FMCG Business September 2021

NEW ZEALAND FOOD AWARDS 2021 FINALISTS REVEALED

The Product Lifetime Achievement Award finalists are: Wattie’s ‘Tomato Sauce’, Whittaker’s ‘Peanut Slab’ and Vogel’s ‘Original Mixed Grain Bread’.

The New Zealand Food Awards are a celebration of Aotearoa’s finest local food and beverage producers, showcasing the best of New Zealand’s food and beverage innovation, excellence and sustainability.

Plant-based mince, seaweed salt, and Sauvignon Blanc Gin are just some of the new Kiwi products announced as finalists in the 2021 New Zealand Food Awards powered by Massey University.

There were more than 170 entries this year, and from those a team of judges whittled down the best of the best, ending up with 66 finalists from 45 companies from across the country.

Head Judge Kay McMath says judges focused on finding innovative, high quality and sustainable products.

“The team of judges are happy to present an exciting array of finalists for this year’s New Zealand Food Awards. All of these finalists had focused on meeting consumer demands, be that for nutrition, convenience, variety or excellence using technology, creativity and sound processes. Congratulations to all these finalists on a superb achievement!”

Finalists include several winners from previous years, but also an impressive line-up of new brands and products.

Renowned chef of Homeland NZ, Peter Gordon joined the judging panel this year. He said: “As a first-time judge, I was excited to be a part of a broad panel of expertise. The judging is about so much more than one person’s point of view and I learned a lot from the experience. I was really encouraged to see so much innovation in the health and wellbeing space - products that cater for different dietary requirements. Consumers 40

FMCG BUSINESS - SEPTEMBER 2021

can be excited to see a broad spectrum of finalists, there’s some really exciting surprises in there.”

Lifetime Achievement Award The New Zealand Food Awards also announced the finalists for the Product Lifetime Achievement Award - sponsored by AsureQuality. This award was introduced in 2019 and celebrates Kiwi products that have withstood the test of time. The 2021 finalists are: Wattie’s ‘Tomato Sauce’, Whittaker’s ‘Peanut Slab’ and Vogel’s ‘Original Mixed Grain Bread’.

The New Zealand Food Awards have celebrated New Zealand’s food and beverage manufacturers, focusing on innovation, sustainability and excellence, since 1987. Powered by Massey University, the awards are open to small and large food and beverage manufacturers, primary food producers, food service providers and ingredient supply companies.

Finalist and winning products earn the New Zealand Food Award’s quality mark to highlight their technical capability, consumer acceptability, regulatory compliance and food quality and safety to shoppers and industry.

The awards programme is made possible with the support of the NZ Food Awards Partner Network: Massey University, Palmerston North City Council, New Zealand Food Safety, Countdown, Cuisine, AsureQuality, KiwiSo, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, BNZ, Villa Maria, FMCG Business, FoodHQ, The Food Innovation Network, XPO and The New Zealand Institute of Food Science & Technology Ltd.