New Zealand Food Awards Finalists Revealed

New Zealand Food Awards Finalists Revealed

Celebrating 30 years of food innovation

The finalists have been announced for the prestigious New Zealand Food Awards 2017, recognising Kiwi companies for their outstanding innovations in New Zealand’s food and beverage industry.

Now in its 30th year, the awards, powered by Massey University, celebrate the creative innovations from New Zealand’s artisanal and large-scale food and beverage manufacturers.

Finalists have submitted their finest products in the hopes of taking out one of the top awards, including the Artisan Food Producer Award, BITE Gourmet Award, Export Innovation Awards and the coveted Massey University Supreme Award.

The high-calibre finalist line-up includes a diverse range of food and beverage producers from across New Zealand.

Massey University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says she is proud of the role that the New Zealand Food Awards have played in recognising and promoting innovation and excellence in food and beverage production and manufacturing over the past 30 years.

“The New Zealand Food Awards take great pride in celebrating New Zealand’s progressive food and beverage industry and every year we are impressed by the calibre of the finalists,” Professor Thomas says. “The awards provide local producers with the opportunity to elevate their business on a global scale.”

The New Zealand Food Awards is excited to welcome back their expert judging panel, including Bite magazine’s Ray McVinnie, chef Geoff Scott, as well as World Kitchen television host and chef Nici Wickes. For the first time, New Zealand’s first certified cicerone (beer expert), Josh Scott, joined the judging panel.

Mr McVinnie says he is “absolutely blown-away” at the calibre of this year’s finalists. “I have had some major ‘wow’ moments throughout the judging process and it was fantastic to see modern technology used to produce food that is completely natural and fresh.”

Mr Scott shared the same sentiment, saying, “The finalists are inventive, original, resourceful and clear food and beverage industry leaders in New Zealand. There is an immense variety across all the catego-ries and it is really fascinating because you get to see innovative ideas and fantastic produce from all parts of New Zealand.”

Ms Wickes says, “We have such a vast array of fantastic ingredients and products available to us now and the NZ Food Awards do an exceptional job of highlighting those. Every year I get a steer on what is going to become more fashionable, what is popular, and what is next on the horizon!”

Winning products are eligible to use the New Zealand Food Awards “Quality Mark”, which highlights the superiority of products to both consumers and industry, and can help boost sales and distribution do-mestically and internationally.

The New Zealand Food Awards winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner at Sky City Convention Cen-tre, emceed by broadcaster Kerry McIvor on October 12. For more information, please vis-it www.foodawards.co.nz.

The New Zealand Food Awards is made possible thanks to Massey University and the family of strategic and supporting partners – Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development, Countdown, FoodHQ, The FoodBowl, The New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology, Ministry for Primary Indus-tries, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, NZME, Review Publishing, XPO Exhibitions, RangeMe, Brother Design, Palmerston North City Council and Villa Maria.

New Zealand Food Awards 2017 List of Finalists:

Artisan Food Producers Award in association with Supermarket News and Restaurant & Café Magazine
Abel New Zealand Ltd

Bakeworks Ltd

Bootleggers

Dr Feelgood Ltd

Durello - Traditional Brazillian Foods

Food to Market Ltd

Fresh West Ltd

Gathered Game

Green Meadows Beef Ltd

Hawke's Bay Brewing Company

Kiwi Kai

MANUKEE

Maungatapere Berries Limited

No Shortcuts Ltd

Carello del Gelato

Nutting Better Ltd

Otago Locusts

Queen Anne Indulgence Ltd

The Caker Ltd

The Lucky Taco

Wooden Spoon Boutique Freezery

Woodshed Enterprises
Artisan Craft Beer Award in association with Supermarket News and Count-down
Behemoth Brewing Company

Quench Collective

The Croucher Brewing Company
BITE Gourmet Award
Hakanoa Handmade Drinks Ltd

No Shortcuts Ltd

Over the Moon Dairy Company

Poppy & Olive Ltd

Six Barrel Soda Co.

Viavio

ViBERi NZ Limited

Wild Fennel Co.
Countdown Alcoholic Beverages Award
8 Wired Brewing (Quench Collective)

DB Breweries

Emerson's Brewing Company

Epic Brewing Company

Independent Liquor NZ Ltd

Moa Brewing Company
Non-Alcoholic Beverages Award in association with Villa Maria
Barker's of Geraldine

Fresco Nutrition Ltd

Spring Sheep Milk Co

Dry Award in association with Palmerston North City Council

Barker's of Geraldine

Proper Crisps

Pure Delish Ltd

The Lovely Little Food Co
Chilled/Short Shelf Life Award in association with Eagle Consumables
Cabernet Foods Ltd

Fresh to Go Ltd

The Collective
Frozen Award in association with FoodHQ
Leader Products

The Lovely Little Food Co
James & Wells Business Innovation Award

Cabernet Foods Ltd

Clareville Bakery Ltd

Frenz The Free Range Egg & Poultry Co. Ltd

Fresco Nutrition Ltd

Original Foods Baking Co.

The Caker Ltd
The FoodBowl Novel Food or Beverage Award

Barker's of Geraldine

Blue Frog Breakfast

Cocavo Limited

Otago Locusts

Spring Sheep Milk Co

The Caker Ltd

ViBERi NZ Limited
Massey University Health and Wellness Award

Springbrook Foods

Zamati Technology Ltd
MPI Food Safety Culture Award

Cocavo Limited

Maungatapere Berries Limited

The Pure Food Co
MPI Primary Sector Products Award

Fresh West Ltd

Maungatapere Berries Limited

Otago Locusts

T&G Global Limited
NZTE Export Innovation Award

Constellation Brands New Zealand

MANUKEE

Spring Sheep Milk Co

ENDS

About the New Zealand Food Awards:

Owned and organised by Massey University, the New Zealand Food Awards recognise innovation and excellence by our largest export sector. The annual programme, which has been running since 1987, cel-ebrates new initiatives in New Zealand food and beverage production, showcasing the best of New Zea-land’s food industry.

The New Zealand Food Awards are open to food, beverage and ingredient products, with specific cate-gories for small manufacturers and large manufacturers. Special award categories are open for primary food producers, food service providers and ingredient supply companies. Products entered must be made in New Zealand.

Previous winners of note include Coastal Spring Lamb, Magills Butchery Ltd, Sealord Group, J. Friend & Co., Pure Delish and the Tasman Bay Food Group.

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