Gourmet gelée from Ashburton wins in Paris

Gourmet gelée from Ashburton wins at prestigious Paris Food Awards

Ashburton company Wine Apsics has been honoured for the second time at the prestigious Sial D’or Food Awards in Paris for a recently launched product that combines cheese and wine gelée, in an entirely new taste.

Created by the owner of the business, Jennifer Shepperd, the ‘wine and cheese just add crackers’ gourmet product won 3rd prize in the chilled dairy products section of the 2006 Sial D’or Awards.

In 2004 Jennifer’s wine gelée also took a 3rd prize at the awards, just behind another high flying New Zealand product, 42 Below’s Manuka Honey Vodka, which won the category.

“The feedback is that the judges loved the product,” says Jennifer. “We are currently exploring export potential and this latest win will definitely give us a boost in potential markets like the United Kingdom.”

Wine Aspics was launched two and a half years ago marketing six different flavoured wine gelée’s based on a port wine jelly recipe belonging to Jennifer’s grandmother.

Jennifer has gone on experimenting in the kitchen and last year decided to try adding cheese into the gelée, creating her award winning product which, she says, has ‘amazed the food technologists I work with because of its taste and because it seems to get better as it ages’.

Wine Aspics entry in the 2006 Sial D’or Awards was one of 25 global finalists in the chilled dairy products section. The company’s products, made from New Zealand wines, are designed to be eaten with bread, cheese, meat and desserts.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has supported Wine Aspics during its rapid expansion and Client Manager, Lee Sincliar, says it is exciting to see the company breaking new frontiers.

“This is a young company with the passion and determination to grow and succeed. Jennifer has developed an excellent business model which includes having an Advisory Board to ensure the business stays on track and continues to expand.”

The Advisory Board is made up of a representative from Deloitte, Tim Fitzgerald from Enterprise Ashburton and an investor who has been matched with Wine Aspics thorugh NZTE’s Escalator programme, a capital raising vehicle for businesses and entrepreneurs.

Tim Fitzgerald says Jennifer’s win in Paris is an inspiration to other innovative businesses.

“This is an incredible result and should encourage others not only to believe in their products but also to make contact with their local economic development agency and NZTE to turn them into reality.

“This award will open up international markets to the Wine Aspic range of products and attract further capital to maximise the opportunities available.”

The 2006 Sial D’or Award winners will be showcased in Paris in October when the awards will be formally presented.

ENDS

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