SupermarketNews Magazine| June 2020

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June 2020 • Vol. 13 No. 6

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ATTENTION GROCERY SUPPLIERS

ONLY THE FITTEST SURVIVE IN THE YEAR OF THE RAT Sarah Mitchell Editorial Director

sarah@reviewmags.com

The year of the rat has not started well.

COVID-19 lockdown has broken some businesses, provided opportunity for others and has the threat of decimating economies around the world.

Amongst this the pundits are all looking at advising on changes in shopper behaviour. How this, the biggest business disruptor that the markets have seen for over a century is impacting the market. In the current unsettled environment asking shoppers about their current and future behaviours is of limited value. Predictions are way off, and here we are looking ahead with a very murky view of consumer behaviour which is translating into some clear views on industry trends.

The one trend that seems clear is that everyone wants to be a food retailer – it feels like the only business in town that is flourishing.

We are already seeing foodservice distributors transition over to home delivery for consumers as their share of the foodservice market is slashed.

Pivoting business is the catch cry as businesses try to reinvent themselves.

Taking stock, working out staff levels, negotiation with landlords, and stressing over category reviews – in the face of this, how do we recalibrate our businesses?

Everything about food retailing has changed. We have changed too and looking at the world of fmcg retailing differently, as the retail landscape changes we see those companies that we didn’t think of as being in food retailing are suddenly part of the fmcg landscape.

We do know how we got to this point, we did it as part of the team of five million, but unfortunately when we needed team Government to step up, they didn’t have a team ready to go and now we are starting to see the panic.

Enjoy the issue.

departments

06 Packaging Forum 10 Rising Star 16 What's New 20 Free-From 20 NW Beer & Cider Awards

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SupermarketNews is published under license. Please direct all enquiries and correspondence to SupermarketNews. The opinions and material published in this edition of SupermarketNews are not necessarily those of the publishers unless specifically stated.

All material in this publication is copyright and may only be reproduced with the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2020

CHAIRMAN PUBLISHER GENERAL MANAGER EDITORIAL DIRECTOR EDITOR ADVERTISING SALES SENIOR DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ISSN No.

PETER MITCHELL Tania Walters, tania@reviewmags.com Kieran Mitchell, kieran@reviewmags.com Sarah Mitchell, sarah@reviewmags.com Caitlan Mitchell, caitlan@reviewmags.com Felicity-Anne Flack, felicity@reviewmags.com Raymund Sarmiento, raymund@reviewmags.com Debby Wei, debby@reviewmags.com

1173-3365

Suite 9, Level 3, 20 Augustus Tce, Parnell, Auckland. PO Box 37140 Parnell, Auckland Tel (09) 3040142 Fax (09) 3772794

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food& grocery COUNCIL NEW ZEALAND

The Food and Grocery Council is an industry association for grocery suppliers providing members networking, events, industry information and strong advocacy.

Contact us for information on the benefits of membership: katherine.rich@fgc.org.nz • Networking • Industry Updates • Conference and Events • Education and Training • Advocacy and Law Reform

food& grocery COUNCIL NEW ZEALAND

www.fgc.org.nz

The NEW ZEALAND BEVERAGE COUNCIL is an industry association whose members cover all aspects of the non-alcoholic beverage market both in New Zealand and the export markets.

The Council members are spread throughout New Zealand and come together annually for a conference that covers industry issues and is addressed by international speakers. The organisation monitors product quality, sets standards for the industry and runs national competitions and awards.

THE NEW ZEALAND BEVERAGE COUNCIL (NZBC) P.O. Box 47, AUCKLAND 1140, New Zealand.

Email: info@nzbc.nz Phone: +64 9 309 6100 DDI: +64 9 302 9932

WHAT WE PUT IN, IS WHAT YOU GET OUT

SCULPT: High-quality support for everyday fitness, nutrition and active lifestyles.

ON THE GO: Drinks and bars for nutritious snacking and energy support on-the-go.

HORLEYS orders and new customers: Contact Hansells Masterton Ph: 0800 Horleys (0800 467539) or email: orders@hmstn.co.nz Sales crew contact - Surge SMC Ph: 0800949333

MAKIKIHI FRIES

Makikihi Fries was started in 1983, by founder Jac Bleeker (who had emigrated from Holland in 1952).

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leeker started in potatoes by growing for other manufacturers. In 1983 he and his family decided to start making their own great-tasting french fries. Thus, Makikihi Fries was born now over 35 years in production and continuing to grow from strength to strength.

Makikihi Fries sees itself as one of the little guys, “because we are. If you were to use a beer analogy, we would align ourselves with craft beer, rather than one of the big guys. Our motto is not to be the biggest ... just the best,” explained current Operations Manager, Stewart Hydes.

“Up until recently, our sales were predominantly in what we see as our home patch – the eastern and southern coast of the South Island.”

The national shortage of fries arising from the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown has caused a shift.

“We were able to help out with the fries shortage around the country -

which has led to us having to think a little differently. What we found, is that people all around the country just love our great-tasting Fries. So, we’re working hard to build on that – and keeping bringing our Fries to those new fans.”

“We’ve never tried to be all things to all people,” noted Hydes - just like craft beer, Makikihi Fries might not be for everybody.

Makikihi’s supermarket range includes 5kg in Crinkle Cut (for those with a big freezer who want to make sure they always have Makikihi Fries on hand), 2kg in Crinkle Cut, Straight Cut and Steak Fries, and 1kg currently in Crinkle Cut only but is set to expand.

Other products such as Skin-On, 10mm Slims, and 7mm Shoestrings, are available only for hospitality and foodservice customers at the moment.

However, Hydes would like to see some of this ranged into supermarkets as well.

“Without a doubt it is our unique, great taste that brings customers back time and again. On top of that, some of our customers like to support us because Makikihi Fries are certified carbon zero, or they like the fact our fries are gluten free and completely natural with no preservatives, additives or artificial flavour enhancers.”

Makikihi Fries use 100 percent Agria potatoes, which were first brought to New Zealand for Jac Bleeker. To this day, the potatoes are 100 percent locally grown, which fits well with the current push to think local and buy local.

“For over 35 years, we’ve rigidly adhered to a simple, local recipe, untouched by globalisation.

Everything about Makikihi Fries is

created, consumed, and kept in New Zealand. When you eat our fries, you become a part of the whole Makikihi Fries story.”

The team is relatively small at the factory, but the Makikihi Fries family extends beyond direct employees. It includes salespeople and merchandisers, distribution truck drivers who get the products around the countryside, everybody who sells its products in restaurants, cafes and takeaway shops – and of course, all the customers who buy Makikihi Fries.

Business fell off dramatically when the country went into lockdown, as most of Makikihi Fries’ customers (restaurants, foodservice) were forced to close.

“Luckily, we were able to help get our fries to more people through Supermarkets. Now that our other customers can re-open, we are welcoming them back, it’s great to see everybody again.”

Makikihi Fries have worked hard to restore the volume it lost since the outbreak of COVID-19. Once the brand gets some breathing space it has some new ideas it will be working on.

“Makikihi Fries’ customers are discerning; they appreciate great taste and good value for money. We are really pleased to be able to bring our great-tasting fries to more people around the country.”

For more information about its product range visit www.makikihifries.co.nz n

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Steak Fries

Straight Cut Fries Crinkle Cut Fries

MAKIKIHI FRIES Makikihi Fries produce great-tasting fries from the famous golden flesh potatoes .. renowned for retaining a strong potato flavour after cooking.

Choose from our range of fries that are available at takeaways, cafes, restaurants, hotels and at all good supermarkets.

FRIES FACTORY I 5 Makikihi Beach Rd, Makikihi 7978 Ph: 03 689 5879 I Fax: 03 689 5895 For more information contact your local Surge SMC representative.

www.makikihifries.co.nz

SOFT PLASTICS RECYCLING SCHEME More than 200 million individual plastic bags and wrappers have been collected and recycled since soft plastic recycling was introduced to New Zealand at the end of 2015.

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he scheme has evolved from collecting as much soft plastics as possible and shipping it to offshore recyclers to collecting what we can process here in New Zealand.

Chair of the scheme Malcolm Everts says that the scheme is a genuine example of a circular economy which directly funds collection, transport and processing: “We adapted the scheme to match collections with NZ processing capacity, plus we have put further focus on reduce and re-use initiatives like phasing out single use plastic bags. It is pointless collecting waste if there is nowhere to recycle it.”

“Since we reset the scheme in June 2019, around 20 million bags, enough to fill one and a half Olympic sized swimming pool were collected and importantly recycled in New Zealand. This is in contrast to 2018 when 100 million bags were dropped off for recycling, but overseas recycling markets dried up and we stopped collections temporarily to deal with the excess.”

“Product stewardship schemes must be flexible to adapt to the economic and environmental climate.

Kiwis are engaged, and happy to clean, collect & deliver material for recycling. Industry is engaged under a voluntary approach and around 70% of brands that use soft plastic are scheme members funding the recycling service and taking steps within their own businesses to reduce plastic waste where feasible.”

Soft Plastic Recycling Bins are now back post COVID-19 lockdown at the participating Countdown, The Warehouse and Huckleberry stores across Auckland, Hamilton, Whangarei and Wellington regions with further expansion to be announced soon.

A recent audit by Waste Not Consulting shows the packaging types which Kiwis are recycling the most through the scheme.

WHICH MEMBER COMPANY BRANDS ARE BEING RECYCLED THE MOST?

• Bread – Tip Top, Vogel • Chips, muesli bars, nuts – Bluebird • Coffee/ Tea Bags – Nescafe, Lipton • Confectionery packets – Cadbury • Courier Packs – Courier Post, New Zealand Post; NZ Couriers • Dairy Wraps – Mainland, Woolworths • Fresh produce/bakery – Woolworths • Frozen Foods –Woolworths • Meal Kits – Hello Fresh, WOOP • Paper Hygiene – Purex, Sorbent, Paseo • Rice/Pasta/Noodles – Maggi, SunRice Scheme Manager, Lyn Mayes says that there is an increasing correlation between brands which are actively promoting the scheme to consumers and what gets recycled.

“More and more of our members are putting the “recycle at store” on pack to help educate consumers about what can be recycled and via a link to the store locator on the website where they can take their soft plastic waste for recycling.

The Branded Audit of our soft plastic collections is a great way to show our members that their support for the scheme is paying off.” n

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Supplying quality Italian smallgoods to New Zealand supermarkets, hospitality trade and delicatessen wholesalers.

Call us now for authentic quality Italian smallgoods. www.ghiotti.co.nz

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support@europeanfood.co.nz

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09 551 7410

DOES YOUR PRODUCT MATCH ITS DIGITAL TWIN?

“If there’s one thing this Pandemic has illustrated within the context of the FMCG sector, it’s that suppliers need to look very carefully at their product’s online – and brace themselves for a potential surprise.

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ost of us carefully consider how our personal profiles look on the likes of Facebook and Linkedin, and we generally take care with our selfies and insta photos look, but for a business, what about how products and brands are represented online? What product information can consumers see online and as a brand manager for example, are you happy with what’s published online?

I’m a self-confessed supermarket aisle dawdler and I love to look at the ingredients and nutritional panels on products. I normally check out product claims as well. If a product claims to have low fat content for example, I like to know what the manufacturer might have done to ensure it’s still tasty; higher sugar content perhaps, less salt perhaps? This is easy to check when in store of course.

During the lockdown, I wasn’t so keen to go to the supermarket and like many others, I shopped online.

I was very surprised at how many products did not have any nutritional information or ingredients. As for product photos – sadly, I saw some of the worst photos I’ve ever seen.

As you can no doubt tell, I’m a wee bit passionate about reviewing a company’s product information when I’m shopping online. If my lockdown online browsing demonstrated anything to me, it was how vital it is that a brand is represented accurately, fully and with high quality photos – as if it’s not, I’m just not going to buy – it’s as simple as that!

So, here’s a quick challenge for

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you. If you’re a food producer, manufacturer or importer, go online now and search for your products.

Does the physical product match its ‘digital twin’? If you’re a little shocked with what you see, have a chat with us at GS1 New Zealand - we can help.

Yes, most know that GS1 is the organisation behind the barcode, but many will be surprised to learn that GS1 also provides much of the product information used by the major New Zealand food and grocery retailers in their online shops. Most of the ingredient, nutrition, marketing information and photos comes from GS1’s on-pack data collection service.

GS1’s on-pack data collection service is designed to help suppliers get the label information of the physical product and into the online digital world in order to meet the consumer’s increased demand for product information and the retailer’s requirements for more and richer product data.

The good news for members of GS1, is that the on-pack data collection service is free, as part of GS1’s Productflow service. With ProductFlow,GS1 checks the barcode quality, takes a photograph, captures the label information all in one go, to ensure your product is good-to-go, both for on-shelf and online.

The cost of a poor on-line customer experience is far too high to ignore and is not difficult to fix.” n

By Caroline James, Customer Engagement Manager, GS1 New Zealand

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and catch up when you want at www.supermarketnews.co.nz

HEETASHA MASTERS Assistant Category Manager for Deli/Perishables, Countdown

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After studying a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Auckland majoring in Economics and Marketing, Heetasha Masters joined as a graduate for Countdown as part of the graduate program.

initially interviewed for the marketing stream, however was placed in the online division which I am thankful for as it has taken me on an unexpected career path that I never thought I would do, which is one of the great things about the program,” said Masters.

During her teenage years, working in various part time jobs in hospitality and grocery, including a bakery and butchery helped Masters build a strong foundation in the food and retail industry.

“When I joined Countdown two years ago, the graduate program allowed me to rotate around different departments and divisions with my home base being with the online team,” said Masters.

Following the graduate program, she joined the e-commerce merchandise team as an e-commerce merchandise specialist over at Countdown X before moving to Category last year as an Assistant Category Manager for Deli/ Perishables.

“The most rewarding part about my job I seeing what new innovation there is out in the market and bringing that to life for our customers.”

Masters enjoys finding solutions and expanding her knowledge of the industry and categories. In the coming years, she hopes to gain the valuable experience needed to be able to move into a category manager role and to one day play a part in developing the ranges offered to consumers.

“My father has been my biggest inspiration. He has always worked so hard to provide for our family. A nonstop worker, he is always willing to do his very best.

This inspires me to do my very best and always put 100 percent into everything I do and strive to never give up, no matter the challenges or circumstances.”

Her optimism, enthusiasm and adaptability makes Masters a valued member of the Countdown team.

“At Countdown, we are always thinking of our customers when making any decisions, but it’s also

important to remember that we are able to make things easier and more efficient for our own team members while also making improvements and decisions for our in-store customers.

In a world where change is neverending and the digital world becomes increasingly connected, we have to ensure we are using every perspective when making decisions.”

Masters loves to try new things and being outside of her comfort zone, so while indoor netball and touch rugby are a regular feature outside of the office, she would also like to give boxing a try. “If I’m not at the gym, in my free time I’m either out exploring or spending time with family and friends.”

A keen traveller, Masters has enjoyed exploring Asia including Japan, China, Philippines, Hong Kong, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore and hopes to venture to other corners of the earth soon. n

• Family owned business based on Auckland’s North Shore • Instore Demonstrators, Sales Reps, Brand Ambassadors & Merchandisers • Event staff (Food Shows, Markets, Street & Office Sampling) • Farro Fresh preferred in store demonstration company • Staff in key regions nationally

022 476 4458

hello@swasgroup.co.nz

www.swasgroup.co.nz

SWAS Group Ltd

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SWAS Group Ltd

RE-SETTING THE NARRATIVE ON OBESITY

Whether people follow the grocery sector in detail or take a casual interest as shoppers, most would be aware of the transformation that has taken place in supermarket aisles over the past decade as manufacturers work hard to develop and launch healthier formulations of major food and beverage brands.

Katherine Rich

Chief Executive NZ Food & Grocery Council

Probably the most obvious success is the soft drink aisle, where there has been a proliferation of low- and no-sugar options. Where once there was just a sugar version of each brand, now lower kilojoule options dominate the shelf.

Most of the reformulation work has been done by the major manufacturers such as Coca-Cola Amatil and Frucor Suntory, who have both invested heavily and innovated to launch low-cal versions of the well-known brands and develop new ranges.

For example, between 2015 and 2017, Coca-Cola reformulated 22 products, removing some or all of their sugar, while Frucor Suntory achieved similar excellent results and developed new ranges like Sparkling OH! and others. As a result, there are now more low- or no-sugar formulations on our supermarket shelves than ever.

All this extra choice has made a big difference to sales of sugar sweetened

beverages (SSBs), which have continued to decline as consumers switch.

Sales data shows that between 2000 and 2018, the sales volume of SSBs dropped from 64% to 45%, while sales of beverages with no sugar rocketed from 4% to 24%. In the past couple of years that trend has continued.

These changes are even more pronounced in Australia, where a new and comprehensive study collected sales volume data collected by research companies Nielsen and IRI. This study is significant to New Zealand because the range of soft drinks, and the buying, eating and drinking habits of Australians are very similar to ours. And it’s significant because the volume of data it collects makes it more robust.

It shows that in the 21 years between 1997 and 2018, the per capita volume sales of SSBs fell from 83 litres per person to 61 litres – a drop of 27%. That’s equivalent to a reduction of 32 teaspoons (127 grams) of sugar per person, per year. It says these changes were driven largely by declining sales of sugarsweetened carbonated soft drinks, which fell from 76 litres to 45 litres per capita.

So what were people drinking instead?

Over the same period, sales of non-SSB’s jumped from 48 litres to 88 litres per capita, with the biggest contributor being pure unflavoured still waters – up from 6 litres to 48 litres. In fact, bottled and packaged water now outsells sugarsweetened carbonated soft drinks.

The Australian Beverages Council says that in 1997 some 64% of drinks in fridges in supermarkets, dairies and service stations were SSBs, with the remaining 36% non-sugar options.

That has been flipped on its head, with 59% of fridges now taken up by nonsugar, with SSBs comprising just 41%.

The study also shows the annual contribution of SSBs to the sugar content of the national Australian diet dropped from 9 kilograms per person to 6.4 over the 21-year period.

So, what has this drop in sugar consumption meant for the health of Australians? Data from the Australian Health Department shows that in 1995 some 57% of adults were overweight or obese. But by 2017/18 that had jumped to a concerning 67%. So, over almost exactly the same period of time that SSB consumption was dropping by 27%, obesity was going in the opposite direction. This mirrors what we know has been happening, though on a smaller scale, in New Zealand.

Health Ministry figures on overweight and obese adults go back only as far as 2006 but they show a rise from 62.5% then to 66.8% of the population to 2018 – all while sales of SSB’s were dropping and sales of nonsugar beverages were rocketing.

On these numbers, perhaps it’s time to re-set the narrative on obesity.

We’ve always maintained it’s wrong to demonise one ingredient when the issue is so complex. n

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MARKETING NUGGETS IN A PANDEMIC DRIVEN RECESSION

First the bad news: this recession is unlike any other in terms of scale and depth and its full impact is still work in progress. The good news is FMCG is likely to be the shining star with 2020 estimated to grow anywhere between ten and thirty percent.

Better than the vision 2020 most FMCG brands imagined?

In a typical recession FMCG grows marginally or remains stable, as people still need to eat, clean and live while they cut discretionary purchases. But this one is different, as FMCG is expected to grow at numbers never seen before while tourism, travel and hospitality businesses collapse or go into hibernation. A number of industry experts and Australian marketing academics are already replaying the golden marketing nuggets that crop up at the scent of a downturn.

HERE THEY ARE: VIKRAM KHANNA, FMCG ACADEMY

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1. Brands must increase their advertising during a recession.

Advertising is a small part of a mature brands marketing mix but a very large part of a new brand. If launching a new brand, by all means go and advertise the hell out of it, the world needs to know who you are and that you have arrived. For a mature FMCG brand it depends on whether there is new news to share? Standard advertising can be cut for a few months if needed with minimal impact on a mature brand.

However, product quality, supply chain dependability, shelf and online visibility, distribution and planned price promotions remain critical, and any adverse move on those will instantly impact sales, market share and brand health. Some businesses

may have real life decisions to make on whether to advertise or retain another 50 staff?

On the other hand, if a brand has high market share, a robust supply chain which can meet increasing demand and a competitor that is struggling to supply supermarkets, they should go all out to grab as much market share as they can using advertising, price promotion, display etc. How much of that sticks once the recession is over will come down to the brands pricevalue equation vis-à-vis competition and any competitive response?

2. Private label will rapidly increase market share.

That may happen in some categories and with some retailers because of their lower price and not due to their technical marketing skills which are still alien to most supermarkets.

Also, during the lockdowns initial buying surge the winners were decided by who was holding high inventory (normally the sign of a mismanaged brand) and who had a nimble supply chain with the ability to produce and move stock to the right places at speed.

Recession or not, if a brand is low priced (within 20% of private label) with negligible differentiation (in product and brand) and more easily substitutable it is always going to be under threat of removal from shelf.

From the retailers’ point of view the brands dollar retailer margin is much lower than private label and the percentage margin is about half. And if the brand is anyway declining and struggling with supply it becomes a no-brainer.

In Europe a large part of private label share growth is related to the rise of Aldi and Lidl. Maybe there is an opportunity for a couple of Pams stores?

3. In a recession brands come under more margin pressure from supermarkets Fact is brands are under margin pressure from retailers most of the time. It doesn’t matter whether a

brand is a market leader and its retailer margin is above the category average. A good category buyer will always try and get a few basis points to push the retailer’s category margin up by negotiating a better buying price. The other way retailers control margin is by moving the consumer price. They may have less upward control on price during a typical recession, however this time round we have seen margins go up in the early phase as promotions were cancelled when demand went through the roof, and supply was struggling. Why promote if supply can’t meet demand? Makes sense.

If Supermarkets continue to experience double digit growth keep an eye out for margin improvements driven by both, higher consumer price and re-negotiating purchase price from brands due to increased volume sales.

4. We need more data We do, but only of the right kind.

We have all heard Data is the new Oil. Though fossil fuels are out of favour, data is not. The data explosion has happened due to both generation and storage ability and cost. The analytical ability still has some catching up to do.

A simple rule to buying new data is whether the decisions from any new data can be linked in a linear and simple fashion to the three fundamental metrics of any business………. Value Sales, Profit and Market share. If the new data can influence these three metrics and the organisation has the capability and the will to use it, only then consider investing in more data.

The expertise most brands need with more data is the analytical skill ingrained with the education, experience and DNA of a technically skilled FMCG brand or category manager. Not easy to find on most days. n Another nugget: “We need a Pandemic Demand Manager” . . . . . if you do end up hiring one, you heard it here first.

do you have the next top drop?

INTELLIGENT NUTRITION The Horleys brand, first established in New Zealand over 40 years ago, was recently purchased off NNL by Hansells Masterton Limited.

“The acquisition of both the Horleys and Covet Brands is an exciting move to own our own brands of which many are produced in Masterton at the Hansells factory,” commented Executive Chairman of Hansells, Alan Stewart.

Horleys has a diverse range of products including protein bars and drinks, protein powders and hydration products sold across many markets covering mainstream stores (Supermarkets, Oil channel and Pharmacy) and also in specialist stores (Gyms and online distributors) as well as many export customers.

The Horleys team have always shared a love of health, fitness, and sport. Since its foundation in New Zealand over 40 years ago, it has complemented that passion with expert knowledge on performance nutrition, resulting in today’s range of highly effective supplements which proudly carry the Horleys name.

Horleys specialise in sports nutrition and dietary supplements and are committed to providing specialised, quality products that give its customers a physical advantage, whatever their goals might be.The brand is proud to manufacture its products to exacting global standards, and its commitment to these high standards and ethics set us apart. Horleys is “Intelligent Nutrition” so each insight is backed by robust science and user insights.

The Horleys customer is anybody who considers their health and well-being through Intelligent

INTEGRATION

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Nutrition. The brand has products across the board for the person who wants a snack which is low in carbs, low in sugar, or the person who is actively trying to slim down, to the person who is committing to intensive training for the next big body building championship, or the athlete who needs to rehydrate. Horleys understands that every customer’s physical needs and lifestyle are unique so the Horleys range of products cater for diverse usage occasions, goals, and budgets.

“It is truly an exciting opportunity to be working with such awesome products that represent innovation and integrity and of which are trusted by our customers,” said Horleys Brand Manager Paula Bowden.

Customers are looking for Honesty. Horleys is a Trusted Brand with longevity, is reputable and reliable with a great range of tasty nutritional products. It is New Zealand owned and operated with a diverse product range and actively partners with its customers to understand how they use them.

Health and wellbeing is a growing category and large areas in the supermarkets are being created to cater to this. Horleys is aware of the need to innovate and to contribute to meet customers’ growing expectations.

Horleys Sculpt Marine Collagen with Peptan is a new addition to the range. Collagen is the key structural protein that ensures the cohesion, elasticity, and regeneration of all our connective

HQ MANAGEMENT

MOBILE APP

tissues including hair, skin and nails, tendons, and ligaments. As we grow older the collagen matrix that provides skin its firmness starts to break down and we develop fine lines and wrinkles.

Beautiful skin needs a healthy foundation on the inside and this is where the Horleys Sculpt Collagen supplement can help your skin from within to aid optimal skin function. It contributes to the maintenance of strong hair and nails and helps protect from free radical damage. n

Buy in bulk to save in bulk!

Families love our products as there is always more to go around

HASH BROWN PATTIES Made with chopped, lightly seasoned European potatoes for a crunchy exterior, fluffy inside!

Oven, Skillet & Toaster Ready Enough to feed a family of four, five times over.

Hash Browns will always be an important part of the frozen category. It's been a staple ingredient in a typical English breakfast for years. But it's still delicious at any moment of the day!

SHEPHERDS PIE Our Shepherds Pie continues to be a staple in many households and it's more popular than ever in the winter months.

A delicious mince filling topped with a creamy potato topping.

With a generous 750g helping of New Zealand made goodness, there is more than enough to go round.

GARLIC BREAD A kiwi classic!

Sliced & filled with a tasty garlic spread.

Being able to supply a twin pack at a similar price to common single serves is a real highlight for us; it really helps shoppers who are on a budget be able to feed their family for less.

MORE4LESS CONES Our More4Less brand is based around value for money for kiwi families on a budget. We really work hard to ensure we are offering “more for less” making a bigger pack size available for less than the standard packs. This rewards shoppers for buying in bulk, results in less packaging waste and creates great value for money for shoppers.

Available in Choc & Vanilla, Vanilla & Nut, Mint & Choc

FIND OUT MORE OR PLACE AN ORDER TODAY Shane Hart | shane@ice-land.co.nz | 021 220 1008

Innovative And Delicious Pho-Real?

Now you can whip up an authentic Asian noodle soup at home in just ten minutes. True food brand, Pitango has joined forces with Sachie Nomura, founder of the award-winning cooking school Sachie’s Kitchen, to create a delicious new range of authentic, Asian inspired fresh broths. The key to a great Ramen or Pho dish is a broth that has been simmered low & slow – this is what really makes the dish sing. But making a complex flavoured broth can be very time consuming and requires much pre-planning and unique ingredients.

The new Pitango broth range is designed as a meal shortcut to simplify the long cooking process for consumers. Simply heat the broth and pour over your choice of noodles, veggies and protein. So quick, so easy, so fresh and flavour packed!

Made from scratch using the best ingredients, each batch of Pitango broth is slowly simmered for 12 hours to draw out the very best authentic flavours. The products are free from artificial flavours and colours, with no added MSG or preservatives and each pack can make 2 serves of an authentic noodle soup meal (recipe inspiration on back-of-pack). The broth range contains 3 varieties including, Vietnamese style Pho beef bone broth, Japanese style Ramen bone broth, Japanese style Miso broth (vegan friendly) Available from the chiller section.

Contact your local Alliance representative, phone 09 260 4110 or visit www.pitango.co.nz.

The team at pure delish are excited to announce a brand-new range of six snacking clusters. With three almond and three coconut based clusters, the snacks are available in delicious flavours like almond and dark chocolate, tropical coconut and coconut and ruby chocolate. Hand-crafted, like all pure delish products, from only the best ingredients, the new snacking clusters are currently rolling out to independent grocers and selected New

World, Pak’nSave and Fresh Choice supermarkets around New Zealand. The new snacking clusters range is free from grains, gluten and egg, with four out of six new products launched also being dairy free and plant based. With global and local trends moving towards more convenient, on-the-go and healthier snacking options, the new pure delish range is sure to excite consumers while they deliver on key health benefits. pure delish have set their sights on bringing a new level of innovation and premiumisation to snacking aisles around the country.

Hand Crafted Skincare

Ahhh has introduced a super nourishing, solid moisturiser to its collection of hand-crafted, natural body products. Customers can care for their skin in a kinder way with natural moisturisers presented in a vibrant, eco-friendly packet that really stands out on the shelf. Ahhh’s new solid moisturisers offer value for money while also being better for the environment with each solid bar being the equivalent of two 250ml conventional lotions without the need for added water or bulky plastic packaging. For more information contact stuart@ahhh.nz.

Value For The Family

What’s for dinner this winter? Artisano has launched a range of new family favourite meals. The new range serves four people, making them perfect for creating delicious easy family meals. Each recipe is handmade in small batches with real, fresh ingredients and no preservatives, it’s home cooking without having to be home all day cooking. Just heat and serve over your favourite side dish. Choose from Butter Chicken, Vegetable Chilli, Chicken Stroganoff or Macaroni Cheese. Artisano – from our kitchen to yours. Contact your local Alliance representative for more on 09 260 4110 or visit www.artisano.co.nz.

Intense, Long-Lasting Mint

Introducing the new Tic Tac range, Tic Tac X-Freeze – an intense, long-lasting mint that is 99.8 percent sugar-free. The Tic Tac X-Freeze taste experience is driven by unique cooling crystals which provides the intense cooling sensation. The Tic Tac X-Freeze mint is bigger than a standard-sized Tic Tac and comes in a newly designed, convenient packet. Available in two flavours (Eucalyptus Mint and Spearmint). Feel the Freeze! Distributed

by DKSH Services New Zealand, for more information email cs.servicesnz@dksh.com or contact 09 475 0248.

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Even Cheesier

Introducing new Diamond macaroni and cheese! It’s now even cheesier and creamier. Each pack contains quick cooking pasta and a sauce mix so consumers can quickly make the perfect mac ’n cheese every time. It takes just six minutes to make, so it’s perfect for students, new mums or just busy people.

Diamond have combined three cheeses (Romano, Tasty and Parmesan) for the perfect cheese flavour and only use natural flavours and colours. Simply cook on the stove top or in the microwave. A perfect Mac ‘n Cheese is only six minutes away!

For stocking enquiries contact your Wilson Consumer Products Territory Manager or phone 09 379 5350.

Essential For Strong Teeth In response to demand for products that are ‘better for me and better for the planet, a new Reach Natural Antibacterial Protection Toothpaste uses magnolia bark extract to safely kill the oral bacteria that cause bad breath, cavities, plaque and tartar.

With fewer of the odour-producing bacteria that are found along the gumline, gum health is also improved. In line with recommendations by the NZ Dental Association, Reach recognises the importance of including fluoride to substantially strengthen tooth enamel and lower the risk of cavities.

“The new Reach Toothpastes offer the best of both worlds: the power of nature, combined with fluoride that is recognised as essential for strong teeth,” said PAVÉ Ltd Marketing Director Mat Hamlin. Reach Natural Antibacterial Protection Toothpaste comes in two delicious flavours: Fresh Mint and Mild Mint.

For more information, please contact your PAVÉ sales representative, call 09 302 1190 or visit www.pave.co.nz.

Milo Goes The Xtra Distance The MILO team has launched MILO XTRA, offering 25% more protein than regular MILO with milk*, more crunch and more intense chocolate taste than original MILO. When made with milk, a single glass of MILO XTRA provides 12g of protein, perfect for active Kiwis as protein helps the body recover by building and repairing muscles.

For those looking for a more intense chocolatey flavour, new MILO XTRA has extra cocoa, providing a delicious taste that Kiwis will love and even more of the iconic MILO crunch.

“MILO is a Kiwi favourite and we want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy it, in a way that suits their lifestyle,” said Nestlé Head of Marketing Fraser Shrimpton.

“Protein can play an important role for many people, particularly teenagers and active Kiwis, as it can be beneficial for muscle growth and development2.

“We’re very excited to be able to launch MILO XTRA to provide additional nutritional benefits with the chocolatey taste and crunch that we’re known and loved for.”

The Moa Moos

The Moa moos again! The dream-team of good mates and iconic Kiwi companies Moa Brewing and Lewis Road Creamery are back! This time with a new flavour to add to its epic Milk Stout line-up, a Salted Caramel Chocolate Stout.

The base beer of this delectable beverage is still Moa’s classic milk stout with a delicious touch of chocolate, but now boasting luscious notes of caramel and toffee courtesy of crystal malts.

Discover Excellence

Enliven the senses with the ultimate chocolate luxury, EXCELLENCE. With this range, consumers will discover the expertise and craftmanship of LINDT Master Chocolatiers in blending the most aromatic cocoa beans with the finest ingredients to create a rich and refined chocolate of intense flavour and elegant texture. Drive category value growth with a new premium priced range. Excellence Cocoa rate range +20% $ growth MAT 17/5/20 Aztec Data.

Distributed by DKSH Services New Zealand, for more information email cs.servicesnz@dksh.com or contact 09 475 0248.

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Winter Pudding

The team at Zeffer don't mind a bit of chilly weather. In fact, they've made the perfect winter pudding-inspired cider for it. Its Winter Plum Crumble Cider is a limited seasonal release crafted from freshly crushed Hawke's Bay apples, dark juicy plums and wintery spices including cinnamon, allspice, vanilla and saffron. Enjoy cosying up with this delicious seasonal cider. It's equally tasty served chilled or mulled. Non nonsense just real cider crafted in sunny Hawke's Bay (even in Winter) by a few friends.

Lighter Indulgence

New Snacking Companion

Healtheries has introduced a new range of snack foods. Mittz are available in two flavours – chicken, and pizza. These snacks have been specifically designed for little munchers who always are wanting delicioustasting snacks, and are destined to become your family’s newest snacking companion and lunch box must-have.

Flaunting an extremely low sugar content of just 0.7g per serving, Mittz are a great snacking option for kids who are prone to the mood swings occurred from sugary foods. Mittz are also gluten-free approved snacks that have been awarded the Coeliac Crossed Grain logo which is proudly displayed on every Mittz pack.

Adding to Mittz’ portfolio of health advantages is the fact that they are oven-baked, not fired, vegan friendly, and contain no artificial sweeteners.

The KitKat team has unveiled a new range which sees two decadent flavours fill the iconic 4-finger bar. The latest chocolate experience in New Zealand sees the much-loved KitKat wafers topped with Gooey Caramel and Mint Cookie Fudge, offering a lighter indulgence for chocolate fans.

The perfect sweet treat, KitKat Gooey Caramel offers a crisp wafer with a lustrous layer of gooey caramel, covered in deliciously smooth milk chocolate. The flavoursome KitKat Mint Cookie Fudge is a delectable combination of crisp wafer fingers topped with mint fudge and cookie pieces, coated in the milk chocolate KitKat Kiwi fans know and love.

“It’s always an exciting time when we create new flavours for Kiwi chocolate fans. These new bars put a fresh spin on a KitKat break by taking our 4-finger wafer and adding luxurious Gooey Caramel and indulgent Mint Cookie Fudge to deliver the ultimate light, yet crisp, treats for fans,” said Nestlé Head of Marketing NZ Fraser Shrimpton.

Old Time Goodness

Auckland bread making company Venerdi has launched an exciting new product to add to its Organic Sourdough range. The new Crafted Seed & Sour is on shelf as a 680g unsliced loaf, harking back to the days of old time goodness in bread making.

Crafted using traditional sourdough fermentation methods combined with the aromatic and earthy addition of caraway seeds, this well-balanced loaf is bursting with flavour and has more protein than carbs. The bread is gluten, dairy, soy and yeast free.

Venerdi Founder and CEO Tim Grainger, described Crafted Seed & Sour as having a beautiful, rich flavour that can carry any ingredient but is most expressive when eaten naked. “The interplay between sweet, sour and salty with a good dose of fat and aromatics (caraway seeds) gives it a real dynamic lively flavour,” said Grainger.

Crafted Seed & Sour is certified organic and includes activated seeds, hemp hearts, and a healthy dose of Venerdi’s unique lactobacillus enriched brown rice sourdough.

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Dip In!

Wellington based Elysian Foods has just launched a new olivebased dip, Elaiasalata. It’s a chilled dip with a creamy, mousselike texture combined with the flavour of delicious greek olives.

It’s not everyday that a completely new dip gets launched onto the market and Elysian is really delighted with the response so far. Customers are impressed with the new flavour and delighted to find something new in the dips range. Elysian Foods is well known as the only company in New Zealand to make that famous Greek dip, taramasalata (amongst other delicious goodies).

For more information contact t​ oby@elysianfoods.co.nz​or visit www.elysianfoods.co.nz

PARBAKED PERFECTION

Premium NZ Butter based pastry with superior functionality.

www.alliedpinnacle.com April 2020

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freefrom

REMOVE, REDUCE & REPLACE The new generation of free-from products you need on your shelf.

MAKING MEAL TIME EASIER Wild Chef, New Zealand’s leading gourmet food manufacturer, has just launched an exciting new retail line of wholefood, plant based products fitting into their ethos of using the freshest Locally sourced ingredients to create quality products. These Wild Chef products provide wholesome Chef quality range that families can enjoy but also cater for a variety of dietary requirements such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan, which is a growing market.

This new retail range is designed to provide consumers with nutritious, quick and easy meal components that can be easily incorporated into their everyday meals. Ideal straight from the freezer to the oven, to add to any protein and veggies at meal time or for just as a snack! A variety of tasty options to try: Polenta Fries, Veggie Patties, Hash Sticks, Spiced Falafels, Jumbo Hash Browns, Potato Cakes, and Potato Gratin.

For more information, contact orders@ wildchef.co.nz or phone 04 388 1998. n

MICROWAVE PORK RINDS Until Lowery’s two-minute microwave pork rinds came along, it has been nearly impossible to find such a unique meat snack. At 14 percent growth, initially, that has seen year on year growth, meat snacks are one of the fastest growing segments in the snack foods category, as consumers search for higher protein and less carbohydrate offerings. Two brands stand out in this growth segment, one being Lowery’s Microwave Pork Crackle. The offerings are both great alternatives to processed jerky products that are very high in sugars and stabilisers. Lowery’’s Microwave Pork Rinds offer a healthier, tastier alternative to processed pre-packed fatty pork scratching’s.

Ideal for eating straight from the microwave, as a side dish for roast pork, or even as an alternative to croutons. With only one carb in every bag it’s no wonder people on a Keto diet are raving about this product. Available in two SKUs, Original and Hot and Spicy, they are shelf ready SRTs. They can be placed on the shelf or alternatively used as a free-standing hang sell dispensing units. Lowery’s have had positive consumer feedback from their in-store demonstrations regarding the ease of use and the great taste. Retailers have also been giving excellent feedback about the healthy margins and sales growth in this category since its launch.

For more information contact Paul Kenny at Alliance Marketing on pkenny@alliancemarketing.co.nz. n

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CHALLENGING TRADITIONAL CATEGORIES

As a brand, pure delish have always been associated with premium, handcrafted products that tick many of the allergen free boxes for consumers. The company’s ethos is built on taste and flavour first and secondly products that have added health and nutrition benefits or are free from allergens without sacrificing taste.

Their delicious range of cereals, snack bars, biscuits/ bites, slabs and more recently snacking clusters are available throughout NZ in the main supermarket chains and the leading independent grocers.

Recently launched is pure delish’s new range of snacking clusters. With the whole range being grain, egg and gluten free along with being plant based. The company are sure the new range will be popular with a wide range of consumers.

While the majority of pure delish’s products are free from gluten, dairy and egg, they also have products for those consumers wanting grain-free, plant-based,

sugar free and keto diet friendly. pure delish promote these things as side benefits of their products not their main selling points. “Our products, first and foremost must be of the highest quality and taste amazing” said Amanda Macdonald, marketing manager at pure delish. “We don’t sacrifice either of these things to tick a ‘free-from’ box, however these things are front of mind during the new product development process”. pure delish’s customer base is diverse from those who are true foodies and simply buy their products because they taste great and are made from quality ingredients with no added nasties, through to those that are coeliac and require products that they can be assured are produced under strict allergen management guidelines for their peace of mind.

Over the years pure delish have developed and refined a very robust Allergen Management Programme which is regularly independently audited

to ensure high standards are maintained. “No new ingredients are introduced to our production facility without a full risk assessment being completed by our Management and Food Safety Team.”

With global consumer trends for more premium, clean label foods with added health and free-from benefits, pure delish has found itself well positioned to tap into the growing demand for these types of products. pure delish firmly believe they are wellpositioned for future growth through with their new product innovation plan, challenging traditional categories with products that push the boundaries, and continuing to review their current range to ensure it stays relevant for consumers. pure delish know this is the key to their continued success.

For more information on the Pure Delish range, please contact Amanda Macdonald via email amanda@puredelish.co.nz or phone 09 574 5701. n

CONVENIENT BITE-SIZED SNACK The team at Tasti are revolutionising the wholefood ball market by introducing the first apple-based product to Kiwi consumers. Its new Fruit & Vege Wholefood balls is the first of its kind in New Zealand and signals ‘the next generation of wholefood balls in Australasia’.

The new vegan friendly snack has been designed to suit consumers who are looking

for an alternative on-the-go energiser that is a non-date based product. Made with real apple and only five other natural ingredients, the innovative snack combines natural fruit flavours with a hint of vege, delivering a unique taste and texture in a convenient bite-sized wholefood ball.

The Fruit & Vege Wholefood balls range is

Gluten Free, GMO Free, Vegan Friendly, has no added sugar and is a nut-free formulation.

They are available in three unique flavour combinations including: Strawberry & Beetroot, Mango & Carrot and Banana & Spinach. n

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freefrom

VEGAN-FRIENDLY FOOD THAT TASTES DELICIOUS The name Berkano comes from a Germanic rune stone which stands for a continual growth, rebirth, and renewal in all things. It is the rune of becoming, an appropriate name for a brand aligned with a wholefoods, plant-based diet, and ethical lifestyle choices.

Berkano was started in 2017 by Brittany Bryan and Nick Harlow after the pair started researching products that were trending overseas, and plant-based, vegetarian, and flexitarian foods have continued to grow in popularity since Berkano’s conception.

“One of the things we struggled with being newly found vegans was a lack of healthy vegan food being readily available, both in takeaways and in the supermarket, we only had one option - learn how to cook!” Explained Bryan.

“We saw a massive gap in the market that wasn’t being filled, and we saw an opportunity. We took the money we were saving and invested it in the business.”

The young entrepreneurs have started out strong.

This year Bryan and Harlow were nominated for the Forbes 30 under 30 list for the Asia Pacific region and in 2019 were finalists in the Westpac Champion Business Awards.

Berkano believes that the key to eating healthy plant-based food is enjoying what you eat and having a variety. The Berkano team are focused on making family favourites that are healthy and taste amazing.

Their creative chefs work with New Zealand’s top suppliers to get the best locally sourced ingredients to create delicious seasonal meals.

“Customers are looking for a variety with plant based ready-to-eat meals. They like brands with ethical integrity that are made in New Zealand from quality experience,” Bryan noted.

“Overall, they are looking for a convenient frozen meal they can trust as nutritious, vegan-friendly food that tastes delicious.”

Berkano’s 420g frozen meal range includes Sun-fed Thai Green Curry, Chicken-Free Butter Chicken Style Curry, Rigatoni Bolognese, and Golden Peanut Satay.

All meals are hand weighed and packed to ensure the customer receives portion-controlled nutrition that is of the best quality.

The Chicken-Free Butter Chicken Style Curry, launched earlier this year, is the latest from Berkano who are excited to develop more plant-based readymeals. Bacon & Cheese Style Macaroni and Lemon Chicken Style Stir fry are some of the delicious sounding, meat-free options Bryan and Harlow have in mind. “We are forever developing what we are making. We are looking at expanding Berkano to include other plant-based foods like cooking sauces, desserts or soups, and of course more ready meal options like a family size lasagne and cannelloni in larger 800g packs.”

The company is focused on providing people with the choice of healthy plant-based meals at the convenience of being readily eaten. Berkano only use quality ingredients and cook small batches to ensure the best tasting food.

“Customers want to have a variety of meals they can trust to be quality plant-based foods. It’s been challenging gathering the level of detail needed to obtain Vegan Certification, but we are working through that process to provide another level of credentials to our foods,” said Harlow.

COVID-19 affected every food business and how it operated, particularly with delays in shipping goods around the country. The main issue Berkano faced was a shortage of cardboard for the products’ sleeves, but suppliers and deliveries are now back to normal operation. The retail range from Berkano is available across a range of Foodstuffs stores, mainly New World but demand has been growing across Pak N Save stores. Online products are available nationwide.

Berkano has aligned with Selling Solutions as their preferred sales agency who provide a professional service for the total management of brands into supermarkets. As a premium plant-based brand for vegans there is a strong connection between Berkano and the focus Selling Solutions has for their clients.

Please contact Selling Solutions Head Office 0800 735 542 n

based there is something for every dietary requirement.

With winter weather setting in, home-grown King soup is very popular at this time of year.

For those looking for a gluten free option we have King gluten free vegetable soup mix. It is an economical meal option. Each pack makes eight hearty serves and it is so easy to make, just add water and any vegetables you have to hand. It is made right here in NZ from locally grown ingredients.

For a family meal, you can’t go past Diamond rice risotto. Our new look packaging and range is just hitting the shelves now. We have made it much easier for customers to shop for their dietary needs by introducing handy little icons. From plant based to vegan, to vegetarian and gluten free there is something for everyone.

With stretching the family budget top of mind for many at the moment, Diamond rice risotto is a great family meal choice. It comes in a wide range of flavours and each pack makes enough to feed a family. You can choose to add in ingredients of your choice, making it a great way to use up any leftovers you may have. Our new sweet and sour variant is proving popular – it’s just like a takeaway, but one

you can make at home! We also have a great range of Diamond gluten free pasta. It’s so good that many of our customers tell us that they can’t tell any difference in taste to regular pasta.

If it’s a snack you are after, then you can’t go past Pop n Good popcorn. Air popped, gluten free and wholegrain it really is the perfect little snack. From our signature light and buttery through to sweeter flavours like caramel there is a flavour for everyone.

It’s popped locally in Te Awamutu & really is pop n good!

For stocking enquiries contact your Wilson Consumer Products Territory Manager or phone 09 379 5350. n

PROUDLY NZ OWNED Wilson Consumer Products is proudly Kiwi owned and has a number of brands and products that offer something for every Kiwi, from gluten free to plant

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PLANT BASED FOOD NEW ZEALAND MADE Thai Green Curry Butter Chicken Curry Rigatoni Bolognese Golden Peanut Satay

VEGAN FRIENDLY FROZEN MEALS MEAT FREE

For more information contact on 0800 735 542

freefrom

DELECTABLE HOMESTYLE TASTE Introducing the new Gluten Free Cookie flavour from Cookie Time – a triple treat with three types of real chocolate.

Made with dark, milk and white chocolate, the new Gluten Free Triple Chocolate is everything people know and love about Cookie Time. From generous chunks of chocolate to delectable homestyle taste, this new cookie is Gluten Free but not taste free!

Cookie Time, New Zealand’s number 1 cookie brand by grocery sales, is an iconic family business.

Brothers Michael Mayell and Guy Pope-Mayell

founded the business in Christchurch in 1983 and still own it today.

Proud to be New Zealand owned, made and loved, the business launched its first Gluten Free Cookie – a free from version of its famous Original Chocolate Chunk Cookie – in 2012. It has also been making Gluten Free Christmas Cookies for many years.

Guy Pope-Mayell, Cookie Time managing director, said the new Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie embodies the company’s passion for bringing innovation to honest homestyle products.

NEW

“We value keeping it real with our cookies, from the ingredients through to batch-baking them in traditional rack ovens. At the same time, we are always innovating and looking for ways to bring delicious taste and value to our customers.

“Adapting our famous recipes to create Gluten Free versions is not as easy as it sounds, and there’s a fair amount of alternate ingredient sourcing that requires extensive trials. We are delighted to have this triple treat ready for market – and tasting every bit as good as its regular counterpart.”

For more information please contact Deb Gilkison, Cookie Time Limited Channel Manager, on 03 349 6161. n

LOWREY’S

Put some crackle in your sales with Lowrey’s Pork Crackle.

For delicious plant based, allergy friendly breakfasts in on trend flavours.

Vegan Plant Based Gluten Grain Free Source of protein <5g of sugar per serve Clean label Contact your local ISM People (North) or Core Sales (South) Area Manager www.crowabout.co.nz | P: 09 428 0449

• Perfect as a snack offering.

• KETO FRIENDLY.

• Only 2 minutes in the microwave for the perfect Pork crackle snack.

For more information, call Paul Kenny on 021 986121, email pkenny@alliancemarketing.co.nz or office@alliancemarketing.co.nz.

NEW!

APPLE BASE

Delicious apple

based wholefood balls

NO ADDED SUGAR | GLUTEN FREE | NUT FREE | VEGAN

storeofthemonth

COUNTDOWN WHANGAREI

ROB GRANT

Having started with Countdown nearly 15 years ago, store manager of Countdown Whangarei, Rob Grant has thoroughly enjoyed all of the roles he has held in the business working with the wide array of people and interacting with customers.

His enthusiasm and community spirit has seen him be nominated for Store Manager of the Year three times. “It’s a great feeling being recognised in the business for the work the team and I do every day. I would never be able to achieve what I do without my incredible team,” said Grant.

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T

he store has just completed a major refresh which has really helped its customers’ needs be met.

“In terms of future growth, I am excited to see more ‘better-for-you’ options as health continues to be a growing trend as well as extending our bakery range with new exciting options.”

The store’s ‘better-for-you’ range has successfully been introduced and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers. “We’ve introduced some really cool products such as keto bread which is in high-demand.”

Food-to-go and convenience meals are also a growing category in the industry. A category that started out as a few options like deli salads has now become a hub of innovation and is a market that supermarkets, including Countdown, are investing in.

“Our customers are always on the run, so our foodto-go section is proving really popular, and we’ve been able to cater it to the local customers. Sandwiches and rolls from the deli have been a real hit wince we introduced them with our brand-new service deli cabinet.”

With grocery stores facing more competition in the e-commerce space, retailers look to poise themselves as full-service facilities which includes pharmacies.

Industry professionals and commentators claim that these additions to stores add to the overall value of a grocery store and can contribute to customer loyalty and increase frequency of grocery store visits by consumers. This sits well alongside health and wellness trends that currently are thriving in the food space.

As part of the refresh, an in-store pharmacy was installed offering customer’s free prescriptions and longer hours. “It’s definitely a store feature and has been a hit with the local community who look to our store as a one-stop shop that has a wide range of products and services, catering to everyone’s needs.”

Grant is most proud of his team, particularly

how they stepped up over the time the store was being refreshed and continued to provide the local community with a really strong and reliable shopping experience throughout.

“Opportunities for growth will see us continue to research and develop new initiatives to keep up with market trends. In particular, we are seeing huge increase in health and wellness as well as plant-based meat options, so our team is busy making that happen in-store.”

As part of Countdown’s sustainability commitments, the store is moving towards zero food waste. Grant said that his team is focussing on creating as little food waste as possible through routines, partnerships with The Salvation Army and local farmers. “We support a local special needs kindergarten, they were the first early childhood centre in Whangarei to provide weekend care for young children with special needs providing a muchneeded break for parents, it’s absolutely inspiring.”

Grant’s vision for Countdown Whangarei is to continue being customer’s first choice of supermarket up north. We’ll continue to cater to the local community and local trends are really excited to share our new refreshed store with the community and visitors to the area.” n

Footprint 2,835 m2

169 staff

Checkouts: 10 regular

Opening Date: November 2019

10 self-checkouts

Owner/Operator: Rob Grant

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ew Zealand owned and locally made brands are the big winners in this year’s New World Beer & Cider Awards.

From the Gisborne brewery that kickstarted the country’s craft beer revolution in the 1980s to one founded in a Hastings shed just a few years ago, and with teams ranging from a husband and wife duo brewing on their Taupo farm to those working from state of the art facilities in the craft beer capital of Wellington – these are just some of the quintessential New Zealand breweries recognised in the 2020 New World Beer & Cider Awards Top 30.

Chair of Judges, beer writer and author Michael Donaldson said the winning list exemplifies what the local brewing industry has to offer and the country’s beer and cider lovers have plenty to get excited about.

“These awards are open to entries from all over the world, but New Zealand brewers proved their might once again. Almost all of the Top 30 winners are New Zealand made and owned, being crafted in all corners of the country by some of our best brewing talents.”

Check out the Top 30 and their stories.

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8-Wired Brewing Just over ten years ago, husband and wife duo, Monique and Soren Eriksen started popular beer brand 8-Wired. Soren had become a keen homebrewer for many years, and was wanting to build a brew pub somewhere in the upper North Island.

However, after some real-life commercial brewing experience, they decided it would be too big a task to start a brewery from scratch, particularly during the time of the GFC. “Instead, we started out contract brewing at Renaissance Brewing in Blenheim where I also worked as a brewer,” said Soren. “When there was spare capacity they let me use it for our own beers.

Eventually, they ran out of capacity and we built our own brewery in Warkworth in 2015.”

8-Wired beers have a very large barrel ageing programme, in fact, it is one of the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, the team makes a range of specialised barrel aged beers from sour Lambic beer to big imperial stouts.

“How we make our range of beers is definitely a focal point for us. Other than that, we have been on the forefront of brewing trends for the past 10 years and, in all modesty, we’re pioneers in sour beers on the NZ brewing scene.”

Over the last year one of the brand’s highlights has been opening up Barrelworks in Matakana. This is a dedicated space for its barrel ageing programme and also houses its tap room. “This space was always the plan when we moved to the area six years ago, but we only managed to find the right space last year.”

Behemoth Brewing Co. Behemoth was born out of a love of big flavoured beers and wanting to make beer a little more fun. Owner Andrew Childs knows his range of beers are big on flavour and personality.

“Every beer has a story and every beer is fun,” said Childs. “Over the last year one of the highlights for us has been winning Best IPA in New Zealand at the Brewers Guild Awards and our successful crowdfund for our brewery and bar/restaurant/butchery Churly’s Bar and Eatery.”

Recently, the brand welcomed Paddy Finn Molloy as its head brewer who is also passionate about creating fun and exciting new beers for their loyal fan base. “Consumers are looking for full-flavoured beers that tell a story and are just fun and freaking delicious.”

Over lockdown, the brand was overwhelmed with the incredible support it received for its online store which helped the business and the team get through the challenging time.

Looking ahead, the brand has many new and interesting brews on the horizon, with beers being

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The business recently ramped up its online sales, and although they have had an e-commerce site for a while, it was one of the keys to success during New Zealand’s lockdown due to Covid-19. “This channel has been a huge focus for us over the last few months with most of our hospitality customers forced to close and export sales slowed. With only supermarkets still operating, their focus being first and foremost on essentials, the online sales helped to patch this gap.”

Across the space of a year, the brand often releases over 20 new beers and create new and exciting brews for its customers.

“Hazy IPA’s are all the rage at the moment and probably will continue to be a popular choice for customers. On top of that, fruited sour beers, big dessert-like stouts (pastry stouts) are trending and even lighter lagers are looking to make a comeback.”

Brave Brewing Co. Brave Brewing Co. launched in late 2014. The small, family owned and operated, award-winning brewery is located in the beautiful Hawke’s Bay. The husband and wife team, Matt and Gemma Smith started the business as a backyard operation and initially sold their product at the local farmer’s market.

The home brewing duo quickly realised that it wasn’t just their friends and family that loved their brews, but the local and wider community too, which is when the hobby turned into a full-time job.

“We can now be found at our premises in central Hastings, with an onsite tasting room and cellar door,” said Gemma. “We like to think of ourselves as a friendly neighbourhood brewery. We’ve grown a little, but our ethos hasn’t changed one bit. We make quality, flavourful beer and serve it fresh.”

Brave Brewing is well-known for creating consistently good beer. “We are often told that we have a strong brand and I think this really stems from authenticity. We recently underwent a brand refresh and our design team (Parkby Projects) did so well to truly capture the essence of who we are. Well considered, yet a bit playful, bold, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

The pair hope that its beers will be far reaching and appeal to a wide audience, a true beer for the people.

“A business highlight for us this year is our new brewery and tasting room, which is currently under

construction and looking really great.

We are moving to new premises, a little more centrally located within Hastings and we can’t wait to be in our new space come Spring time.”

Like it was for many businesses in New Zealand, going into lockdown was a strange and uncertain time. A large proportion of the brand’s sales is to on-premise accounts. So, with all of that out of the picture, the team definitely put their thinking caps on to adapt and get creative.

“We got clever with our social media marketing, built on our already existing online webstore and went from there. Our online sales grew exponentially and as we entered into level three we began to offer sameday local deliveries and added a ‘Click and Collect’ service. Our wonderful front of house team, who are usually pouring pints became delivery drivers and despatch extraordinaires.” Both of these services were very well received and are still being used today.

The team try to release new products regularly, but often don’t find the time to squeeze new brews in between trying to keep up with demand for its core range items. But customers should keep an eagle eye out for two seasonal releases coming soon for the Winter season. Clifford, a Hoppy Red Ale and a delicious Milk Stout.

“We actually believe that many craft beer drinkers are becoming more discerning in their palates, and

although there will always be a place for big juice hazy IPA’s and all sorts of wild things, simple recipes that are well-executed, such as our People’s Pils and fresh crushable lagers are having a resurgence.”

Bach Brewing Craig Cooper has always had a passion for brewing right from the start when he was a partner in Limburg Brewery in Hastings from 2005-2008.

Turns out, that was an expensive hobby but it wasn’t long before his hobby turned into a fulltime business. “We were living in Melbourne and made a plan to return to New Zealand in mid-2013. In October, Bach Brewing was born, reflecting my other enduring passion for New Zealand’s awesome coastal lifestyle,” said Craig.

The name ‘Bach’ and label imagery reflects, for Craig, the accessibility that Kiwis have to the most beautiful coast and sea, good times, activity and hospitality that surrounds it.

Head brewer, Chris Ward, leads the brew-house team at the contract brewing partner, Steam Brewing on the shores of the Manukau Harbour.

Bach Brewing not only stands out on shelf with its iconic beach bach scene imagery, is a multiaward-winning NZ beer brand with a packed-tothe-brim trophy cabinet.

“We are always striving to make better beer and ask all of our customers for feedback, listening and learning from judging competitions to further refine and perfect our beer which people want to drink more than once.”

The brand has recently launched beers into a new style category – the New England Hazy Pale Ale styles and the team believe they have nailed it.

“A real highlight for us over the last year is being awarded a gold medal at this year’s New World

Peckham’s Cider Created by Alex and Caroline Peckham 13 years ago, Peckham’s Cider reflects a passionate quest to make authentic cider from proper cider apples. Peckham’s ciders explore the exciting possibilities of what cider can be, driven by their orchard of 30 different cider varieties, the wild ferments in their cidery, and both traditional and innovative cidermaking techniques. Over lockdown the small bubble team manage to harvest and press a bumper crop of cider apples from 6,000 trees.

The brand releases around 25 different ciders each year, each exploring different cider varieties and styles. Its next cider release will be Solstice 2019, a warming, rich cider caramelised over a wood fire, then aged in oak for 10 months – celebrating mid-winter. “We hope that customers are increasingly seeking out and appreciating the complexity and depth that can be found in an authentic, well-crafted cider,” said Caroline Peckham.

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Beer & Cider Awards for Juicy AF Pale Ale.” To supplement its usual freight and couriers over lockdown, the team at Bach Brewing got the tyres pumped up on the van and got stuck into some local deliveries. “While out and about, an order came through, and I just happened to be in the area and had extra beer, so we delivered the beer within 30 minutes of the order being placed – fair to say that customer was blown away.”

Online sales for the brand don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon so their e-commerce channel will continue to play an increasing role in the new supply chain. What’s next for the brand?

Well, the team have planned the release of a new Double Hazy IPA that was brewed on the day that NZ was released from lockdown. At 8.0% ABV it’s going to be a banger and loaded with massive flavour and aroma, and juice tastiness. “It will be a whole lot of fun for our renewed freedoms.”

In identifying what consumers are wanting from a beer, Craig believes at the moment it’s all about hazy. “Hazy, hazy, and more, you guessed it – hazy. Also, a little less alcohol across various styles, not necessarily zero alcohol, but definitely toned down. Same can be said with bitterness. The days of big screaming IPA’s with teeth shattering bitterness are gone.”

Craig thanked the team at New World for continuing the promotion and roll-out of the New World Beer & Cider Awards. “There would

be some businesses who might have cancelled or postponed with all the disruption to business.

It’s a massive help to us locally-owned and small business owners. Thank you.”

Sprig & Fern Sprig & Fern is a Nelson based brewery with a passion for outstanding craft beer and cider. “Our philosophy is simple – quality and consistency,” said Zoie Bryce, sales and marketing manager at Sprig & Fern. “We use the best malt and hops and hand craft every batch. We love to evolve and be innovative.

The team are constantly developing new, limited releases to entice consumers and meet category and market trends.” Sprig & Fern have 12 taverns and one Little Sprig under their brand umbrella that are fantastic community-based, local pubs.

Owners Tracy and Ken Banner and the team know their Scotch Ale is something really special. “With your first mouthful, you can taste a full-flavoured beer from the six quality malts that deliver caramel, coffee and chocolate notes. It’s full bodied and smooth and the perfect beer for these chilly nights. Let it warm slightly to 6-8 degrees and you will be in your happy place.”

In April last year, the brewery launched 888ml bottles and it has been really well received by customers. “It’s such a great format for craft beer – people love to be able to share a beer with their friends.” During lockdown, the team took it as an opportunity to launch their new online platform, which performed so much better than they expected, reaching new customers and also deliver beer to its loyal following.

“We have launched several new products this year including our Brut IPA, which was perfect for the summer. We also released Southern Weisse, a dryhopped wheat beer as well as our multi-award winning Harvest Pilsner using aromatic fresh hops.”

Craft beer is such an interesting and ever-changing category and the team at Sprig & Fern endeavour to deliver styles that meet consumer demand.

Emporium Brewing Based in Kaikoura, Emporium Brewing have a 600L to 1000L brewery fit with an 18-hole mini golf course and two escape rooms. Founders Paul and Laura Finney started contract brewing when they lived in Christchurch and had a homebrew shop called ‘Finney’s Homebrew Emporium’.

“I was looking for beers that were a bit more off the straight and narrow,” said co-owner and head brewer, Paul. “So, our first release was an ordinary bitter, then a red IPA. When we moved to Kaikoura in 2016, we opened just five weeks before the earthquake. I had to create more core range beers like IPA, Pilsner and a couple of pale ales.”

Since then, the duo has got their brewery up and running and have branched out into the more fun beers like wit beers, sour beers, Belgian-style beers like saisons, tripels, and blonds, which are the lesser known varieties but according to Paul, lots of fun to drink. “Apart from having a mini-golf course on the grounds, something that not many breweries can say they have, our beers are standout due to their drinkability. I think that great beer always leaves you wanting another sip.” Rather than trying to shock consumers with taste, Paul believes making a beer that is well balanced and well-made should trump anything else.

Getting into the Top 30 at the NWBCA two years in a row is a definite highlight for the business, particularly being such a small brewery.

During lockdown, Emporium’s online store was set up which enabled them to increase sales opportunity to other parts of the country. “The love we felt from getting sales from the North Island, when we have generally just had our beer for sale in Kaikoura or Christchurch, was immense.”

Alongside sharing the love of good beer with more Kiwis, Emporium also pivoted the business to make hand sanitiser. “Ours is made from a barrel aged Belgian strong that went a bit odd in the barrel so must be the most artisan hand sanitiser on the market!”

The team are constantly bringing out new beers so to pin point one to keep an eye out for would be hard. However, during the lockdown period, the team did brew up an Imperial stout called ‘Go Hard, Go Early’ which is going to be aged in bourbon barrels and released later this year. “Each barrel is getting an extra adjunct. Things like coconut, vanilla, and coffee. Should be an interesting three-pack once we are done!”

Paul highlighted the next big thing in the category to be Kviek – a yeast that comes from rural Norway.

“Our beer ‘Drop, Cover, Hold’ is fermented with a Kviek yeast and as a brewer, they are super easy to use and give off wonderful flavours. The ‘Drop, Cover, Hold’ beer has no fruit in it, yet smells like umbongo due to the character the yeast gives.

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Kereru- Brewing Kererū was named for New Zealand’s indigenous wood pigeons. These large and charismatic birds have the distinction of being able to eat large fruits, and in great quantities.

They are responsible for dispersing many different native trees in New Zealand’s forests and are also known for becoming inebriated when they indulge on over-ripe fruits - a natural choice as a New Zealand beer brand mascot.

“Our brand is fun, light-hearted and whimsical,” explained head brewer Emma Bell. Kererū Brewing regularly feature New Zealand fauna and flora on its labels as part of their celebration of nature, even becoming a recognised sponsor of The Royal Forest and Bird Society. “We are inclusive and relentlessly positive with our image and message, and our bright and cheerful labels stand out in a crowd.”

Bright and cheerful is just what Kiwis called for during the lockdown too. “We were lucky to be an Essential Service with a good online sales platform so that we could supply Kiwis in lockdown with our beers.

This helped to take the sting out of all our hospitality sales dropping away completely.”

Kererū have some amazing, new, glutenfree beers in the pipeline, as well as a barrel-souring program: these unusual, and characterful beers will be making their way to market over the coming months.

Drink Kererū, taste New Zealand.

Garage Project Garage Project launched its first beers in 2011, brewing on a tiny 50 litre brew kit in an abandoned petrol station in Wellington’s Aro Valley.

Brewer, Pete Gillespie, had brewed commercially in the UK and Australia for 10 years before moving back to New Zealand to set up the Garage with his brother Ian Gillespie and friend Jos Ruffell.

The choice to start on such a tiny scale was partly made out of necessity and a shoestring budget, but it was also a conscious decision allowing a prolific and creative approach to brewing. Garage Project launched with what they called the 24/24, brewing twenty-four new beers in twenty-four weeks, serving each week’s precious 50 litre keg of beer at a local craft beer bar to a growing group of fans.

Almost nine years later Garage Project has grown significantly, now brewing and packaging at three sites: the original Garage in Aro Valley, the Wild Workshop in the heart of Wellington, and in the Hawke’s Bay. The volumes are very different now, but Garage Project is still guided by the same creative, innovative and fun approach to brewing. “From the very beginning we tried to take a new and fresh approach to beer and brewing,” noted Pete Gillespie, founder and head brewer.

“Even back in 2011 New Zealand was blessed with an impressive number of breweries per head of population, lots of them small breweries producing excellent beers, but all very true to style. In setting up Garage Project we were very conscious that we didn’t want to be just another brewery. We wanted to do something a bit different - if we managed to pull it off, something remarkable.”

Since launching, Garage Project has released well over 400

different beers encompassing a huge range of styles and flavours - from boundary bending beers brewed with everything from mango, chilli and Vietnamese mint, to cacao nibs, marshmallows and coffee, all the way through to Garage classics like BEER - a simple lager brewed with the best German malt and Czech hops.

“Traditionally people have always used whatever ingredients are at hand to bring interest and balance to beer, whether it be different grains, honey, hops, herbs, fruit or spices. At Garage Project we’re just following and expanding on this creative tradition.”

If there is a theme running through the many beers Garage Project produce, it’s a sense of fun - reimagining traditional beers, playfully pushing boundaries, exploring new ways of brewing or sometimes just celebrating classic beer styles. This sense of fun extends to the way Garage Project beers are presented, especially in the unique art on cans and labels.

“Great beer art only elevates the experience of drinking a beer. I’m a strong believer that every beer

should tell a story. When you engage with a beer, the experience begins well before you open the can or bottle. The art draws you in, you want to pick it up and look more closely. A lot of our art rewards close attention with little ‘Easter eggs’ and fun hidden treats.

Read the blurb on the label and it draws you in further, then finally, crack it open and pour it out (or drink it straight from the can). For us, it’s a holistic experience we take pride in.”

Lockdown was intensely challenging for Garage Project, as it has been for many businesses. The closure of bars overnight eliminated a significant part of the market and left many brewers wondering what the future would hold.

“For us, our connection with our audience, especially through social media, was a lifesaver and translated directly into a boost in retail and web sales that saw us through. It is a hugely valuable connection we’ve worked hard to create and are extremely grateful to have.” One of the most fun developments for Garage Project this year has been being able to share its FRESH IPA further afield. FRESH IPA has been a monthly series of small batch hazy IPAs with an ever-changing line up of hops and malt that, up until recently, have only been available from its brewery outlets.

“The beer has been a huge success and this year we have started rebrewing some of our favourites for retail release,” Gillespie explained. “People are excited by new drinking experiences, but they have to be able to trust that they will be rewarded for their investment. NPD is in our DNA. I think we are well on track this year to beat our tally of 24 new beers in 24 weeks. Just have a look at our Facebook and Instagram to see the latest new beers we’ve been working on.”

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Good George Brewing Good George Brewing was founded in 2012 and started in the old St George’s Church in the industrial heart of Hamilton, Frankton. It came about when two of its founders, who have a history in hospitality decided they were sick of being told what to do by big breweries so thought they’d start their own.

They found out that an international beer judge and expert brewer lived just up the road in Hamilton so brought him in as the third founder and the rest is history. The brewery site has grown over the years but is all still based around the church (and dining hall which people can visit). The philosophy of the brewery is to help people have better beer and cider moments, to educate people about how good beer can be in a way that is fun and enjoyable.

Good George’s beer range is all about quality, full flavoured brews in styles people like, made with care.

Their cider range is about exciting, tasty flavours made well that people love to drink. “We own a few of our own bar/restaurants which gives us the opportunity to provide a more comprehensive GG (Good George) experience when people visit. Our teams can help people find their favourite GG brew and match it with quality food and atmosphere,” explained Darrel Hadley, Good George Brewing Co-founder.

During lockdown, Good George switched a still it had making gin in the brewery to start producing hand sanitiser. “We couldn’t find any in the shops

so decided to make it ourselves. Within a week we’d made and given away over 1200 litres of the stuff to our team, essential services and people in our community in need. Since then we have given away another 2000 litres to local schools starting back up with the move out of lockdown.”

Two Good George brews were placed in the NWBCA Top 30. Its APA, which has long been a beer the Good George team all love to drink and The Passionfruit Cider has been incredibly popular since its launch. “It’s great to get external recognition, and hopefully being part of the top 30 means lots of others discover how great it is.”

The brewery’s Toasted Marshmallow Stout was launched during lockdown (it got a place in the Top 100 for NWBCA), as well as an Apple Pie & Ice Cream Cider and a Hazy Pale Ale in squealers.

The team are working on some more new releases in

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squealers and a new can 6 pack. They are also about to roll out an updated label design across its beer squealer range. “We’ve been releasing lots of small batch limited edition brews through our online store and will continue to do so, as well as some gin and premixed cocktails.” Hadley acknowledged how the team at Good George really came together to get through lockdown.

“There’s been incredible resilience from lots of our team all across the business which has been awesome to see during challenging times, and why it’s so great to get external recognition from awards like NWBCA. We hope customers get a chance to find their new favourite within our range as a result of trying them through the awards promotion. The NWBCA team does a great job pulling it together and helping customers explore the exciting world of beer and cider.”

Three Boys Brewery

Fifteen years ago, Ralph Bungard and Brigid Casey started Three Boys Brewery in a time when there were only a handful of independent brewers in New Zealand. Bungard comes from a science background and Three Boys Brewery was a career change following quite some time working in science in New Zealand and overseas.

The brand remains 100 percent owned by Ralph and Brigid and is one of the oldest remaining independently-owned breweries in New Zealand.

The small team work together with equally important roles in brewing, brew design, fermentation and packaging management, all crucial to the success of a craft brewery. The brand has seen great success at both the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Beer Awards and at this year’s New World Beer and Cider Awards.

The lockdown period gave the business a chance to push projects like its webstore and its front-of-house bar. It also reinforced local connections in business that has become very important for small locally owned businesses to survive right back from the earthquake times. “We have developed a beautiful kombucha to enhance our product range. Customers are becoming increasingly discerning and are constantly seeking out top-quality brews,” said Ralph Bungard.

Lakeman Brewing Co. Lakeman Brewing came about after owners James and Elissa Cooper wanted to diversify away from farming. James came up with the idea when a mate handed him a bottle of Coopers when on holiday in Australia. James, having the same last name, had a light bulb moment and thought that it would be great to start a family-owned brewery.

The rest, they say, is history. The small team, including brewers Rory Donovan and Kenny Rivers pride themselves on bold branding and brews that are brewed on a farm in Taupo. Winning a New World Beer and Cider Award for 2020 is definitely a highlight for the brand.

“We think they are difficult to win, and being judged by our peers is some validation we are on the right track,” said James Cooper.

Following the Government’s announcement on lockdown, the team quickly pivoted to online sales and this helped to supplement their sales from the closure of on-premise accounts.

Cooper believes that customers, particularly following the pandemic, are looking to support local small and medium producers and to learn more about their products, engaging with them in their stories. “They also will always be looking

for consistent, good quality beer that is reasonably priced, things we know we can provide.”

The team have just released Hairy Juice, a West Coast IPA that is clean and balanced showcasing the hops. It is the teams’ favourite brew at the moment.

Hairy Jafa, a chocolate orange stout has also been recently released just in time for Winter. It is a very approachable stout with a lower ABV and a great price point.

Sawmill Brewery Sawmill Brewery was established in 2004 by the Freckleton family who rented a shed from the owners of the Leigh Sawmill Café. Mike Sutherland and Kirsty McKay bought the brewery in 2010 and relocated a few years later to a new site just out of Matakana.

The brew team is made up of talented individuals, Sam Williamson, Paul Carson, Masashi Yoshida and Junior Parata. The brand is all about independence and resourcefulness.

“We have always been willing to break new ground, do things differently and believe we can serve our customers best by thinking for ourselves,” said Mike Sutherland. “So, the style of beer we have made and the way we have delivered it have always been quite different. This is what independence really means for us – thinking for yourself.”

Last year a fire ripped through the brewery and tasting room, forcing it to close, and now post-Covid the adaptability of the team really is a stand-out. “This is what makes Sawmill such a great business, the tenacity, creativity and intelligence of our crew.” Sutherland believes that communication is critical to affecting any strategy. “So, we kept that up with our sales team daily and with our whole team weekly. During lockdown we

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got all our stock up online and partnered with some really dynamic online platforms like The Market and Container Door to reach a wider audience.”

The brand also won the inaugural Brewers Guild Sustainability Award which was open to anyone in the industry, not just breweries, something that the team is very proud of achieving. “For the last 12 months, we have released a monthly beer in our Homegrown series – the first beer series in New Zealand to champion New Zealand farmers and growers and their role in our industry. Until now this has been a monthly keg-only release but later this year, this will be a packaged 440ml can release which we are really excited about. It’s also a chance to tell the stories of the outstanding New Zealand businesses that support the industry. Look out for the Sawmill Homegrown IPA series.

“We think customers want really drinkable beer and are now less interested in gimmicky ingredients. They are increasingly aware of making sure their beer is fresh and has been stored correctly for the best taste.” The team at Sawmill work hard to brew balanced beer and know its customers appreciate this. “We believe there is huge pride in what happens here in New Zealand and we aren’t looking overseas for something better.”

McLeod’s Brewery

Co-owners Geoff and Clayton Gwynne used to own and work in the iconic Pizza Barn in Waipu for about 10 years before they decided to try their hand at craft beer. “It was after visiting the US that we really fell in love with craft beer and small-batch brewing, and the movement toward local breweries in that country really intrigued us,” said Geoff.

In 2014, they launched McLeod’s Brewery with the simple goal of selling their beer on-site through the restaurant. It was in 2016 when head brewer Jason Bathgate fronted the brewery that the brewery really took off, and, after winning a number of medals and a trophy for its beers, that McLeod’s Brewery gained a reputation for quality on the New Zealand craft beer scene.

The brewery has fast become synonymous with quality and consistency. Whatever the style, lager or ale, in whatever guise, the goal has always been the same for the team – make beer that’s good.

McLeod’s Brewery has also built a solid reputation around its foray into ‘hazy’ styles, and specifically its ‘802 Series’ of New England-style India Pale Ales (NEIPAs) which are full-flavoured, hoppy and unashamedly cloudy. “We just released our 24th edition in this series, and customers really seem to love them, which is great.

The hop profile of each beer in the series changes,

so they’re really a study in hops and how they affect aroma and flavours in the beer. Ultimately, they’re just really delicious.”

The biggest highlight in the last year has been winning Small International Brewery and the Trophy for Traders Scotch Ale at the Australian International Beer Awards in May 2019. “It’s a big competition, so to have that kind of recognition for a small brewery out of Waipu village was a pretty wonderful thing.” Like many small businesses in New Zealand, they were hit hard by Covid-19 and lockdown.

“We were incredibly grateful to be considered an ‘essential’ service, so our little bubble could continue production. As we don’t export all sales here in New Zealand, though, and of those ‘keg sales’ were a big chunk of our business.”

Its new website, with e-commerce channel, was launched just one week prior to lockdown so the team were able to sell directly to consumers. “It’s an aspect of our business that has now become a permanent fixture.”

Head brewer Jason Bathgate is always developing really beautiful seasonal releases, so customers can keep an eye out for some delicious additions to the range. The brand also has a growing barrel programme, so more mixed fermentation and sour beers are on the horizon.

Craft beer brands all look to be at the forefront of fun products that are well made, with customers continuing to look for the new. New and innovative beer adjuncts will always come to play, but at the heart of it all is solid brewing.

“If a brewery isn’t making beer that’s drinkable, that brewery likely won’t be around for long. Customers may like new products, but they’re also smart.

Beer consumers are especially savvy nowadays and understand different styles and how they should taste.

We like to think that, while we may not be as wild as some, we’re making beer that our customers can pick up and drink without hesitation or worry that their dollars aren’t well spent.”

According to Geoff, one aspect of the independent beer scene that’s been particularly exciting is the connection between art and beer. Customers just need to walk the aisles of the beer section to see some amazing eye candy. “It’s something we’re expanding on with our seasonal range.

We’re blessed to have New Zealand Grammynominated artist Sarah Larnach in our extended family, and she’s produced some really beautiful seasonal labels and promotional posters for us, so we look forward to continuing this.”

Heineken Light Back in 1873 Gerard Heineken discovered a passion for brewing so he purchased a piece of land in what is now the centre of Amsterdam, built a brewery, and set about perfecting the recipe that would soon become Holland’s first ‘premium’ lager beer. Over the next 140 years the brewery expanded and Heineken is now served in 192 countries, including New Zealand.

Heineken has always used pure, natural ingredients: malted barley, water, hops and a small but significant extra called A-Yeast.

Heineken’s unique A-Yeast is responsible for the rich balanced taste and subtle fruity notes that have distinguished every single Heineken since the 19th century.

Launched in 2015, Heineken Light catered to a growing market of drinkers that wanted a lighter beer, but still with a premium taste. It contains fewer calories, less carbohydrates, and a lower alcohol content compared to original Heineken. “Heineken Light has been a great hit in New Zealand and the team are really proud of the recognition it has received in the 2020 New World Beer & Cider Awards,” said DB Breweries marketing director, Sean O’Donnell.

Heineken Light has been brewed in New Zealand for five years under the supervision of DB’s Master Brewer, Dave Eaton. Dave has worked for DB Breweries for 31 years, and became a qualified global Master Brewer in 2013. He is passionate about quality, and has been at the forefront of our product innovations for many years. In 2019, he spent 11 months developing a 0.0% DB Export product, without using a de-alcoholisation machine (no mean feat!), and this year he has been using the brand’s spent alcohol to manufacture WHO grade hand sanitiser which the team can distribute to its people and customers to support them through the COVID pandemic.

“Dave is incredibly talented, and we are fortunate to have him in our brewery.”

Heineken Light caters for beer drinkers looking for a lighter alternative. The 2.5% lager has fewer calories and less carbohydrates than a fullstrength beer, without compromising on quality or taste.

Heineken Light offers an extraordinarily smooth drinking experience with a superior taste profile brewed using all malt to provide a flavoursome foundation. The Cascade hops used

impart special floral and citrus notes, along with a light bitterness.

“Last year we were really proud to take out the prize for Champion Large International Brewery at the largest annual beer competition in the world, the Australian International Beer Awards. We received over 20 individual prizes for a range of products across our portfolio, the result of brilliant innovation and commitment to quality from our brewers.”

When tackling the impacts of COVID-19 as a business, DB made sure that the safety, health, and wellbeing of its people was the top priority, and recognised the need to be agile in the way it operated, quickly making a number of changes to how they did business and served customers.

With grocery distribution centres overrun, we made a shift to a direct delivery model, a huge change in our logistics model but one that we managed to pull off and ensure we could get beer to supermarket shelves. Our warehouse was busy, and operating in a different way, so we redeployed people from other parts of the business to help out on the shop floor; all the while maintaining bubbles and physical distancing.

Like many businesses, we also found ourselves working digitally far more than we ever had before, and new ways of working became essential. For example, one of our Brewing Team Operators at our Waitemata brewery needed to work from home and was set up at home by our IT Department to be able to operate our plant from their house. They ran much of the brewhouse from home, giving the term “home brewing” a whole new dimension!

All in all, people at DB have really come together to bring the company through this time. The teamwork, collaboration, agility, and adaptability has been truly remarkable.”

O’Donnell notes that New Zealand has, for some time now, seen a growing trend towards products with lower alcohol and carbohydrates, with nearly one in every 10 beers bought in New Zealand being either a lower carb, or a low or no alcohol product.

“We are the market leader in this sector and we’re really proud to offer Kiwis a variety of delicious low and no alcohol options, including great products like Heineken Light.”

Zeffer

Zeffer are a small, independent Hawke’s Bay cidery who craft world-class, imaginative apple ciders (and ginger beer) with a New Zealand twist.

“Our cider making journey began in 2008 with our founders Sam and Hannah throwing in their day jobs with the (some said crazy) idea to craft real New Zealand cider from freshly crushed apples in a small shed in Matakana,” said Josh Townsend, CEO at Zeffer.

“The first ever batch of Zeffer was sold at their local Farmer’s Market to rave reviews. It was so popular they began stocking a few local stores and soon people all over New Zealand wanted to get their hands on it.”

The team grew a little bigger, as well as their tanks, and eventually the business was moved to Hawke’s Bay, the home of sunshine and apples.

“We’re proud of our small team and the calibre of cider we’re producing. Real, all-natural cider, crafted by a few friends from the best ingredients.” For the team at Zeffer, what makes their brand stand out from the rest is the quality of ingredients they choose to use in making its cider and flavour innovations. “We don’t for example ferment apple juice concentrate, which the majority of ciders in New Zealand are made from,” said head cidermaker Jody Scott.

“We instead use freshly pressed Hawke’s Bay apples and we make sure any ingredients we use to create our flavour profiles are the best quality we can find.

For example, we use beautiful rich red cherries from Central Otago in our Top 30 winner Rosé Cider with Berry Infusion and whole cinnamon quills and vanilla pods in our Highly Commended Apple Crumble Cider. Our Apple Crumble Cider launched more than 4 years ago and remains one of our most popular and unique ciders – customers often comment that it tastes exactly like its dessert namesake. Our ciders tend to be drier in style too. Our Crisp Apple Cider has one of the lowest natural sugar contents on the market too.”

Naturally, winning awards and gaining ranging is a highlight for any brand, but for Zeffer it reaffirms that the team are making an outstanding product. A few months ago, Lion took over its distribution and having a large sales force on the ground advocating for its range of ciders across a number of channels has certainly been another highlight for the business’ journey.

Panhead Custom Ales

Panhead Custom Ales was started by Mike and his wife Anna Neilson in the old Dunlop factory in Upper Hutt with the first beer rolling out of the brewery in August 2013. The name Panhead is slang for an old 1940s motorbike engine and is fitting for the customer lifestyle that the brand embrace.

As with the name Panhead Custom Ales, the team and customers embrace its custom lifestyle. “Custom, well-made beer, it’s kind of how Kiwis are tinkerers, we love taking things and improving on them in our garages, and it’s what we do with our beer,” said Rik Valentine, head brewer.

“We take certain styles, tinker with them to give customers something different in a glass that is wellmade, and can be challenging yet enjoyable.”

The team at Panhead rallied together to keep beer rolling out of the brewery during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. The adaptability they showed along with the determination to keep everyone safe is something that the team are very proud of. “Throughout the business, the team had to adapt to unique working conditions and a move away from any keg production to all pack formats. For a portfolio the size of Panhead, that’s no easy feat.” As with a lot of other businesses, Panhead had to adapt to the way the market was buying beers during lockdown.

“We built an online platform in a week which offered distribution of our pack products and

“It reaffirmed that our commitment to producing small-batch, premium, sustainably-made craft cider from local apples and real fruit is worth it.”

During lockdown, the brand decided to close its cidery even though it was deemed an essential service.

“We wanted to protect our team and do our part in the fight against Covid-19. We were however able to produce and shift sufficient cider to an external Essential Service warehouse around the corner from our cidery so we could continue to supply supermarkets and fulfil our online store orders using contactless delivery. Unfortunately, under the trying circumstances we weren’t necessarily guaranteed our spot on the shelves – it was tough for everyone we think.

Like many others who supply to or are part of the hospitality industry we were hard hit. We tried to look for ways to support the industry as best we could and ran some small campaigns using the SOS Café platform for example. We were grateful to have our online store up and running and really pivoted in this space. We offered free delivery and were able to get a fair bit of cider to people’s doorsteps during lockdown so we’re really hoping that they’ll now continue to seek us out in supermarkets when they’re doing their weekly shop,” added Townsend.

Zeffer release regular limited seasonal releases. In June, Zeffer will be releasing a Winter Plum Crumble Cider. This cider is a variation on its very popular Apple Crumble Cider, a truly delicious cider for the colder winter months. “We do have some other exciting NPD launches planned for this summer. We are very much focussed on working with retailers to produce SKUs which specifically meet their needs and those of their customers.” Lower sugar, premiumisation and sustainability is something that brands are currently focussed on. Zeffer is proud to have been looking at these for more than 10 years with its core range of cider, going right back to its original Crisp Apple Cider which remains a top seller to this day.

“We are excited to continue to innovate and hone our range in the coming year! It’s what gets our cidermaking team excited to come to work each day.

We look forward to sharing some new ideas very soon so watch this space.”

merchandise nationally. We were also able to offer the supply of riggers of our limited release batch beers that we produce in our 600L pilot brewery.

Although Panhead Custom Ales was sold to Lion in July 2016, founder Mike Neilson still works in the business.” Click and collect service was also set up for beer sales and tasting room meals. The online platform has given the brand a wider reach nationally which they will continue to offer.

The team were excited again this year to produce a unique Fresh Hop beer, Far from Dead IPA. The beer was a blend of Kettle sour and Hazy IPA. “Year on year we like to test the educated and refined palates of the New Zealand market with our fresh hop beers. We are in the process of developing a new range to be released towards the end of this year that is exciting for Panhead Custom Ales as a brand.

“We are lucky in New Zealand to have a premium craft market of drinkers that are happy to experiment with what they are drinking. It allows breweries to test the boundaries of any style with ingredients and brewing techniques. I think a majority of craft beer punters are currently looking for a couple of experimental brews and then their staple 6-pack of more sessionable craft beers.” Moving into the colder months, Valentine believes there will be some unique styles of dark beers with unusual taste profiles just to test the drinker’s palate.

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Zeelandt Brewery Zeelandt Brewery was established in 2012 and operates on the family vineyard in Esk Valley, Hawke’s Bay. “I combined brewing, education and travel around Europe with the idea to bring the variety of beer styles found in that part of the world to NZ,” said owner, Christopher Barber.

Made here in NZ and using some European ingredients, served fresh to locals. “My brother grows the grapes to make wine under his own label Petane Wines, so it made sense for us to build on our land and leverage off each other as we grow.

Every brewery and head brewer has their own influences that create their unique style and the influence for Zeelandt came from the numerous styles that are found in the different regions of Europe.

“I bring these to the market keeping them in style, integrating and balancing the flavours and letting each ingredient speak to the drinker. It becomes a journey and an experience. If we’ve done a good job the test is to want another. These styles aren’t one-hit-wonders, they’ve stood the test of time.”

Being awarded a Top 30 spot in the New World Beer and Cider Awards sits pretty high on the list of highlights for the brand as well as being granted permission to build a garden bar in the front of the brewery. “This way we can create an experience and share our story. A beer by the brewery and a wine on the vineyard, it’s something unique and we get to meet our customers and bring the community together.”

The brand has a good loyal base of customers and an online shop which helped them get through challenges like the recent lockdown. “It was a matter of letting these people know that we were still operating and

attracting new customers that hadn’t used the online shop before. It was nice to have the support of Kiwis.”

Recently, Zeelandt released a dunkelweizen, Two Dukes and a saison, Workers Unite which are available as seasonal releases. Both of these have been bottle conditioned (refermented in the bottle), which gives the beer a fine carbonation and silky mouthfeel.

“We are soon to release Finders Keepers IPA, again this will be bottle conditioned. Each year we release a beer called Mary, changing the style from year to year.

We have our thinking caps on at the moment and keep coming back to a particular style so that is something to look out for mid-spring.”

There is plenty of innovation and trends that emerge from this industry and a few breweries have built their story around this. “We are more focussed on brewing techniques rather than trends to get the best from our ingredients and equipment. Having a garden bar gives us a platform for a bit of innovation around the beer/ wine space. We are pretty small so it’s also a matter of finding the time while running a business.”

Boneface Brewing Co. Boneface Brewing Co was started by Matt Dainty in March 2017. After working in a couple of other NZ breweries, Dainty thought it was time to start his own and with the new trend of having a tap room attached to the brewery, decided that would be a good idea too. “Being a lover of Sci-Fi and comics, I decided that we would theme our brand around that with a bit of a story and some comic style art with our branding and packaging,” said Dainty.

A highlight over the last year has been installing the business’ new canning line to add another dimension to its products. Lockdown in New Zealand was a big change for the Boneface business model as the tap room had become a large part of the business which had to remain closed until Level 3, at which point it could only do takeaway food and pack beer. “We have seen a large increase in our online sales as well as our supermarket sales rise quite significantly as they were the only two avenues of which beer could be purchased by consumers over lockdown.”

Following on from the install of the canning line, the brand will have a whole new range of Boneface multipack beers and a look to release many one-off seasonal beers into the market. So far, these have been well received by customers and buyers. Dainty believes a lot of customers are always looking for a new beer to try whether it be a new style that is trending or a good-old classic style done well. “It has been a pleasure working with the Foodstuffs team after getting our beer into the Top 30 and hope to do it again next year.”

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Swinkels Family Brewers

Founded in 1719, in the small Dutch village of Lieshout, Swinkels Family Brewers are still based at the same location over three centuries later. The 100 percent independent family brewer offers the right beer for every occasion, each with its own taste and character. Brewed with love in one of its breweries, brewing beer has been in its genes for 300 years.

Swinkels Family Brewers has grown to a 8mHL, €900m turnover, 1,800 employee brewing group and export its brands to over 130 markets around the world with its seven breweries in the Netherlands, Belgium and Ethiopia producing a portfolio of over 300 beers.

The brand’s non-alcoholic adventure started in 1978 when Wim Swinkels pioneered to create a non-alcoholic beer, one of the first breweries in the world to do so. “In those times, we already shipped low alcohol products to the Middle East and Africa, but for religious reasons, it could not contain any alcohol,” said Simon Holland, country manager for Australia and New Zealand.

During a visit in Helsinki, Wim saw an experiment with lagering beer. It gave him inspiration on how to create alcohol-free beer. He ordered a test installation right away and after six months of team work, the process for creating alcohol-free beer was there, fully Halal and Kosher.

“Back then, people chose a non-alcoholic beer mostly because they had to, for religious reasons or because they were the designated sober driver.”

Today, the seventh generation of Swinkels is leading the business and within the wide portfolio of beautiful beers, there is a very strong role and position for zero alcohol beers. The brand has recently invested in a new technique to make non-alcoholic beer taste even more like an alcoholic beer.

Gijs Swinkels, CCO of the company, believes that non-alcoholic beers are the future and it will rapidly expand across the world. “The taste of 0.0% evolves in the direction of alcoholic beers,” said Swinkels.

“Within our company we have a wide range of nonalcoholic beers. We are proud of our 0.0% Wit beer and our other 0.0% flavours. Thanks to our unique brewing methods and our down to earth mentality, we always try to innovate to bring new tastes, while keeping the quality high. That way we pass on an even better brewery to the next generation”.

Master brewer at Swinkels Family Brewers for almost 20 years, Emiel Hendrikx, said new techniques will enable the business to close the gap between 0.0% beers and 5% beers. “Consumers are more

and more focused on the health benefits of drinking 0.0%, for example, because of the lower calories,” said Hendrikx. “With this realisation there are lots of new things waiting to happen, innovations, and a lot more – watch this space!”

The brand’s award-winning Bavaria 0.0% Wit is a refreshing white beer without alcohol based on natural ingredients and natural mineral water from its own spring. Light coloured, clouded, a typical mild wheat character with a pleasant bitterness. A fresh mix of fruity and herbal tones in the scent is what characterises Bavaria 0.0% Wit. It’s a worthy alcoholfree beer with light cloudiness, pleasant foam and a refreshing aftertaste.

Last year, the brand received Royal accreditation from the Dutch Royal Family meaning that it can be officially called Royal Swinkels Family Brewers.

Prior to this, in 2019, the brand celebrated its 300th anniversary. During the pandemic, the business, like most, has had to adapt quickly to the new normal, especially in its home town Holland, where it has a significant amount of on-premise business. “During this time, we converted all of the alcohol in our kegs of beer, that would have gone to waste otherwise, into hand sanitiser which we donated to various organisations in need during the short supply.”

Not only is the brand launching a Bavaria 0.0% IPA, it is also going through a full redesign to further stand-out on shelves.

“Consumers are really starting to embrace the alcohol-free category, but with this comes increased expectations of the quality, range and availability. We are constantly pushing ourselves to improve our range and techniques to create the best alcohol-free beers in the world. The holy grail is to create a 0.0% beer where consumers can’t tell there is no alcohol in it. A beer that has the bite and depth of a regular beer but with zero alcohol.”

Also available in New Zealand is the Bavaria Pilsner 5%, 0.0%, 3.3%, Belgian Amber Ale (Palm), Sour Ales (Rodenbach), Belgian Blond and Wheat Beers (Steenbrugge), Belgian Heavy Blond (Cornet) and other beers including Hollandia Pilsner.

Renaissance Brewing When Andy Deuchars and Brian Thiel started the brand Renaissance, there were very few craft beers available in New Zealand, those that were available were hard to find. Brian and Andy were passionate about preserving the traditional British ale styles that were fading away due to the overwhelming influence of large international beer brands.

As Marlborough was the heart of wine country, and a place full of people that were passionate about having a true and authentic flavour experience when it came to food and drink, Blenheim was seen as the logical place for them to begin. Renaissance was born, and the rest, they say is history.

Renaissance is one of the earlier craft breweries in New Zealand and is best known for its British style beers, Porters, Scotch Ale and Barley Wine. It still has the original 100-year-old grain mill and hand scoop spent grain out of the mash tun. Every brew is a workout and made with passion.

Sunshine Brewery In 1989, Sunshine Brewery released its first beer, Gisborne Gold, a local lager that celebrated hot beaches, surf and the East Coast way of life. Last year, to celebrate the brand’s 30th anniversary of brewing, they commissioned a new brewhouse, launched a major rebranding and extended its taproom operation.

“Our heritage range of Gold, Green and Red were relaunched with a reworked original label and our core range of great beers were given a totally new look that reflects our roots,” said Martin Jakicevich, director and beer namer.

The brand was originally crafted by a couple of locals sitting out the back waiting for a set to roll in. On the back of Gisborne Gold and Black Magic stout, Sunshine was named the Supreme Brewery in the 1996 NZ Beer Show. Sadly, it then went walk about until 2013 when locals Martin Jakicevich and Peter Thorpe joined up with mark Young from Vitners NZ and purchased what was left of the brewery operation. They wanted to rebuild Sunshine to again be one of NZ’s leading and iconic independent breweries alongside one of the original owners Gerry Maude, who still is involved in the business.

Originally from Yorkshire, with brewing in his blood, head brewer Dave Huff earnt a degree in fine arts before setting off to see the world. He was so taken by the craft beer industry in New Zealand, he stayed on and earned his brewing stripes under the tutelage of some of New Zealand’s best brewers.

“He came to us from Hallertau and is the driving force behind all our beers and brewing. No one smiled more than us when he won 14 medals at the 2019 NZ Brewers Guild beer awards last year including the trophy for the best in the European Ale Class.” Sunshine Brewing are the oldest surviving independent brewery in NZ, and are authentic and iconic just like its East Coast lifestyle.

“While our heritage range beers reflect the working person of our region and the outdoor lifestyle of the East Coast, our core range and seasonal beers are amongst the best you can find on the shelf.”

Over the last year a highlight has been to drink the first beer to be brewed on the new brewhouse (the first American brewing equipment brewhouse in NZ), a fully automatic 2500L 3-vessel steam driven kit.

“We really would like to say a massive thank you to the Foodstuffs operators in Gisborne who actually rang us and committed a display space to help us survive as a local business during lockdown.” The locals also made phone orders and helped to keep the business alive not just through lockdown but over the years.

“We have a real active seasonal programme and have started to put it into bottle, they are out there with plenty more on the way. We have settled in with our Brewhouse and rebrand so it’s time to broaden our horizons and develop our brand further. This means, new brews with a new look that are definitely worth keeping an eye out for.”

The brand has always worked towards catering for the whole crown which is why their Taproom always has 21 Sunshine brews available on tap. “We understand that there are adventurous drinkers looking to find unique beer styles and casual drinkers looking for a consistent and refreshing, easy-drinking beers.

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“Last year was our 1000th brew where past and present brewers came together to create ‘Heritage’,” said a spokesperson for the company. “This included six of NZ’s finest brewers, all of whom honed their craft at Renaissance Brewery including; Soren Eriksen (8 Wired), Matt Dainty (Boneface), Jim Holly (Twisted Hop), Jason Bathgate (McLeod’s Brewery), Andy Deuchars (Renaissance), and Sean Moss (Renaissance).

During lockdown the business was able to adapt and continue trading through online sales. The brand Renaissance is turning 15 in September and the team will be creating a special brew to celebrate.

“Craft beer is always evolving and developing. Hazy has been a big trend over the past year and craft sessions ales are becoming more popular, 3.5%-5% ABVs and fruity flavours.”