23 September 2021
An organisational culture that encourages employees to act like owners of the business and celebrate ‘everyday moments
of goodness’ has been recognised with the country’s top workplace diversity award.
George Weston Foods, the company that makes much of the bread eaten in New Zealand, including the Tip Top Bakery brand,
took out the Supreme Award at the 2021 Diversity Awards NZ™.
The award comes after a busy period for the business, which has to keep safely baking and supplying fresh bread to
supermarkets throughout Alert Level 3 and 4 lockdowns.
George Weston Foods, which was also the Inclusive Workplace Award Medium-Large Organisation Winner, strives to foster
inclusive teams through education and initiatives and by promoting its values: safe, courageous, trusting and
collaborative.
Diversity Works New Zealand Chief Executive Maretha Smit says, “This is an organisation where being human and being real
is the lived reality across the whole team.
“It is a place with a fantastic diversity and inclusion strategy that does not remain on paper – they have a multitude
of inclusion champions driving that strategy and the energy of the organisation is welcoming to all.”
‘Everyday Moments of Goodness’ isn’t just a slogan for George Weston Foods, it’s a purpose that’s brought to life
through its values and the way team members are encouraged to act each day, Smit says.
“It’s significant that we are presenting this award in a time when we are living with Covid-19 restrictions. The George
Weston team are essential workers who, every day, have put themselves at risk to ensure our supermarkets are stocked and
our families fed. Having an inclusive culture is key to an organisation being able to thrive through challenging times.”
The company has also made a commitment to creating everyday moments of goodness in the community through a volunteering
programme and partnerships with organisations such as KidsCan, which see more than 100,000 loaves of bread provided to
schools each year.
The Diversity Awards NZ™ offer organisations an opportunity to showcase a variety of innovative people initiatives and
publicly commit to being held accountable for tangible progress in building work environments where everybody is safe to
bring the best version of themselves.
The 2021 winners were announced today in the first ever digital-only awards presentation in the programme’s 24-year
history.
“We wanted to celebrate the incredible commitment our finalists and winners have made to creating cultures of inclusion
and more equitable workplaces across Aotearoa New Zealand while following the Covid restrictions in place across the
country,” Smit says.
Here is a full list of winners:Supreme Award
Winner: George Weston FoodsLeadership Award
Medium-Large Organisation Winner –New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Medium-Large Organisation Highly Commended – Downer New ZealandDiverse Talent Award
Small-Medium Organisation Winner – Hutt Gas and Plumbing
Medium-Large Organisation Winner – Ministry of Social Development
Medium-Large Organisation Highly Commended – Warren and MahoneyInclusive Workplace Award
Medium-Large Organisation Winner – George Weston Foods
Medium-Large Organisation Highly Commended – New Zealand SteelMātauranga Māori Award
Small-Medium Organisation Winner – Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatū Tararua Highway Alliance
Medium-Large Organisation Winner – Manatū mo te Taiao Ministry for the Environment
Medium-Large Organisation Highly Commended – Dempsey Wood Civil LimitedImpact Award
Winner: Will