End of an era for matzah mavens
AFTER more than 115 years Solomon’s matzah-making machine has been turned off for the final time.
AFTER more than 115 years Solomon’s matzah-making machine has been turned off for the final time.
“It is bitter-sweet but a reality of life because production costs are not sustainable,” said Ronny Saltoon, whose family has owned the company since the early 1970s.
The firm began making matzah in Australia in the 19th century, but seven years ago, Sydney-based Saltoon started importing the boxes of matzah from Israel because producing matzah locally became increasingly expensive.
Watch video “Solomon’s Last Run.” Story continues below video
He continued to produce matzah meal in Solomon’s Waterloo factory, but sales have dropped from 18 tonnes to less than 10 tonness in the past two years.
“We have thought about this for a number of years but after Passover 2011 we realised that the quantity we used to produce for the market is no longer there because cheaper products are coming from Israel,” he explained.
Saltoon said the Australian dollar was strong and the cost of flour, the only raw material in matzah, is increasing, so the price gap between Australian-made and imported matzah had closed.
The 70-year-old dough-break machine, which rolls out the matzah, was offered to the Sydney Jewish Museum and the Powerhouse Museum, but neither were able to take it due to its size so it will become scrap metal.
But you can still expect to see Solomon’s on the shelf next year.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Saltoon said. “Aviv is making Solomon’s branded matzah and matzah meal in Israel and we will have a large range of products, including sippets, that are still made in Australia.”
JOSHUA LEVI
Picture: Ronnie Saltoon on the last day of local matzah production. Photo: Joshua Levi/AJN
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