FOUND - NZ's best new food businesses

MEDIA RELEASE

10 February 2017

FOUND – NZ’s best new food businesses

Home-grown oyster sauce. Artisan ginger beer. Fermented fruit flour. Meat from a regenerative farm. Could they be a taste of things to come in New Zealand food?

These are the winners of the Good Food Boost competition, announced today.

The competition seeks out the very best in fledgling ‘good’ food businesses. The winners get expert help and mentoring from the nation’s top foodies.

This year the mentoring team includes:

• Michael Van de Elzen - celebrity chef

• Kim Evans - founder of premium café and bakery Little & Friday

• Martin Yeoman - communications guru of Assignment

• Paul Johnston - Life Health Foods.

Michael Van de Elzen says: “There are some great businesses here that hopefully will be able to go to the next level. I'm excited. Kiwi ingenuity applied to food can be a world beating combination.”

The winners are:

• Green Spot Technologies: high nutrient flour made from fermented fruit and vegetable pulp (that would otherwise go to waste)

• Hakanoa Handmade Drinks: artisan ginger beers and syrups made from classic recipes

• Judge Bao: oyster and hoisin sauces made from natural New Zealand ingredients

• Mangarara: The Family Farm: meat packs from a regenerative agriculture farm in Hawkes Bay

They will also take their wares to the FoodBowl food innovation facility in Mangere. There they will be able to test out new production and packaging ideas.

The competition is run by the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED).

Emily King, SBN Project Lead, said: “For us ‘good’ food is local, seasonal, healthy, tasty, culturally connected or organic. These businesses tick all the boxes. The fresh ideas coming from niche markets like these are important in helping New Zealand develop high value goods both at home and abroad. Look out for them.”

The Good Food Boost was judged by:

• Angus Brown, Business Development Manager at New Zealand Food Innovation Network

• Connie Clarkson, Manager Commercial Place Operations at Panuku Development Auckland

• Emily King, Restorative Food Project Lead at Sustainable Business Network

• Wendy Voegelin, Growth Programme Specialist at Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development

-ends-

The Good Food Boost is part of the Good Food Nation Project of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN).

This brings businesses and community organisations together to solve the social and environmental challenges around our food. These include processed food, food insecurity, diabetes, food waste, soil depletion, and more.

We aim to create a future in which every meal created in New Zealand features healthy ingredients produced to high environmental standards.

What we mean by ‘good food’

Good food should be grown, made, bought, sold and eaten in ways that strengthen our food systems.

Good Food:

• Is legal, safe, healthy and nutritious

• Contributes to local economies

• Reduces ‘waste’ and inefficiencies

• Protects water, soil and biodiversity

• Is transparent about where it comes from and how it is grown and cared for

• Recognises and enhances cultural diets and food practices

About the Sustainable Business Network

The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) provides advice and support to help business succeed through becoming more sustainable. It is the largest and longest-standing organisation of businesses dedicated to sustainability in New Zealand. The SBN actively helps our network of progressive companies to connect, be inspired and act.

www.sustainable.org.nz

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About Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) is the economic growth agency for the Auckland region. ATEED supports artisan, boutique and established food producers at the Auckland Food Show and provides free business advice and support for food producers from early start-up right through to market access, both domestically and internationally. This includes innovation and connections with the Food Innovation Network through The FoodBowl – Te Ipu Kai.

www.aucklandnz.com/business

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