DRY AND REFRESHING

was made from. They experimented for seven years before releasing their first cider (the 2015 Vintage) on the market.

Q: What is the current product range and variants and what makes these products stand out in the market?

A: Only one cider. The current release is the 2016 vintage. The packaging makes it stand out in the market place and of course the taste as it is a dry cider which is a rare thing in the current market.

Q: What is innovative or unique about the product?

the product bring them?

A: Anyone looking for a dry and refreshing beverage. Sophisticated drinkers – wine drinkers, or those wanting to pair wine with food –Abel cider pairs amazingly with oysters and other fresh seafood, and pork, charcuterie, cheese etc. It’s lower in alcohol than wine, and is also gluten free.

Q: What consumer trend does the product support?

Q: What is the brand story?

A: Mark and Sophie McGill developed an interest in cider when they lived in Melbourne but they struggled to find anything on the market that they actually enjoyed drinking so they decided to start making their own. Both from winemaking backgrounds and used this experience to make a cider from fresh apples and pears that was to their tastes – dry and refreshing but also that tasted like the fruit it

A: It is made once per year (like wine) from freshly harvested and hand sorted apples and pears. The McGill’s ferment the natural sugars (glucose and fructose) completely to get a dry cider and then they bottle ferment (like champagne) to create the bubbles. This produces a very fine beverage much like champagne, but instead of being from grapes it is from apples and pears.

Q: Who is the consumer and what benefit does

A: The increase in cider consumption across all segments over the last decade, as well as gluten free and low sugar. n

For more information please contact Mark and Sophie McGill at info@abelcider.com or call +64 027 446 8671

Q: What is the brand story?

A: The story begins in the unspoilt environment of the Solomon Islands in 2006 when C-Corp Ltd established its cocoa business on the island of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. By 2014, C-Corp had become a totally integrated cocoa producer, processor and exporter working directly with a network of cacao growers who sustainably produce premium quality, naturally organic cocoa beans. In March 2013 C-Corp N.Z Ltd built a custom-made chocolate factory in Mount Maunganui through which we oversee the entire supply chain of production –from grading and selecting the cacao beans in the Solomon Islands to roasting and crafting the artisan Solomons Gold chocolate bars and cacao nibs in a bespoke M.P.I certified factory.

Q: What is the current product range and variants and what makes these products stand out in the market?

A: The current product range is six 55g Solomons Gold 70 percent cacao, dairy, nut, gluten, soy and cane sugar free bars – Smooth Dark (winner of a silver medal at the London Academy of Chocolate 2017), Dark Mint, Dark Berry (winner of Bronze medal New Zealand Chocolate awards 2017), Dark caramel, Dark Nib (75 percent cacao) and Dark Orange (winner of Bronze medal New Zealand chocolate awards 2017). Solomon’s Gold also produces three sizes of cacao nibs and chocolate kibble (chips) – all gluten, nut, dairy, and soy free with an organic coconut sap and organic cane sugar. The factory is Kosher certified and free of nuts, dairy, soy and gluten – it’s what they don’t put in our chocolate that makes it special.

Q: What is innovative or unique about the product?

A: The chocolate is single origin and made from two ingredients – cacao and coconut sap sugar. The kibble can be made from organic cane sugar if requested.

Q: Who is the consumer and what benefit does the product bring them?

A: The consumer is anyone who loves the real thing – the chocolate was tested by Massey University and the 100 percent cacao was found to have nine times more antioxidants than spinach. Solomon’s Gold chocolate is made from 70 percent of this cacao. This means that anyone who is gluten or dairy or nut intolerant can eat our chocolate.

Q: What consumer trend does the product support?

A: The chocolate is cane sugar free – we use coconut sap sugar which has a low GI. These days people want to know what they are eating and consumers can actually read the ingredients list on the back of the chocolate bars! The consumer trend is basically leaning towards making people aware that there is a healthy, tasty, chocolate that is actually good for you and ticks all the boxes. n

For more information please contact hello@solomonsgold.co.nz or call +64 07 574 3022