We are delighted to announce the finalists in the 2018 Inspire+ NZ Artisan Awards.
This year there were over 350 entries including product from fresh, frozen, chilled, deli and ambient categories. The judging panel found the level of ingredient quality, innovation, packaging and taste to be of the highest standards and the number of finalists reflects the difficulty they had in making the final selection.
Congratulations to those who have made the finalist list, winners will be announced on September 21.
The special New World PitchMe Award will be announced on September 5. This award will see one company have 15 minutes with a panel of buyers and decision makers from Foodstuffs North Island to hear valuable feedback and help them get onto the supermarket shelf and expand their brand.
Meet our finalists below…
Ginelli and Sons – Black Sesame Ice Cream
This award-winning ice cream is just one product of many from Ginelli’s line-up. Their gelatos and ice creams are made to Italian standards. They use authentic Italian bases with the freshest local New Zealand products. They have over 200 recipes, each one as creative as Black Sesame.
Find them here.
Tasman Bay Food Group – Coconut Juicies, Pineapple Flavour
These Coconut Juicies are refreshing and a sure-fire hit this summer. The company responsible for the wildly popular Juicies of yesteryear have rebirthed themselves with Coconut Juicies, a modern and delicious take on the frozen treat.
Find them on Facebook here.
Little Lato – Gelato Cupcakes
This bespoke gelato company operates out of Auckland and does some creative work with the creamy stuff. Their cupcakes are a great innovation, offering all the joy and nostalgia of an ice cream cake with the class of Italian gelato.
Find them on Facebook here.
Delicious Nutritious – Wild Berry Kiwi Crush, Classic Kiwi Crush, Tropical Kiwi Crush
This fruit drink offers the great taste of fruit juice with some actual health benefits. The proprietary process locks in the nutrients of kiwifruit, and the product is frozen before added to water to make a refreshing drink.
Find them on Facebook here.
Appleby Farms – Bedford Vanilla Bean, Brown Eyed Girl, Bad Boys and Berries, Double Shot Ipanema.
This may be ice cream, but it really does come from a farm. These Nelson farmers raise their own A2 cows and turn the milk they produce into a true artisan ice cream. These five products are the cream of the crop in frozen desserts.
Find them on Facebook here.
Little Bo – Frozen Smoothie Cubes
Kick-starting your day the right way is made easy with these frozen cubes made from pure fruit. Freezing means their nutritional content is kept intact without preservatives or additives. Berries, bananas, and tropical flavours are all easily added to your blender along with whatever else you have on hand.
Find them on Facebook here.
Uncle Joe’s – Pumpkin Seed Oil
Uncle Joe’s cracks walnuts and hazelnuts daily, fresh to order for its 100 percent nut and seed oils, spreads and kernels range. Its products have been hugely popular for use in gluten-free foods and in cosmetics. Enjoy the rich flavours Uncle Joe’s has to offer.
Find them on Facebook here.
Wild West Worcester – Sweet Beetroot Relish
Wild west sauces and relishes and gourmet gift packs are brewed and aged to perfection. From sweet pickled onion relish and hot chilli sweet black sauce to ghost pepper hot sauce; Wild West Worcester is home to some serious addictive sauces and relishes.
Find them on Facebook here.
Rawlistic Ltd – Rawlife Raw Energy Muesli
Top-notch foods from nutrient dense, quality organic plant-based ingredients; all of Rawlisitic Ltd’s products are raw and vegan with foods dried as opposed to cooked to avoid destroying precious nutrients. From snacks and cereals to condiments and teas, there is something quick-and-easy for everyone.
Find them on Facebook here.
Beginz and Enz Ltd. – Spiced Banana Chutney
Zino’s Preserves are a small company with a lot of flavours. Nancy Zino’s spiced banana chutney is one of many unique, delicious flavours on offer.
Find them on Facebook here.
Taste of The Alps – Pinot Noir Quince Jelly
Inspired by the seasons and abundance central Otago offers, Taste of the Alps produces artisan preserves, curds, pates and dressings with a focus on creative, innovative, fresh food. Free of additives and preservatives, these products celebrate the love of good food.
Find them on Facebook here.
The Chocolate Fish Co. – Chocolate Fish
Lovingly made with 33% fair-trade organic cocoa beans and mixed here in New Zealand with NZ milk. These delicious treats are solid dairy milk chocolate fish – modelled off the giant kokopu, New Zealand’s largest freshwater fish. Wrapped in eco-friendly, biodegradable card and recyclable flow-wrap, these fish are great for the taste-buds and the environment.
Find them here.
Pure Manuka Honey Ltd. – Tongariro Jaw, UMF 12+ Manuka Honey 10-Pack, UMF 12+ Manuka Honey 30-Pack
This certified manuka honey brand comes from the remote active volcanic plateau at Paritautau Station. Available in a 200g or in 5g sachets, this honey is as good for your body as it is for your taste buds.
Find them on Facebook here.
Totara Cottage – Balsamic Cheese Crackers
Hand-made and cooked to order Totara Cottage produces a range of innovative biscuits, delicious savoury products, and seasonal items for occasions such as Christmas. Simply delightful and ever-evolving in line with the latest food trends, these products can be found in select outlets throughout the country.
Find them on Facebook here.
The Clareville Bakery – Honey and Cinnamon Cookies, Wholemeal Sourdough
This cafe and bakery operate out of Clareville, near Masterton. Their versatility is wonderful, with both their cookies and their sourdough being everything they should. While not ranged in stores, they do deliver and provide catering to areas nearby.
Find them on Facebook here.
The Caker – Flourless Dark Chocolate Pecan Cake Kit
This Auckland cake-maker is famous around her parts for these pre-made cake kits. Just add a couple of ingredients to create one of the most delicious cake you can imagine. Available in a range of flavours, this gluten-free Dark Chocolate creation stands out for its indulgence and wide appeal.
Find them on Facebook here.
Natures Foods – Nut Brothers’ Peanut Butter Classic 500g, Sunflower Seed and Chia Almond Butter, Smoking Chipotle Peanut Butter, Sticky Dates Almond Butter, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter
All five of this nut butter company’s variants came through with flavour and quality. Nut Brothers has gone from strength to strength in the past three years. Their innovative, delicious, and products are available from stockists around the country, including several major supermarkets.
Find them on Facebook here.
Manawa Honey NZ – Manuka, Tawari, Rewarewa
Manawa means ‘heart’ and is exactly what drives the honey business. Exquisite in taste and texture, their offerings include magical Manuka, stunning Rewarewa, and rare Tawari amongst others; perfect for New Zealand honey-lovers.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Molly Woppy – Sticky Date, Walnut, and Chia Artisan Cookies; Choccy Coconut Ruff Artisan Cookies; Milk Choccy Chunk Artisan Cookies; Chocca Choc Chip Artisan Shortbread; Chewy Ginger Delight Artisan Cookies; Apricot Sultana Super Seedy Artisan Cookies
On a mission to bring happiness to the world, Molly Woppy was born out of a passion for baking. Pantry pack bites, an artisan range, gluten and dairy free, and gingerbread – all made with love these treats are perfect to take care of your sweet tooth.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Natural Abundance – Almond, Flax, and Kumara Paelo Crackers
Perfectly catering to a range of health needs, Natural Abundance’s products are all gluten free, grain free, soy free, dairy free, and paleo with no processed sugars and no added polyunsaturated oil. With a range of crackers, cakes and coconut products, experience a world of flavourful health alternatives.
Follow them on Facebook here.
NoShortcuts Ltd. – Mustard Pickle
Created through a passion and love for fine food, NoShortcuts’ hand-crafted range of chutneys, relishes, pickles and jams are made from completely natural produce. Cooked with no unnecessary additives, these delightful products are now stocked by over 30 outlets nationwide.
Find them on Facebook here.
The Dessert Restaurant Ltd/ – Basil Vinaigrette
Strawberry Fare’s restaurant is all about good, simple food. Its vinaigrettes are a huge part of this, illustrating how a few lashings of flavour can transform a dish. Available online or in-store in Christchurch.
Find them on Facebook here.
Stripped Jerky – Jerky range
100 percent New Zealand grass-fed beef, high in protein, low in fat and sugar with no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, Stripped Jerky is New Zealand’s premium jerky brand. In a variety of different flavours, take their advice – eat it its good!
Find them on Facebook here.
Karamaya Partnership – Black Garlic
Processing their own organically grown garlic and sunchokes into gourmet products, Karamaya Partnership’s caramelising effect used produces beautiful fruit chutney, liquorice, and balsamic type flavours. No additives, preservatives, colourings, added sugars, or any other substance, the company uses their products in creating a delicious raspberry mousse and raspberry chocolate spread.
Find them on Facebook here.
The Daily Bread – Bread Mix
This bakery provides fully-baked (and delicious goods) in-store, but they also sell bread mixes. These mixes just need a couple of extra ingredients and a moment in the oven – and you’ll have made your own artisan loaf of bread. Available in several flavours.
Find them on Facebook here.
Omaka Marae – Kawakawa Jelly, Kamo Kamo Pickle, Lemon and Horopito Sauce
Manaaki comes from Maankitanga, meaning hospitality, kindness, generosity, and support. The Manaaki range reflects this with their homemade-tasting condiments which suit almost every meal time. Their pickles, jellies, and sauces are available in selected stores around the country.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Eat Crawlers – Honey Roasted Crickets
Surprisingly popular insect sellers Eat Crawlers have impressed many with their chocolate-coated and honey-roasted bugs. Crickets, ants, scorpions, and more are all cooked to crunchy perfection or flavoured with seasonal additions – mint chocolate locust for Christmas, anyone? Available in select stores and cafés around the country. They also supply to restaurants.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Finom Ltd. – Peanut, Cashew, and Macadamia Brittles
Finom produces a range of confectionary and other goods, but it’s their nut brittles that are showstoppers. Available in peanut, cashew, and macadamia these brittles are divinely buttery.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Jolokia Farm Ltd. – Surf ‘n’ Turf Sauce
Jolokia Farm grows the notorious ghost pepper, or Bhut Jolokia Chilli for their sauces, which contain no added water – beware! Available as Hot, BBQ, and Wing Sauce there’s a ghost pepper for every occasion. Catch them at the Catalina Bay Farmers Market every weekend.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Kiwi Saffron – Saffron
Saffron is famously expensive and difficult to obtain. The farmers at Kiwi Saffron, however, have mastered growing it and now have commercial-sized fields of intensely flavoured saffron. For fans of the flavoursome plant, Kiwi Saffron’s growing business is a godsend.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Beer Belly Jellies – Pale Ale Jelly, Hot Belly Jelly, Scotch Jelly, Portly Jelly, Ginny Jelly
Lindy and Jen have created a product to immediately elevate your antipasto platter. The enigmatic duo has perfected the art of making craft beers spreadable – the perfect addition any breads and dips selection. They’re available at speciality stores around the country.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Cocavo – Turmeric and Lemon Zest; Coriander, Lime, and Ginger; Plain
The team at Cocavo has successfully navigated the horror of coconut oil’s saturated fat content. They’ve blended unrefined extra virgin coconut oil with extra virgin avocado oil, renowned for its health benefits. They offer flavoured variants in addition to pure ones to add an extra something to the cooking process.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Botanical Kitchen Ltd. – Flower Power Colour Changing Tea
Flower power has reached a new level with Botanical Kitchen’s colour-changing tea range. The owners want to normalise herbal medicine, and with the gorgeous colours and unique tastes of this range they won’t just normalise it – they could really popularise it. The company also offers hot chocolate and ranges of plant butters.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Earth Monkey – Berry Craze, Nuts about Grapes, Nutty Fig Face, Monkey Bar, Cash Cao
They’ve successfully made raw, artisan chocolate that could have mass appeal. All of their products are vegan, paleo, and gluten-free. They’re packed with superfoods, which shine through a delicious, creamy chocolate base. Certified organic and based out of the Kaipara Coast, these chocolates are available online and at selected stockists around the country.
Follow them on Facebook here.
The Thornberrys Ltd. – Comb Honey
Port Chalmers-based company Blueskin Bay Honey supplies wildflower, manuka, and kanuka honey and honey liqueur from Otago stockists and to the rest of New Zealand online. Their products are simple – you can buy a plain honeycomb, straight from the hive – but cultivated to a high standard.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Forage and Ferment – Marigold and Turmeric Sauerkraut, Beetroot and Nasturtium Sauerkraut, Wild Fermented Kimchi
This Clevedon-based company took historic fermented foods and modernised them for today’s palate. Their wild krauts and wild kimchi are already award-winners, and the company itself has been noted for its sustainability efforts. Their products are available in selected organic stores around the country.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Gourmet Brands NZ Ltd. – Ayam Percik and Mee Goreng Ayam Ready Meals
As one of New Zealand’s leading food brands specialising in South Asian cuisine. Their ready-to-eat offerings aren’t your usual microwave meal – they’re delicious and nutritious, tasting authentically homemade. The Porirua-based team supplies meals inspired by Asia to stores and supermarkets around the country.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Preston’s Master Butchers – Frenched Cap on Lamb Rack, Butterfly Lamb Leg, Lamb Noisette, Topside Mini Roast
This well-established New Zealand butchery’s specialist lamb range, Grass Fed Girls, is only available wholesale. The female lambs are raised on organic farms in Wellington and the Wairarapa and processed at halal accredited facilities.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Kai Holdings – Steamed Puddings
Kiwi Kai is a Rotorua-based business that’s part of the Tā Koha Initiative. They do one thing and they do it exceptionally well – steamed puddings. Their puddings are available in large and small sizes in selected stores across the North Island, and in Nelson and Christchurch. They can also be ordered to your door.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Texas Barbeque Foods – Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Pork Belly
Texas-inspired, mesquite smoked meats and dairy are the core of this Taranaki business, which is family owned and operated. Their state-of-the-art facilities smoke the best of New Zealand pork and beef with authentic Texan techniques. Available wholesale or delivered.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Whitestone Cheese – Lindis Pass Brie
These handmade cheeses come from Oamaru, a town set out of time in Otago. The business started in the 1980s when Bob Berry turned his hand from livestock rearing to cheesemaking. The company is still in the family, and the cheese wheels are bigger and creamier than ever. The products are available online, in retail stores, and wholesale for stockists and food service.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Nata Portuguese Bakery – Portuguese Custard Tart
When António Marcelino moved to Auckland, the thing he missed the most was traditional Portuguese baking. Nata Bakery’s goal is to provide the best traditional Portuguese fare in Auckland. Their famous Portuguese tarts (and other pastries) are available from their Symonds Street store, from Farro Fresh, or by delivery in Auckland.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Viavio Limited – Stracchino Double Pack
Nelson-based company Viavio combines the best of New Zealand dairy with Italian cheesemaking techniques. They produce a wide range of traditional Italian cheeses and a yoghurt for New Zealand consumers, who are eating it up.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Bavarianz Ltd. – Fennel Delight Sausages 8-Pack
For those longing for a meaty taste of the Alps, this butchery specialising in European meats is the best thing around. The butcher combines traditional Bavarian techniques and recipes with the best of New Zealand’s pork and beef. All their products are gluten-free (surprisingly, many sausages aren’t).
Find them on Facebook here.
Osom Foods Co Ltd. – Osom Ayurvedic Spice Water in Detox, Restore, and Calming
This spice water is a tasty drink on its own, with each of the three flavours blended from water and traditional Ayurvedic health ingredients. They can also be warmed up into a tea or mixed into smoothies – or cocktails.
Find them on Facebook here.
Something Big Is Brewing – Ginger Kombucha
Kombucha is a famed probiotic, health-inducing drink – and ginger is an age-old anti-inflammatory food medicine. Put them together and something big is brewing indeed. This ginger kombucha does good and tastes good, too.
Find them on Facebook here.
8 Water – Still and Sparkling Waters
This water company has managed to do the unbelievable, and bottle water that tastes distinctly artesian. The water is sourced from the foothills of the Mamaku Ranges in the central North Island.
Find them on Facebook here.
Ahika Proprietary Ltd. – Aotea Wellness Tonics in Immunity, Vitality, and Antioxidants
Inspired by traditional Māori herbal remedies, these wellness tonics are both delicious and good for you. Health drinks are more popular than ever, and this more local take is refreshing to taste and to the market.
Find them on Facebook here.
E’stel Water – Premium Alkaline Water
This artisan water comes from the Waimea Plains and is filtered through underground minerals before finally being bottled into sports, premium, and boxed packs. The bottles look luxe and the taste matches.
Find them on Facebook here.
Greenleaf Organics – Pineapple Switchel
This drink is the product of an Auckland-based health food eatery. After providing their own smoothies and juices to in-store customers, they’ve ventured out into bottling them. This Pineapple Switchel is everything a juice should be – and good for you, too.
Find them on Facebook here.
K4 Cultured Foods – Kombucha in Apple and Elderflower, Rosehip and Hibiscus, and Mint and Chamomile
These kombuchas move away from the commonly-used health products and instead integrate the brewing technique with more traditional, calming ingredients. Available to buy online and in selected stores around the country.
Find them online here.
Vista Drinks Ltd. – Flavoured Sparkling Water in Fejoa, Lemon, and Berry
These eye-catching cans contain flavoured water that’s delicious, and purpose that’s divine. They’re sticking to cans over glass bottles because they’re more easily recycled. It’s cool to be kind, and these waters are kind to your taste buds as well as the environment.
Find them on Facebook here.
Pausare Ltd. – Quick Brown Fox Coffee Liqueur
For fans of the Espresso Martini, this coffee liqueur is a godsend. Dunedin-based entrepreneur Arjun Haszard has been working with coffee for a long time. He’s created a liqueur that’s delicious in cocktails but also great on its own or over ice.
Find them on Facebook here.
Beg Borrow and Brew – Viognier Beer
The Wairarapa’s smallest brewery offers custom-brewed beers, but their own house viognier beer is so good so no-one would change a thing. The team sells small, hand-crafted batches of their beers in kegs as well as smaller vessels. Available at their store near Masterton or at the Wairarapa Farmer’s Market.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Begin Distilling – Juno Gin Seasonal 4-Pack
Juno Extra Fine Gin is the heart of a collection of gins produced by BeGin Distilling Ltd. The husband and wife partnership sees engineering meet the love of gin. This four-pack – Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn – has a gin for every season.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Black Cottage – Rosé Wine
The team at Black Cottage don’t take themselves too seriously but focus on crafting delicious wines that over-deliver. Winemaker David Clouston mixes his European expertise with the best local fruit from the Awatere and the Wairau sub-regions of Marlborough, delivering bright yet sophisticated examples which are incredibly drinkable and full of gusto.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Kereru Brewing Company – Big Pigeon Pilsner, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Maidstone Lager, Holy Cow!
This Upper Hutt brewery is small but productive, with a range of beers to suit every occasion. The Cellar door has a 12-tap bank with constantly rotating beers so customers can enjoy what the family-run company has been experimenting with. The award-winning team have also produced alcohol-free and gluten-free variants, so no-one misses out at the pub.
Marlborough Wine – Sparkling Rosé
Despite its name, this company has vineyards across both Marlborough and Central Otago. Their mission is to take premium varietals from the places they grow best around the country. The company is inspired by nature, and their offerings reflect this in their refreshing clarity of taste.
Follow them on Facebook here.
OWWD Limited – Sparkling Mead
Lone Bee is bringing mead back. Their sparkling, honey-based mead is made from the best clover and manuka products, and contains no additives or preservatives. Their refreshingly crisp drink is a novel take on an age-old recipe.
Follow them on Facebook here.
Two Rivers – Sauvignon Blanc and Dry Rosé
Another Marlborough-based vineyard with a focus on producing pure, naturally-flavoured wines. David Clouston’s company grows its vines on the clay soils of Marlborough’s southern region, giving their wines a uniquely complex flavour. Two Rivers is available in stores throughout New Zealand, and will soon have an online store.
Follow them on Facebook here.
FRENZ Eggs – Organic Mixed Eggs 10-Pack
Well-known free-range farmers FRENZ are still the top of the egg pile. Their taste, practices, and packaging are all chart-toppers. FRENZ is notably one of the only certified organic egg farms in the country, and certainly one of a tiny, tiny handful that the average consumer would actually consider free range. Available at selected supermarkets and stores around the country.
Find them on Facebook here.
Kalon Digor – Kouign Amann
Luc Jorieux’s bakery focuses on this pastry, pronounced Kwin-aman. It’s a traditional food from Brittany and is as deliciously buttery and crunchy as you’d expect traditional French fare to be. Available in Auckland and made fresh from local ingredients.
Find them on Facebook here.
Little French Pastry – Vanilla Salted Caramel Millefeuille, Chocolate Mousse Millefeuille, Tiramisu Millefeuille
The millefeuille is another classic French pastry, and this company specialises in it. Many flavours are available, all with that classic layered, smooth bite and flavour. Available at markets around Auckland and selected stores.
Nada Bakery – Citrus Fruit Loaf, Nadaburg Bread
This Wellington bakery produces everything a baker should, but it’s their range bread that stands out. Their self-titled Nadaburg is especially good and crunches nicely when toasted. They have two cafes/stores in Wellington and their products are available to buy online.
Find them on Facebook here.
The Clareville Bakery – Honey and Cinnamon Cookies, Wholemeal Sourdough
This cafe and bakery operate out of Clareville, near Masterton. Their versatility is wonderful, with both their cookies and their sourdough being everything they should. While not ranged in stores, they do deliver and provide catering to areas nearby.
Find them on Facebook here.
Thoroughbread – Paleo Seed, Rustic Seed
This bakery combines their love of a good loaf of bread with wellness philosophies. Catering for special diets as well as regular folk who love a good slice of toast, the team here have created a cascade of bread types to please anyone.
Find them on Facebook here.
Grownup Donuts – Filled Donut
These handmade filled donuts are hard to beat. Inspired by Portuguese Malasadas, the dough on them is uniquely flavourful with all the comfort of a regular donut. Available at markets around Auckland and in a huge variety of flavours.
Find them on Facebook here.
