The story
During the Great Depression, Australian industrial chemist Thomas Mayne, working for Nestlé, set out to make a balanced food drink that would help children get enough nourishment. His mix of malt extract, milk powder, cocoa, sugar, vitamins and minerals was launched at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 1934 and went into production soon after at Nestlé's milk factory in Smithtown, on the Macleay River in New South Wales, where it is still made today. Mayne named it after Milo of Croton, a wrestler of ancient Greece famed for his strength. Milo is now hugely popular across Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Rival claims
It was launched at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 1934 (about 350 km south), but first produced at Nestlé's Smithtown factory.
Also known as Milo drink.
On the Meridish menu
Milo was the aperitif course on menu No. 19 on October 19, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
A chocolate-malt powder developed during the Great Depression and first made at a riverside dairy factory here. It's named after an ancient Greek wrestler.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_(drink)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithtown,_New_South_Wales
- investregional.nsw.gov.au/success-story/nestle
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
