The 2017 New Zealand Food Awards, powered by Massey University, enables food and beverage operators to boost the profile of their business and brand, achieving national and international recognition.
The awards recognise innovation and excellence by New Zealand’s largest export sector. The yearly programme, which has been running since 1987, celebrates new initiatives in New Zealand food and beverage production, showcasing the best of the country’s food industry.
The awards are open to food, beverage and ingredient products, with specific categories for small manufacturers and large manufacturers. Special award categories are open to primary food producers, food-service providers and ingredient-supply companies. Products entered must be made in New Zealand.
Winning products earn the New Zealand Food Awards ‘Quality Mark’, boosting sales and distribution both here and abroad.
“The companies we are working with are spread right across the value chain but focused more than ever on customers, channels and shoppers,” New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Customer Director Craig Armstrong said. “Global trends such as the blurring of nutraceuticals and food, niche and artisanal foods, demand for ethnic diversity in food, and increasing tech investment, continue to challenge and inspire our food and beverage industry.
“Through our work with exporting businesses and our sponsorship of the awards, we want to encourage more innovation from this country’s biggest export sector and more value-add from our primary industries. We want to direct attention to New Zealand food and beverage innovation, and we also want to find more businesses with international potential that we could work with. Last but not least, we want to celebrate the new products and ingredients that come from our land and our people.”
The award categories give manufacturers many opportunities to showcase different products aimed at national and international markets.
Large manufacturers can enter products in the chilled (includes dairy), dry goods (sweet and savoury), beverages, and frozen (sweet and savoury) categories.
Small manufacturers can enter products in the artisanal and gourmet categories, which are judged on product quality and consumer appeal.
Awards are also available for health and wellness, novel ingredients, primary-sector products, food safety, business innovation, export innovation and the overall supreme winner.
The awards gala will take place on October 12.