Auckland Food Show kicked off today, featuring almost 300 businesses from around the country. Photo / Alex Burton
Auckland Food Show kicked off today, featuring almost 300 businesses from around the country. Photo / Alex Burton
The Auckland Food Show kicked off today, with businesses out in full force to showcase fresh new flavours and trends set to hit Kiwi supermarkets and restaurants.
From Goan sausages to Polish liqueur to Kiwi pottery, this year’s show features almost 300 businesses making their mark on New Zealand’s foodscene, with a special focus on small businesses.
Food Show managing director Brent Spillane said the show is important as it will back local small businesses which have been hit hard in recent years through the pandemic and more recent economic challenges.
Food retailers, manufacturers, chefs and suppliers spread across the four halls at Auckland Showgrounds to make up each section, including the Artisan Village, Brewers Lane, Meat Street, the Healthy Hub, Taste of Taranaki and others.
Running the company’s stall, Pic’s Peanut Butter chief executive Aimee McCammon said the show is a great opportunity to meet customers after the last few years of pandemic restrictions.
McCammon introduced Pic’s new smooth and crunchy peanut butter cross Smunchy, despite global supply chain disruptions in peanut exports.
Brewers Alley at the Auckland Food Show. Photo / Alex Burton
“We’re working on growing peanuts in New Zealand. We currently get them from Australia and Brazil, but there have been issues with imports being stuck at the border,” she said.
Waiotahe’s Ohiwa Black Diamond Truffles offered a selection of truffle honey, salt and oil.
Founders Matiu Hudson and Annette Munday brought a range of their home-grown black truffles, with one truffle valued at $830 to be given away to a lucky raffle-winner this weekend.
Liquor retailers ranged from local Kiwi breweries like Wellington’s Fortune Flavours to high-end European suppliers like Exceptional Flavours, who specialise in Belgian beer and liquor.
Co-owner Heidi Verhulst said the Food Show is the exclusive spot to buy certain products not available in supermarkets, including Filliers’ liqueur cream Advokaat.
Ōtaki-based Polish craft liqueur company Barlovska offered a selection of Polish liqueur served according to traditional customs.
Auckland's Food Show showcases small Kiwi businesses inspired by global cuisine. Photo / Alex Burton
Co-founder Maciek Ganc said the team cross authentic Polish recipes with locally grown ingredients to bring a taste of Poland to Aotearoa.
For those looking for something hot, Dona Lou’s brought a fusion of Portuguese and Goan food to the table, which founder Lourdes “Lou” Noronha said is a nod to the Portuguese influence in her hometown in Goa, India.
The event featured a range of diverse businesses in health and wellness, including Auckland-based Pullmoon, which makes Asian-inspired wellness products like collagen gummies and shots, all produced at their factory in East Tāmaki.
Countdown supermarkets featured a range of their suppliers, with exhibitions from the Odd Bunch, Leaderbrands, the NZ Avocado Collective and other suppliers.
NZ Avocado Collective general manager Jarrod Redwood said the event is a great way for consumers to learn about where their food comes from and highlight the challenges hitting the industry.
Redwood said severe weather has meant growers have had a tough year. With farms north of Kerikeri, he said conditions need to improve in order for growers to be at their full capacity.
Dennis Patel from Warkworth-based supplier Southern Paprika said the closure of Kapuni’s carbon dioxide plant has squeezed the business even further.
He said despite the business using as many sustainability practices as possible, suppliers and other small businesses need urgent help to support food suppliers and keep food prices down for Kiwis.
The Food Show runs from Thursday, July 27 to Sunday, July 30 at Auckland Showgrounds.
Alka Prasad is an Auckland-based business reporter covering small business and retail.
