Marlborough’s Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts has been recognised for its flavour-filled nuts and its dangerous journey to develop into the Southern Hemisphere’s solely pine nut producer – being named Supreme Champion on the Excellent NZ Meals Producer Awards 2023.
Investing within the Mediterranean pine (Pinus pinea) is an extended recreation; its first crop is barely harvestable after eight to 10 years, so it was a leap of religion for Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts founders Andy and Barb Wiltshire and basic supervisor, Lee Paterson.
Andy Wiltshire mentioned failure was by no means an choice, and for the reason that first planting in 1998, the corporate has planted 500,000 timber on 540 hectares in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. Pinoli pine nuts are offered to meals lovers all through New Zealand and Australia and lately started exporting to Europe.
Head Choose Lauraine Jacobs mentioned; “the judges had been excited by the recent style of those top quality nuts and unanimous of their approval for these candy little orbs of excellent style. This excellent product entails intensive work and is a effective instance of cautious monitoring all through rising, harvesting, processing and packaging to deliver a persistently good product to market. Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts are a superb native meals that soar above any comparable import.”
Along with being named Supreme Champion 2023, Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts was named Farro Earth Champion. The judges’ suggestions was excellent; “Glorious, superb flavour and aroma and a pleasant little sweetness on the finish. An superior product all spherical. The favorite product we tasted all day!”
Reflecting on all 2023 Champions, Lauraine Jacobs famous; “It was additionally very satisfying to witness the excessive degree of reward for domestically produced meat. By far the biggest group of Gold Medal winners was within the Paddock class and it was virtually an not possible process for the staff to separate so many excellent meats to call the Champion of this class, Moreish Natural Butchery. The power of this discipline is an affirmation of the effective work our Kiwi farmers are doing.”
Emerson’s Paddock Champion Moreish Natural Butchery acquired the accolade for its Natural Scotch Fillet and Pure Natural Beef Burger Patties; each of which acquired Gold Medals.
One in every of a handful of returning winners, this yr’s Seafood New Zealand Champion is Tora Collective Crayfish. On the tasting evaluation the judges famous the looks of Tora Collective’s wild-caught crayfish was pretty much as good as its flavour; “Fantastically candy flesh.”
When industrial fisher Troy Bramley and his companion, marketer Claire Edwards realised the perfect kaimoana left our shores they established Tora Collective. They fish sustainability off the southern Wairarapa coast to provide ‘kaimoana recent as, straight from the ocean’.
This yr the Awards noticed the return of multi-year winner; Whitestone Cheese Co. Whitestone Oamaru Blue, which was named 2023 Dairy Champion. The long-lasting North Otago cheesemaker Whitestone was awarded Dairy Champion within the inaugural 2017 Excellent NZ Meals Producer Awards, named NZ Life & Leisure Spirit of New Zealand winner and Coast Individuals’s Alternative Excellent NZ Meals Producer in 2019 and has amassed 27 medals over seven years. At this yr’s tasting, judges struggled to put aside the Whitestone Oamaru Blue saying “Scrumptious, nice blue cheese. True flavour, effectively balanced with buttery unctuous texture!”
Pete’s Pure Currant Crush was given the accolade of Label & Litho Drink Champion with the judges saying, “Candy blackcurrant and balanced acidity. Nice color, hop notes refined. A really pleasant drink!”. Tasman juicers Pete and Marleen Suy put sustainability on the coronary heart of their enterprise, utilizing 30 to 50% much less sugar, recent spray-free fruit, endeavor manufacturing in a solar-powered Motueka manufacturing unit, utilizing paper labels and recycled glass bottles.
One other returning Champion is Auckland boutique gelato maker; Little ‘Lato acquired the inaugural Free-From Champion for Little ‘Lato Mango Lassi in 2021 and acquired the Award once more in 2023. This yr’s award was acquired together with two Gold Medals, a Silver Medal and a Bronze Medal with the judges raving in regards to the Mango Lassi saying “Yum we find it irresistible, blown away! Stunning mango flavour. Nice steadiness, not too candy. Fab texture. Nailed it!”
Raglan Meals Co can also be a returning Champion and had been awarded the Marvellous Advertising Excellent Sustainability Award; the second time they’ve acquired this accolade. Sustainability judges Emily King and Fiona Stephenson mentioned “Raglan Meals Co continues to boost the bar. It’s a pacesetter in its sector and a shining mild for others to comply with. What stands out is its steady innovation and dedication to group.
Sustainability has been built-in into the way in which the enterprise operates from the beginning. It’s licensed as a B Corp and Toitū Local weather Constructive. Significantly spectacular are its social initiatives, which embrace a workers revenue share programme, workers well being and wellbeing fund, and a area people fund. Raglan Meals Co has an ongoing give attention to innovation, which incorporates merchandise in addition to different initiatives, corresponding to wastewater therapy. It’s a really spectacular firm that began small with natural coconut yoghurt, and is now remodeling the dairy-free sector.”
FMCG Enterprise New Product Champion
The FMCG Enterprise New Product Champion is awards newcomer, Large Glory Bay, Contemporary New Zealand King Salmon Parts. Sanford-owned, Rakiura/Stewart Island salmon farm Large Glory Bay is among the world’s most distant aquaculture farms. The cool water temperature means progress of its Large Glory Bay New Zealand King Salmon is gradual, giving it time to develop a wealthy, distinctive flavour. The judges famous the salmon was “Very clear, with candy flavour and effective texture and scrumptious.”
Augustines of Central, Blackcurrants in Cassis is Marvellous Advertising Excellent New Product – Boutique. No stranger to the winner’s podium, they had been Farro Earth Champion in 2021 for Augustine’s of Central Black Doris Plums in Pinot Noir Syrup. Owned by Dunedin chef Gus Hayden, Augustines of Central revives the age-old artwork of preserving, by giving Central Otago’s summer season bounty a contemporary twist. Of this yr’s Blackcurrants in Cassis, the judges mentioned ‘Superb flavour.’
Premium Sport acquired the NZ Life & Leisure Spirit of New Zealand Award – an accolade recognising the spirit of innovation required by pioneering producers. Presenting this particular award, NZ Life & Leisure Editorial Director Kate Coughlan mentioned Premium Sport was a fantastic instance of a sustainable enterprise.
“We had been struck by the corporate’s modern strategy to enterprise: it utilises wild recreation as high quality meals. These pest populations corresponding to rabbit, venison, wild pork and tahr are launched species they usually pose a fantastic hazard to our fragile ecosystems. Premium Sport works with expert hunters and butchers to organize the meat for the market, and in a sustainable manner that enables customers to be ok with having fun with meat and in so doing assist management pests. Everyone wins, and most significantly, the setting.”
This yr’s Rising Enterprise Champion, Hyperlinks High quality Meats, hails from Dunedin. Because the butchery in Dunedin’s CBD opened final yr, it has developed a status with locals for high quality cuts and for its sausages of which they rotate 50 recipes which they make instore. Judges tasted Hyperlinks Organwurst and Tube Burger sausages, awarding each Gold Medals. Of the Organwurst Sausage the judges mentioned “Progressive and distinctive. ‘Completely seasoned. Everybody would have a crack at this sausage, pleasant. Nice grind. Judges embracing this product.’
The ultimate two awards had been chosen by common public vote; Coast Kiwis’ Favorite Meals Producer was Lindsay Farm Dairy. The Hawke’s Bay licensed BioGro natural farm promote all of their milk on to customers who confirmed their appreciation by voting them primary. Additionally they received a Silver Medal for his or her A2 Natural Pasteurised Milk. For the primary time the Kiwis’ Favorite Farmers’ Market was awarded to joint winners; Clevedon Village Farmers’ Market and Otago Farmers Market.
2023 marks the seventh yr of the Excellent NZ Meals Producer Awards. Judging was held at Homeland in late February, the place judges tasted and assessed greater than 290 domestically harvested, grown and made foods and drinks merchandise. Of the meals 206 had been recognised with medals of which 98 had been Gold; 60 had been Silver and an extra 48 had been Bronze.
Look out for profitable merchandise sporting Champion, Gold, Silver and Bronze Excellent NZ Meals Producer Awards medals – a promise of produce made in New Zealand, which tastes excellent!
2023 OUSTANDING NZ FOOD PRODUCER AWARDS CHAMPIONS & AWARD WINNERS
Supreme Champion and Farro Earth Champion
o Pinoli Premium Pine Nuts
Class Champions
o Seafood New Zealand Water Champion; Tora Collective Crayfish
o Emerson’s Paddock Champion: Moreish Natural Scotch Fillet and Moreish Pure Natural Beef Burger Patties
o Dairy Champion; Whitestone Oamaru Blue
o Label & Litho Drink Champion; Pete’s Pure Currant Crush
o Free-From Champion; Little ‘Lato Mango Lassi
Particular Awards
o New Zealand Life & Leisure, Spirit of New Zealand; Premium Sport
o Marvellous Advertising Excellent Sustainability Award; Raglan Meals Co
o Marvellous Advertising Rising Enterprise; Hyperlinks High quality Meats
o FMCG Enterprise Excellent New Product; Large Glory Bay, Contemporary New Zealand King Salmon Parts
o Marvellous Advertising Excellent New Product – Boutique; Augustines of Central, Blackcurrants in Cassis
Coast Kiwis’ Favourites (Public Vote)
o Kiwis’ Favorite Meals Producer; Lindsay Farm Dairy
o Kiwis’ Favorite Farmers’ Market; Joint Winners; Clevedon Village Farmers’ Market & Otago Farmers Market
For extra data go to www.outstandingfoodproducer.co.nz
