THE CHANGING DIETARY NEEDS
OF THE KIWI FOOD CONSUMER
Keto, Paleo, sugar-free, meat-free,
dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free,
hemp… all words that a decade
ago were hardly even on the food
manufacturer’s radar.
Today – they are opportunity.
The Kiwi of yesteryear may not
in fact even recognise today’s
New Zealand food landscape.
A global ‘meat retreat’ has seen
alternatives solutions open up
entirely new market categories in,
well, meat-free meat as well as a
host of other categories that can
no longer be termed fads – they are
here to stay.
And although we are definitely
still a meat and dairy nation as a
majority, the rise of other consumer
categories cannot be ignored as
they all continue to ‘trend up’.
Pak ‘n Save’s recent announcement
that they are to soon screen a Ketobased
television commercial says
it all. The market is there and ripe
in many of these new segments
and the powerhouses of the
local grocery landscape are
paying them attention.
In Christchurch, a vegan
sausage has sizzled its way to
the top of the 2019 FoodStarter
competition in an impressive display
of South Island food innovation
dominated by a plant-based and
vegan theme.
The ‘Bambina’ sausage was one
of 121 entries to the FoodStarter
competition, a partnership between
Foodstuffs South Island and the
Ministry of Awesome (MoA), based
at the Te Ōhaka Centre for Growth
and Innovation, at Ara Institute.
Over 90% of entries had a health,
environment and dietary awareness
focus, with four of the top five
products being vegan.
The winning Italian-style sausage
was created by Ananda Simply
Wholefoods founders Fernando
Gutierrez and Marita Lopez, after
they felt there was a gap in the
market for a tasty vegan sausage
that wasn’t trying to imitate meat.
“When we first arrived in New
Zealand from Argentina seven years
ago, we realised there was a gap in
the market for a good, high protein,
plant-based product.”
Foodstuffs South Island ceo Steve
Anderson, says, “All the top five
entries showed stunning innovation,
but Ananda Simply Wholefoods
vegan Bambina sausage was
exceptional. You can’t tell it’s plantbased
– we thought there must be
some kind of meat in there, but
there’s definitely not. The balance of
flavours and textures make it a truly
worthy winner.”
Fellow judge Marian Johnson,
‘chief awesome officer’ at Ministry
of Awesome says it’s the first
vegetarian sausage she’s had that
stands up to a traditional meat
sausage. “I often buy vegetarian
sausages and I’ve tried many, but
this was amazing – it actually tasted
like a lovely spicy pork sausage,”
she says. “It held together really well
and had the kind of texture you’d
expect from a good sausage. It was
an incredibly tough competition, and
we saw an outstanding display of
innovation, invention and passion
from all five of our finalists.”
Gutierrez and Lopez both grew up
watching their parents cook and
share food with family and friends,
and believe vegan products will
increasingly become part of the
family food landscape. “Marita and
I have extended family all through
Europe as well as Argentina; the
idea of food as a way to bring
people together is a common thread
all over the world, including New
Zealand,” says Gutierrez. “New
Zealand is all about barbecues and
sharing plates, and more people
are looking for alternatives to meat,
which the Bambina is. It’s slightly
spiced with fennel seeds and
paprika, is lovely and chewy, and
gets crispy when it’s shallow-fried.”
Although the Bambina looks and
cooks much like a meat sausage,
there’s none of the grit or meaty
flavour found in some vegan and
vegetarian options on the market.
“We never wanted to make
something that was pretending to be
meat,” he says. “This is not pretend
meat, either in looks or smell.”
The concentration on plant-based
and locally sourced ingredients was
very much a running thread at the
FoodStarter competition, which is in
its second year: “The entries showed
just how impactful the current trend
for plant-based and vegan is,” says
Johnson. “We’re in the early adopter
phase at the moment, but we are
seeing a lot of startups in that area.”
Things, they are changing.
14. Gluten-free | Karen Kingham | Nestlé
15. Keto | Hannah Noble | Keto New Zealand
16. Hemp | Dr Kevin Sutton | Plant & Food Reserach
17. Vegan | Claire Insley | Vegan Society Aotearoa New Zealand
18. Digestive Health | Maryana Lishman | Raised on Real Food
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