Auckland companies taste success at NZ Food Awards

Auckland companies taste success at NZ Food Awards

Auckland food and beverage companies have tasted success at the 2015 New Zealand Food Awards, announced at a gala dinner held at the Auckland Town Hall last night.

The New Zealand Food Awards, in association with Massey University, recognise innovation and excellence by New Zealand’s largest export sector, and showcase the best of the best of New Zealand’s food industry.

Nine of the fifteen awards were won by companies based in the Auckland region:

• Blue Frog Breakfast Ltd - Convenience Award

• Dr Feelgood Limited – Indulgent Award

• The Pure Food Co. – Massey University Health & Wellness Award

• Ahi Ka Tonics – The FoodBowl Novel Ingredients Award

• Brink’s Chicken – AsureQuality Food Safety & Quality Award

• NZ Hothouse Ltd – MPI New Cultivars/Primary Producers Award

• Waiwera Global Ltd – Villa Maria Beverages Award

• Brink’s Chicken – Deli Award

• The Lovely Little Food Co. – Frozen Award

Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED), Auckland’s economic growth agency, supported the 2015 New Zealand Food Awards and a number of Auckland-based winners and finalists.

Support for winners and finalists has ranged from providing mentoring and training through to administering business capability and research and development funding, and exhibiting at trade shows.

Patrick McVeigh, ATEED General Manager Business, Innovation & Skills, says: “Two of the winning companies – Ahi Ka Tonics and Dr Feelgood Limited – exhibited at The Food Show in Auckland last month as part of ATEED’s ‘Auckland on the Menu’ pop-up exhibition space.”

“Another winner, The Pure Food Co, has used The FoodBowl – Te Ipu Kai – a joint venture involving ATEED and Callaghan Innovation – to develop and manufacture their products, while finalist Genevieve’s will be taking part in the Fine Food Australia trade show in Sydney this weekend, with support from ATEED.”

Patrick McVeigh says the success of Auckland companies at this year’s New Zealand Food Awards demonstrates the strength of the Auckland region’s food and beverage sector.

“Auckland’s food and beverage sector contributes around $3 billion a year to our local economy. As a sector, food and beverage is growing quickly and will be an important source of GDP growth for Auckland through domestic and overseas markets.

“Congratulations to all the Auckland companies that won awards or were finalists, all of which are great examples of the high quality products being produced in Auckland that will underpin this growth.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media