WINNERS, GRINNERS AT
2019 OUTSTANDING NZ
FOOD PRODUCER AWARDS
Foodies have a slew of topquality
products to wrap their
taste buds around—many new—
following the announcement of
the 2019 Outstanding NZ Food
Producer Awards medal winners.
Twenty food professionals
assessed more than 180 food
and drinks during judging at
AUT School of Hospitality &
Tourism. Following the judges’
assessment of taste and flavour,
producers were assessed for
their sustainability, brand story
and packaging and 129 medal
winners have been chosen.
Shoppers are able to identify the
winning products as they will
carry the gold, silver and bronze
medal stickers from the 2019
Outstanding NZ Food Producer
Awards—a guarantee of product
quality.
For the third year, well-known
New Zealand food writer and
champion for locally-grown and
made food products, Lauraine
Jacobs was head judge. She
said it was great to see the
innovative approach many
food producers had taken
using premium ingredients
predominantly grown and
harvested in New Zealand.
“The dairy category was strong
this year, a tribute to hardworking
farmers around the country
who produce quality cow,
sheep, goat and buffalo milk.
Drinks were also strong with the
category hotly contested with
a range of innovative products,
many of which were fermented.
Products specially created
for the increasing number of
special dietary requirements
were catered for in the new
‘Free From’ category and it
was great to see such a diverse
range of entries, the majority of
which were of excellent quality,”
Lauraine says.
“Medal winners deserve the
Outstanding NZ Food Producer
Award they have earned, and
consumers are well advised
to seek out the delicious and
exciting foods such as icecreams,
drinks and juices, honey,
pâtés, meats, pickles, bread
and so much more which will be
carrying 2019 medals.”
Flavour, aroma, texture,
appearance and innovation
account for 80% of the judging
mark, with the rest of marks
coming from brand story,
packaging and sustainable
business practice. Specialist
sustainability judge Emily King
of Spira Consulting noted that
this year the sustainability detail
provided with entries was higher
than previous years.
“Businesses are better at
explaining their story and
understanding what sustainability
means, which reflects the
trends we are seeing with food
and beverage. Well done to
our top entries for going above
and beyond standard business
practice.”
The organiser of the Outstanding
NZ Food Producer Awards,
Kathie Bartley, said it was
wonderful to see the breadth
and depth of entries which
came from throughout New
Zealand. Particularly pleasing
was the increase in the number
of entries from the South Island.
She also noted the new ‘Free
From’ category was popular with
producers, with many producers
developing new products
specifically to cater to a number
of specialist diets including
gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free and
vegan.
All Gold Medal winners are in
contention for the Outstanding
NZ Food Producer Awards
Supreme Champion, Category
Champion and Special Awards,
which will be announced next
month.
GOLD MEDAL
WINNERS
SUBDAIRY, GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
I Bellefield Butter Co, Miso Cultured Butter
I Charlies Gelato, Strawberry Gelato
I Lewis Road Creamery, Gold Top Organic
Non-Homogenised Jersey Milk
I Meyer Cheese, Smoked Gouda
I The Drunken Nanny, Lemony Lush
I The Drunken Nanny, Black Tie
I The Drunken Nanny, Dill Lush
I Whitestone Cheese Company, Ferry Road
Halloumi
I Whitestone Cheese Company, Vintage Five
Forks
I Whitestone Cheese Company, Vintage
Windsor Blue
I Wooden Boutique Freezery, Blackcurrant
Crunch Ice Cream
DRINK, (part of the EARTH category)
GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
I Chia Sisters Bottled by the Sun, Nelson
Apple & Boysenberry Juice
I Chia Sisters Bottled by the Sun, New
Zealand Feijoa & Apple Juice
EARTH, GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
I Augustine’s of Central, Preserved Sundrop
Apricots in a Riesling Syrup
I Barker’s of Geraldine, Fruit for Cheese,
Feijoa and Pear
I Chia Sisters Bottled by the Sun, New
Zealand Feijoa & Apple Juice
I Greytown Honey, Kamahi Honey
I Greytown Honey, Manuka Honey (200+
MGO)
I Greytown Honey, Manuka Honey (400+
MGO)
I Harraways HARR-OS Oat Bites Indian Spice
I Kauri Kitchen, Cranberry & Walnut Loaf
I Kiwi Quinoa, Quinoa
I Manaaki Kamokamo Pickle
I Mamia’s, NZ Made Traditional Ethiopian
Relish Cooking Sauce
I Nut Brothers Super Crunch Peanut Butter
I Pinoli, Mediterranean Pine Nuts
I Roebuck Farm, Leaves + Shoots
I Sweetree, Marokopa Spring Honey
I The Clareville Bakery, The Clareville Crackers
I The Yummy Fruit Company, SweeTango
Apples
I Thoroughbread, Paleo Gold
I Thoroughbread, Paleo Fruit Loaf
PADDOCK, GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
I A Lady Butcher, Free Range Coppa
I BavariaNZ Fennel Delight
I Kiwi Bacon Maple Middle Bacon
I L’Authentique, Chicken Liver Parfait with
Shiraz Jelly
I Pastrami & Rye, Pastrami
I Provenance Meat, Provenance Lamb
WATER, GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
I East Rock, Gisborne Tarakihi
I Genevieve’s, Original Scallop Mousse
NEWS
For a full list of winners go to: https://outstandingfoodproducer.nz/2019-medals/
16 APRIL 2019
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