The World Plant-Based Awards are a celebration of innovation and excellence across every category of the global
plant-based industry.
And Kabocha Milk – from New Zealand, made in the Hawke’s Bay has won the Global award for “Best Plant Based Beverage”.
The judging panel considered 110 entries from 20 countries. and was announced during a special awards ceremony at the
World Plant Food Conference on December 9 in New York City.
Kabocha Milk is a collaboration between veteran Hawke's Bay buttercup squash grower Shane Newman and Japanese celebrity
chef Sachie Nomura, who was previously involved in an avocado milk formulated in New Zealand. Kabocha (Japanese word for
pumpkin) is revered in Japan and Korea for its health and wellness properties and is considered a staple of Asian
cuisine. Kabocha Milk is an innovative fully vegan-certified plant milk, rich in vitamin A, carotene, fibre, minerals
and vitamins and has no artificial flavours, preservatives or colourings.
The new venture taps into Newman's existing distribution and retail connections in Asian markets through the 40-year-old
family squash business, representing a true ‘farm-to-bottle’ experience for the consumer. The product is already stocked
in two high-end Japanese retail store chains with plans to reach over 5000 stores across Japan, Korea and China in the
next couple of years.
Kabocha milk is able to derive greater value for farmers, utilising crops that may not meet export grade due to cosmetic
blemishes, and solves the issue of NZ Kabocha only having a short window on shelf during the year, meaning the NZ Inc.
story can be promoted throughout the year for customers.
Kabocha Milk was supported by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund.