2 minute read
Championing vegetables through innovation (Vince
Glenys Christian
Debbie and Nigel Stowe
Vegetables are getting a big boost thanks to Vince, a plant-based dehydrated mince produced in Whangarei, which will be in New World stores soon and has already been included in My Food Bag.
Then there’s the export opportunities, with a pallet of the product receiving consumer acclaim in Japan and there being interest from United Kingdom supermarket chains, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. The development of Vince started when café owners, Debbie and Nigel Stowe, changed to a plantbased diet after their daughter suffered a range of debilitating health conditions, including eczema and crippling stomach pains. After two and a half years of no improvement, the family went dairy and gluten-free. “Then we were on holiday over Christmas and ate only fish and vegetables,” Nigel says.
“Within three or four days, our daughter was sleeping through the night, so we knew something was working.” The family made the decision to remove red meat from their diet but there were things that they missed, like mince, which could easily make up the base for lasagna or tacos. Debbie looked for plant-based alternatives but found the few that were available were highly processed.
Debbie started experimenting with what she was cooking in their café, using quinoa as a base for a plant-based nachos dish.
“People didn’t realise they weren’t eating meat,” she says. That led to her completely overhauling the café’s menu, adding 10 to 12 new vegetarian items.
“THERE’S REALLY NO VALUE-ADD PROCESS FOR NEW ZEALAND VEGETABLE
GROWERS,” NIGEL SAYS.
In 2016, they sold their café and set up Olive and Ash, named after their children, Olivia and Ashley. The plan was to market an activated granola – which had been popular at the café – but that costed out at around $20 a packet. “It was a little too niche and we wanted a scalable business,” Debbie says. “We also didn’t want to deal with a refrigerated supply chain.” Taste was paramount. The couple found that dehydrating the vegetable mix they were using – which incorporates tomatoes, peanuts, cauliflower, carrots and celery – intensified the flavours, as well as ensuring the product lasted for more than 12 months.
They have found that for customers one of the most common uses of Vince is to mix it with mince, although some use mushrooms or beans.
“Everyone can be happy at the same time,” Debbie says. “Sometimes people don’t tell their partners or kids.” While Olive and Ash is now based out of a fitted out shipping container, they hope to move to larger premises in the new year, after raising some capital. They have applied to the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund, which they hope will keep the business based in Northland and mean an increase in staff from the present two to double or treble that number.
In the new year, the business will start sourcing its vegetables from Bells Produce in Kaitaia. They have already moved away from using Italian canned crushed tomatoes to support local product, and may look to dehydrate vegetables in season when they are plentiful. In the future, they would like to look at burger patties, sausages and curries, all made from vegetables.
