, before retiring to Richmond.
Eventually the old canning factory was demolished to make wat for the present Bradwill residential extention of the township. Traces of the foundations, some of the drains and two of the subterranean tanks (possibly the brine tanks), can still be found close to the Illovo River bank at Bradwill.
Peter and Pam Lowen continued making “Chippies Pickles” on their farm, Hazy Hills, where it still stands today.
Although the equipment and methods may have modernised over time, it is still the unique, delicious recipe that Westermeyer had used.
You can acquire and taste our special pickles anywhere in South Africa.
Although the Chippies Pickles brand is only available locally in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Spar brand pickles, also produced in our factory in Richmond, (the same recipe, the same superior quality) are available at any Spar near you throughout South Africa!
You have to ask this question: What would Christmas dinner be without South Africa’s preferred pickles…?
Chippies Pickles – where pickling meets excellence!
Mission Statement
- We maintain a clean, hygienic factory for processing.
- We provide products that meet the highest standards of quality and freshness, using only the best ingredients.
- We commit to meet the needs of our customers and consumers.
- We ensure that all customers and staff are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
- We aim to impress every customer and make them as excited about our products as we are.
- We strive to provide all who work with us a friendly, cooperative environment, which encourages satisfying, long-term relationships.
- We aim to achieve the above whilst upholding staff policies and practices which promote a fair and positive working environment.
- We undertake a meaningful involvement of the business in selected charitable activities in our community and region.
- We strive to be the lowest cost, preferred supplier of a range of attractive and innovative pickles to aligned retailer partners.