Calling all early-stage food businesses serving up something healthy, fresh and sustainable from the Wellington region!

You have just one week left to enter the Good Food Boost! You could win free mentoring from top experts!

Would you like to get taste tips from top local chef Kelda Hains of Rita and formerly Nikau? Or discuss business smarts with Richard Shirtcliffe who has helped drive the success of Coffee Supreme and Tuatara Brewery? And there's more!

Four winning businesses will receive an eight week programme including four exclusive mentoring sessions. They will take part in a strategy session with the NZ Food Innovation Network's FOODBOWL or FOODPILOT project. And they will get a one-on-one business development session with the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA).

It's the perfect platform to make your food business fly. And it's all free to the Good Food Boost winners.

Mentors include:
• Kelda Hains, co-owner of Rita and co-founder of Nikau café
• Matt West from design company EightyOne
• Teva Stewart from CommonSense Organics
• Richard Shirtcliffe formerly of Coffee Supreme and Tuatara Brewery
Judging the competition will be:
• Beth Brash from Visa Wellington on a Plate
• Jo Madden from the NZ Food Innovation Network
• Amy Bird Community Resilience Advisor from WCC
• Matt Morrison from All Good Organics and Karma Cola
Entries will be assessed on a range of criteria, from taste to traceability.

We believe good food should:
• Be legal, safe, healthy and nutritious
• Contribute to local economies
• Reduce 'waste' and inefficiencies
• Protect water, soil and biodiversity
• Be transparent about where it comes from and how it is grown and cared for
• Recognise and enhance cultural diets and food practices
So if you have an early stage food business in the Greater Wellington Region that hits one or more of those criteria, enter here now!

Entries close at 5pm on 21 August!

The Good Food Boost is brought to you by Wellington City Council and the Sustainable Business Network.

Previous winners have expressed how much the programme boosted their business:

Rebecca Stewart from Pomegranate Kitchen said: “The mentors brought great industry knowledge and really helped us in our thinking. The networks we have made and relationships built have been invaluable.”

Baker Gramercy said: “The Good Food Boost provided a great platform to link in with other like-minded individuals facing similar issues in growing their businesses. Drawing on the experiences and knowledge of mentors allowed me to develop strategy and build structure throughout our business. It provided the time and resource to focus on strategy, something we all found beneficial.”

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