Snowflake Ice Cream Features in National Awards

Jan Darley of Snowflake accepts the awards in Auckland

West Coast Snowflake has scooped 10 prestigious awards at the 11th New Zealand Ice Cream Awards, announced in Auckland last week.

The recently released super premium brand earned three gold medals with the Lemon Sorbet, Cafe Latte and Dark Plum flavours. The super premium brand is an exclusive hospitality product.

Seven silver medals came Snowflake's way, two in the super premium category with vanilla bean and mango and five in the standard range with vanilla, chocolate, hokey pokey, rum and raisin and cookies and cream.

The first national ice-cream awards were in 1997 and were established with the specific objective of raising standards and promoting the quality of New Zealand ice-cream.

A record number of entries (187 ice creams plus 29 entries for packaging) were submitted this year by 24 manufacturers – from the global manufacturer to smaller local owner operators.

General Manager Jan Darley was on hand to accept the awards which were contested against some of the countries ice-cream giants, including, Tip-Top, Rush Monroes, Kapiti Fine Foods, Emerald Foods, New Zealand Natural, Deep South Ltd, Chateau, and Movenpick. Kapiti Fine Foods won the supreme award with their lemon grass and ginger ice cream.

"To win three gold medals is a great achievement", said Ms Darley "and the recognition reflects the quality of our products. We are up there with the best in the industry".

"The awards also provide a benchmark for the industry and it gives us confidence knowing we are doing things right and positioning our product in the right markets."

Ms Darley said the judges remarks will be sent back to all competitors and this will further enable the team to critically review product development. "Naturally we are striving for excellence." "The small Snowflake team led by ice-cream maker Warren Barlow and assisted by Shelley White and Kathleen Shepherd have worked hard to ensure these great results," said Ms Darley.

There were nine ice-cream categories including the kid's choice which was judged by children from two Auckland Primary Schools and won by Chateau with 'pot of gold'.

ENDS