Richard Hudson

A one-time cabin boy who learned to bake, Richard Hudson moved to Dunedin in 1873 where he launched a biscuit, cake and confectionery business. He was probably the first New Zealand trader to sell a pie and a cup of coffee for sixpence. By the 1880s, he was one of the city's most prosperous citizens.

Using imported technology, he expanded his business from biscuits to chocolate, making Hudson's a household name. Hudson was an advocate of the eight-hour working day and the first Dunedin manufacturer to ban work on Saturday afternoons.

In 1930 the company merged with British chocolate maker Cadbury's to become Cadbury Fry Hudson. Today, as Cadbury Confectionery, it continues to lead its industry.

Richard Hudson

Inducted: 2006
Industry: Baking and confectionery

DOD: 1903