Later in 1865 he moved to a bakery on Hunter Street, Newcastle, providing bread, pies and biscuits for the townspeople and the ships docking at the local port.

The company conducted a massive recall and publicity campaign, publishing the extortionist's threats and demands in full-page newspaper ads.

[13] The recall cost the company A$22 million, but Arnott's was praised for its openness and honesty in dealing with the crisis.

[21][22] Just weeks after the sale, Arnott's was in a public dispute with Woolworths Supermarkets, which reportedly wanted to charge higher prices for marketing displays.

[24] In December 2020, Arnott's announced it would acquire the cereal and snack company Freedom Foods Group for A$20 million.

[29] The original Arnott's logo depicted a multi-coloured parrot sitting atop a T-shaped perch, eating a cracker biscuit.

During a radio interview on ABC, William Arnott's great-great-great-grandson stated that the logo represents the proverb "Honesty is the best policy" where the phrase was constructed from "On his T, is the best pol' (polly) I see".