Balfours

In 1856 Scottish immigrant James Calder established a bakery and shop on Rundle Street, Adelaide, called the City Steam Biscuit Factory. He was joined in his company by his nephew, John Balfour, in 1877 and the company eventually traded under the name Calder and Balfour.

In the 1890s a new factory was built in Caldwell Street (off Carrington Street) but tea rooms remained in Rundle Street. Further expansion occurred in the early 20th century, seeing Balfours move to a new factory site, on the corner of Morphett and Franklin Streets.

Balfour's son-in-law, Charles Wauchope, entered the business in the 1890s and later the company name became Balfour Wauchope Pty Ltd.

Balfours maintained this presence in the city until 2003 when manufacturing was moved to Dudley Park, a suburb in Adelaide's inner north-west.

Balfours' product range is now centred on pastries and cakes, rather than the biscuits of the early years. One of Balfours' signature products is the frog cake. This cake is also recognised as a South Australian icon. Balfours introduced the frog cake in the 1920s when tearooms were popular. The cake consists of a sponge cake square coated in jam (the frog's body) topped with cream (the frog's head) and enclosed with the fondant icing.