with Tasti Products, which started
life as a maker of crystallised ginger,
glace cherries and peel. Purchasing
the company in 1965, Hall
introduced one of New Zealand’s first
muesli bars in the 1970s – Snaklog
- and the company is now the
country’s largest manufacturer.
It’s a testament to Hall’s endurance
that he was able to weather
challenging conditions through his
career to build the two companies
– conditions such as World War
II, rationing, disease epidemics,
government-imposed import bans,
tax rates of 66% and rampant
inflation.
Hall was known as a people person,
exemplified by this quote from his
autobiography: “I worked out that
it was better to spend, say, 30
shillings on another carton of beer
and consume it with people of good
standing and good company, rather
than hike off to the savings bank with
it, then mope in my spare time.”
And among his many pearls of
business advice, as relevant now
as it was then: “Don’t ever take on
debt to a percentage level that would
permit the lender to redirect your
business.”
Throughout his career, Hall’s
wife was by his side. Judy (nee
Kariatiana) was one of the first female
anaesthetists of Māori descent. The
couple have three sons and they are
all in the businesses - Richard and
Henry jointly manage James Crisp
and Simon is executive chairman of
Tasti.
John Hall (92). James Crisp circa 1930s
From left to right: John Hall, James Crisp and Fred Marshall (1957).
www.foodtechnology.co.nz 57
/www.foodtechnology.co.nz
