MARK AND KATE BUNNY
(LOOPLINE OLIVES)
A medium-sized Wairarapa grove of approximately 900 trees has won the Bunnys
many awards, but none as good as the 2018 Best in Show at the Olives NZ Awards
for the third time since 2014. Not only that, the Bunnys also received two best in class
and a reserve best in show, with the judging panel saying the Loopline Picholene had
“delicious aromas of green herbs and salad leaves on the nose, rocket leaves and
artichoke on the palate, a clean and light mouthfeel with excellent flavour transfer.” The
Bunnys say they are thankful they switched from growing grass to mowing grass. “We
embrace appropriate technology, like a tree-shaker harvester, and olives are pressed
locally the day they are picked for maximum freshness and quality,” they say. www.
looplineolives.co.nz
SARAH KENNEDY
(LIFESTREAM)
As chief executive of Lifestream International and
Calocurb, Kennedy is a results-driven leader who has
grown companies through innovation and strategic
acquisitions. The Auckland University graduate has
worked in the past for Designer Textiles International,
Fonterra, Vitaco and Healtheries, and has extensive
operating and management experience, including
integrating two successful companies to form Vitaco,
a market-leading health and wellbeing company with
turnover of $185million. Kennedy moved to China in
2011 to drive the $1.8b investment to develop milk pools
for Fonterra. She won the New Zealand International
Business award for inspiring women leader for 2018.
www.lifestream.co.nz
DR MAREN
WELLENREUTHER
(PLANT & FOOD RESEARCH)
Young senior scientist Wellenreuther has won
a significant award for her endeavours to
develop new genomics technologies to breed
native marine species in captivity. Based at
the Nelson Research Centre, she won the
2018 Hamilton Award - the Royal Society Te
Apārangi Early Career Research Excellence
Award for Science. Wellenreuther completed
her Bachelor and Master’s degrees in her
home country of Germany, but journeyed to
the University of Auckland to gain her PhD.
Prior to joining Plant & Food Research in
2014, she was a postdoctoral researcher
and academic at Lund University in Sweden.
Wellenreuther is the lead researcher on a
MBIE-funded project that is investigating the
use of genomic technologies in the selective
breeding of native fish, primarily snapper and
trevally. www.plantandfood.co.nz
WICK NIXON
(WICKED WELLBEING)
Nixon grew up on a farm in
southern Hawke’s Bay, and
quickly became known as the
local foodie. As a youngster
she baked for her neighbours
and for local events. Her
working day now has strong
resemblances to farm life –
she starts her day at 5.30am
before setting herself up for
work as a food blogger and
internationally-recognised
author of 21 Day Marvellous
Lunchbox Makeover, which
won the ‘Oscars of the book
awards’ the Gourmand
Book Awards. She conducts
workshops for clients, opening
their eyes to healthy and
appetising meals and shows
how simple it can be.
www.wickedwellbeing.com
/www.lifestream.co.nz
/www.plantandfood.co.nz
/www.wickedwellbeing.com
