ICECREAM
STARTUP SIGNS
CHINESE GIANT
Fresh off exhibiting at China’s
biggest ice cream trade show in
October – where it was the only
coconut ice cream company
present – WaHiki has clinched
the deal with Cathay Future, which will
see its brand featured at the leading-edge
educational facility headquartered in Tianjin
and an international leader in education
enrichment for more than 20 years.
WaHiki chief executive Haman Shahpari
says the product has enjoyed a huge
reception from the Chinese market, which
he says offers immense opportunities for
growth in China’s “untapped potential for
healthy food alternatives.
"The Chinese market is extremely astute
and keen on innovative, healthy food
alternatives that address the major health
questions of our era such as dairy, sugar
and calorie intake,” he says. “The Chinese
are a progressive market when it comes
to food and are active and enthusiastic
about providing their population with
better-for-you products such as our
low-sugar, low-calorie, vegan, dairy free,
gluten-free ice cream.
"We have essentially eliminated all the risk
factors out of ice cream while retaining
its traditional characteristics such as
creaminess, texture and taste: all the
things that make it the single biggest
universally loved frozen dessert.” Shahpari
says the deal marks the beginning of a
long-term, strategic relationship with the
global economic power. “The Chinese
have shown no hesitation in hearing about
the health and benefits of our products
and have demonstrated that they are actively
looking for ongoing innovation and
product development which delivers in the
better-for-you markets.
"We are currently working on other channels
as well, continuing to re-innovate and
reformulate to produce ice cream that
isn’t just delicious but market leading for
its health and wellness offerings.”
WaHiki Creamery ice cream is the only
brand to be certified gluten free by Coeliac
New Zealand. It also produces New
Zealand’s only dairy-free, vegan matcha
flavour, and released the world’s first turmeric
latte flavour in March 2018. It is the
only ice cream brand to include turmeric,
black pepper, ginger and cinnamon - all
superfoods.
“This is the only the beginning for us – we
are taking ice cream where no one else
has before and will be putting out even
more flavours previously unheard of,”
Shahpari says.
www.wahiki.co.nz
"We have
essentially
eliminated
all the risk
factors out of
ice cream while
retaining its
traditional
characteristics
such as
creaminess,
texture and
taste: all the
things that
make it the
single biggest
universally
loved frozen
dessert.”
Mix icecream with 20,000 children and what do you get? A
nice international commercial contract between innovative
Kiwi startup WaHiki Creamery and happy children at Asia’s
largest childcare centre.
INNOVATION
Depth, MF, UF and RO Filters QA, R&D Laboratory Filters Ultrapure Water Systems
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