Heinz moves more production to NZ
Date: 27 May 2011Heinz Australia will shed more than 300 jobs when it moves its Victoria, NSW and Queensland operations to New Zealand, it announced today. The decision will result in the loss of 160 jobs at Golden Circle's Northgate plant in Brisbane, 146 jobs at Girgarre in northern Victoria and another 38 jobs at Wagga Wagga, in NSW. Heinz will shift production of sauces, beetroot and some meals products from these facilities to its operations in Hastings, it announced in a statement. Heinz ... more
Deep South ice-cream licks the competition
Date: 27 May 2011The New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers Association has just found out what Southlanders have known for years - Deep South ice-cream is the best in the country. Christchurch business consultants Mike Killick and Alex Hopkins bought Deep South, established in 1979 by Southland's Simon family, in December last year. Their investment paid off, with the company taking out the Supreme Award for a Large Manufacturer at the association's 15th annual awards ceremony in Queenstown for its ... more
Plain Vanilla - once again, Simply the Best!
Date: 27 May 2011Simply the Best!! As the classic Tina Turner number states - this was the description of one of the Supreme Award winning ice creams in this year’s New Zealand Ice Cream Awards. Deep South Ice Cream's Vanilla has taken out a Supreme Award for the second time, an unprecedented feat, and making it New Zealand's most-decorated "plain" Vanilla. Ice cream experts will tell you that it is Vanilla ice cream that is the true test of ice cream quality, as defects have ... more
ZESPRI® GOLD Kiwifruit is a better source of vitamin C than supplements
Date: 27 May 2011New research has discovered that vitamin C from ZESPRI® GOLD Kiwifruit is far more effectively absorbed into the body than a supplement. In a recent study published by the internationally heralded American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers at University of Otago, Christchurch found that mice absorbed vitamin C from ZESPRI® GOLD Kiwifruit five times more effectively than an artificial vitamin C supplement. Lead researcher, Associate Professor Margreet Vissers said ... more
NZ coffee roaster claims world first compost coffee bag
Date: 26 May 2011Greenie caffeine addicts now have the option of buying freshly roasted coffee in foil bags that can be safely buried in the garden or compost heap. Christchurch coffee roaster Caffe Prima believes it has achieved a world first with its fully compostable foil bags made from wood pulp and corn starch by Hamilton-based Convex Plastics. The new Econic coffee packets to be launched next week started to soften after a fortnight when they were tested at a Waikato bark composting facility. ... more
Red Rock Deli launches gourmet snack range in NZ
Date: 26 May 2011The foodies behind Red Rock Deli are proud to announce the arrival of their gourmet potato chips to New Zealand. Brett McGregor, winner of MasterChef 2010, says that, “simply put, Red Rock Deli makes the best crisps that I have tried in a long time. The flavours are inspired, fresh and utterly delicious, and the texture is mighty crispy and crunchy”. Lisa King, Group Brand Manager at the Red Rock Deli Chip Company, says “we are excited to bring Australia’s ... more
Historic Canterbury Brewery to be demolished
Date: 26 May 2011Christchurch's landmark Canterbury Brewery will be bulldozed and a $15 million warehouse and distribution centre built on the site. Lion told staff this morning it would relocate the bulk of its Christchurch brewing operations to Speights Brewery in Dunedin. A total of 22 jobs will go from the 110 based in Canterbury. Lion corporate affairs director Neil Hinton said the St Asaph Street brewery was so badly damaged in the February earthquake it had to be demolished. He said ... more
Marmite and Vegemite smuggling: Denmark's new crime
Date: 26 May 2011New Zealand’s food and grocery companies are incredulous at Denmark’s bizarre decision to make breakfast spreads like Marmite and Vegemite illegal under food safety laws, says Katherine Rich, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Food & Grocery Council. This bizarre decision of The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to ban these iconic Kiwi brands is one of the world’s best examples of what happens when governments don’t pay suitable attention to the ... more
SPCA Blue Tick for free range chicken
Date: 25 May 2011Is your chicken truly free range – and what exactly does that mean? Consumers will soon be able to buy chicken meat that carries the SPCA Blue Tick of accreditation – signifying that the farming methods are in line with the specific welfare standards prescribed by the society. The SPCA’s Blue Tick programme is the only independently audited animal welfare standard in New Zealand and identifies animal products produced in a manner that is guaranteed to be humane. ... more
Great galangal: the secret of a successful curry chef
Date: 25 May 2011The secret of many mouth-watering Malaysian curries is in the flavour of the important galangal [“guh-lang-guhl”] root. Greater galangal is the variety used most commonly in Malaysia – it is from the ginger family however it differs greatly in flavour and texture from the common ginger New Zealanders are familiar with. The pantry staple has a sharp and peppery flavour – more likened to pepper than ginger. The spice is used in curries, sauces, salads and soups ... more
