Lewis Road Creamery enters next phase of expansion with investment

Lewis Road Creamery's Peter Cullinane and Southern Pastures' Prem Maan. Photo / Supplied

New Zealand's largest farmland fund Southern Pastures has teamed up with Lewis Road Creamery as a major shareholder.

Lewis Road Creamery founder and chief executive Peter Cullinane said the funds' undisclosed investment would enable further expansion of its brand.

Southern Pastures executive chairman Prem Maan will join the Lewis Road Creamery board.

"The company is looking to expand in New Zealand and abroad. Having Southern Pastures as a cornerstone investor will assist us in that drive," Cullinane said.

"With many new products and plans in the pipeline, we are excited about the opportunities this partnership presents for customers."

Lewis Road Creamery began in Cullinane's kitchen in 2012. Five years later, it now stocks major supermarkets across New Zealand with its range of dairy products.

It is best known for its premium milk, including its Whittaker's chocolate milk collaboration.

Maan said Lewis Road Creamery's approach complemented the fund's goals and vision.

"We have been impressed by what Peter Cullinane and his team have been able to achieve in a relatively short time," he said. "It has become the premium dairy brand in New Zealand and we expect that, with our support, Peter and his team will be able to develop more exciting products and investigate potential offshore markets for expansion."

It is looking for its entrance into the offshore market, Cullinane said.

"We've always thought of Australia and China as being the two most obvious markets and I think both of those remain very much in consideration but the interesting thing with Southern Pastures is that they have a somewhat wider view of the opportunities," he said.

"They are as much or more interested in Southeast Asia and the United States so I think that we're spoiled for choices and it's really now a matter of partnerships coming together, to agree what we are going to focus on and go flat-tack after it."

Cullinane said he'd like to have international presence in atleast two markets within a year.

"One of the areas that we're going to give a lot of research into is UHT products, in addition to fresh milks, and that's a new area for us - and it's one that we think has a lot of promise."

Lewis Road Creamery employs 16 people in New Zealand.