Top Products 2021

topproducts2021

COVID-19 Hasn’t Slowed NPD Innovation

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly hard for almost every part of the foodservice sector, it has also been a time of innovative product development as brands pivoted their offerings and ramped up new ideas to reflect the needs of consumers during this time.

Nowhere was this more evident than during this year’s Inspire+ New Zealand Artisan Awards which saw a record breaking 957 entries for the 2021 competition, making it the largest award of its kind in Aotearoa.

Well & Truly Artisan Pantry

Well & Truly is a humble, Kiwi familyowned company located in the beautiful setting of rural Cambridge, New Zealand.

“Everything we produce, we do with well-ness in mind, just whole nutritious food how nature intended, simply made special. No cutting corners, no fillers, no artificial stuff. Gourmet, 100% certified gluten-free always!”

Why the name Well & Truly? It’s about who the company is. It’s about supporting others through this business to enable well-ness, from the products it makes to the everyday encounters the company has; it’s about being real, authentic, and always a work in progress.

“The awards this year saw innovation across the spectrum of food and beverage sectors,” said Tania Walters, head judge and Restaurant & Café publisher.

No one really knows what’s next in the world of food innovation, but ingredient suppliers at this year’s virtual conference from the Institute of Food Technologists have a good idea of where current product development efforts need to focus.

Many of the 101 companies that participated in the Supplier Suites portion of IFT FIRST on July 19-21 highlighted their ingredient technology through videos of hands-on demonstrations. Many have used this past year to build their in-house customer labs and to invite customers to innovate at them. It’s all about being prepared for what’s next.

Formulating for what’s next requires a new mindset in terms of what is healthy for humans, for the planet and for businesses.

Plant-based is an area that meets a lot of consumer health demands, and brands are innovating their offerings to reflect consumer needs for better taste and mouthfeel. According to Euromonitor, the meat-substitute market is expected to reach $2.5 billion by 2023.

Functional foods and beverages are also on the rise as consumers continue to look for products that align with current health and wellbeing trends.

New Zealand food and beverage producers often take the lead when it comes to innovation, craftsmanship, and expertise. Now they are leading the way in adaptability during times when business and the future is uncertain.

Check out some of our Top Pick for products from 2021.

The Freshest Avocados in Aotearoa

It’s often said that avocado growers are literally ‘harvesting sunlight’ and Pole to Pole is doing exactly that, growing, harvesting, packing, and marketing sunshine is their game! As their online Freshstore notes ‘bloody good fruit delivered fast, fresh and tasty to you.

Pole to Pole, a vertically integrated fresh produce growing and marketing company, has been operating for 16 years and is a large grower / packer and marketer of avocados in the Bay of Plenty.

Pole to Pole’s online sales platform delivers directly nationwide to Kiwi restaurants and cafés with different offerings to suit all needs.

“We are a marketing company first and foremost and have vertically integrated over the past 10 years to secure our supply,” explained managing director, Todd Abrahams.

“We work closely with our grower base to provide a consistent supply of avocados 12 months of the year to our New Zealand customers.”

The benefits you get from buying direct is the guarantee that the avocados meet the highest food safety and quality standards, with Pole to Pole’s online platform Freshstore, you are guaranteed freshness, traceability, value, and taste. The Freshstore product range also ensures zero wastage ‘every piece of fruit counts’. They stand behind their quality promise with a 100% guarantee on all that they deliver.

So, grab some sunshine, visit www.freshstore.co.nz and get fresh avocados delivered straight to your restaurant or café today.

topproducts2021

Getting Saucy

This year’s Inspire+ NZ Artisan Awards saw the creation of a new special category. Thanks to new sponsor Wendy’s New Zealand, the 2021 sauce category was conceived, a reflection on the number of exciting and innovative sauces Aotearoa has to offer.

We all know that the right sauce can make or break a dish, and nowhere is sauce more important than in the blessed burger! Which is why Wendy’s NZ was the perfect match to sponsor the sauce category, with years of knowledge and experience when it comes to what makes a sauce a star.

“We were thrilled to be the sponsor for the sauce category of the 2021 Inspire+ NZ Artisan Awards. These awards are a great opportunity for artisan brands to show off their innovative products, we couldn’t wait to see what the sauce producers came up with,” expressed Danielle Lendich, CEO Wendy’s NZ.

“The variety of product was overwhelming and exciting; New Zealand truly has a lot of great sauce producers to look out for.”

Among the vast array of inspiring entries, the 12 finalists stood out for their use of local produce, innovative flavours, and of course, great taste.

The 2021 Winner of the Inspire+ NZ Artisan Awards Sauce category:

PEPPER & ME

All the current tartare sauces available on the market were either too sweet or too tangy for Cherie Metcalfe, CEO at Pepper & Me. She wanted a tartare sauce that was as close to homemade as possible, so with a proper egg-yolk base and chunky hand-chopped capers and gherkins, the Pepper & Me Saucy Tart Tartare Sauce was created.

When Pepper & Me launched its burger sauce, it sold 7000 jars within a few weeks, indicating a strong new contender on the sauce scene.

Metcalfe would love to collaborate with other New Zealand businesses that align with the Pepper & Me brand and its values. She loves getting to know other Kiwi business owners and working alongside them to create something extraordinary.

“At the moment I would love to make some Pepper & Me flavoured chips to go with our new line of dip mixes.”

SAUCES

JIMMYS CRAFT FOODS

(AS FEATURED ABOVE)

CASSIA AT HOME

(AS FEATURED ABOVE)

finalists

SAUCER FOODS TASTE OF THE ALPS

(AS FEATURED ABOVE) (AS FEATURED ABOVE)

SONJA'S TASTE OF AUSTRIA

(AS FEATURED ABOVE) WAIHEKE HERBS

(AS FEATURED ABOVE) Sauce category sponsored by:

KAVITA'S KITCHEN

(AS FEATURED ABOVE)

CULLEY'S

(AS FEATURED ABOVE)

DRINK. SHINE. REPEAT.

Shine+ has launched a new 330ml range of better energy drinks to help people think, feel, and do better.

ootropics is a fast-growing category and The Shine+ 330ml range provides a fantastic opportunity for retailers to engage shoppers who are looking for a healthy, better energy boost, not offered by traditional energy drinks,” explained Shine+ CEO and Cofounder, Steve Chapman.

The messaging on the front panel of all of the bottles highlight the key benefits of nootropics, which are ‘thinking, feeling and doing better’.

“Most importantly we’re starting to call out the category ownership of being a nootropic drink – it’s a better energy. It’s

“N for people who are looking for a mental pick me up but they want it healthy, they want it natural, they want it low sugar. We sit beautifully between the traditional energy drink category and the better for you space with really no competitors.” The Shine+ 330ml range is available now in New Zealand in four flavours, Blueberry Lemonade, Peach Passionfruit and Watermelon Mint, and Orange Mango, plus two flavours of 100ml shots. Ginger Lemon & Mixed Berry.For sales enquiries contact sales@ realfoods.co.nz