Kai Ora Honey CEO Blanche Morrogh, Kiwi chef Peter Gunn and Australian TV presenter, Catriona Rowntree at an event for the New Zealand Trade Mission to Australia. Photo/ White Chilli Photography.
Kai Ora Honey CEO Blanche Morrogh, Kiwi chef Peter Gunn and Australian TV presenter, Catriona Rowntree at an event for the New Zealand Trade Mission to Australia. Photo/ White Chilli Photography.
One of the Far North's most innovative business movers and shakers has just returned home after a whirlwind trade mission to Australia with the New Zealand Prime Minister.
Kai Ora Honey and Hāna Botanicals CEO and owner Blanche Morrogh of Ahipara was one of 31 New Zealand business owners to join the PM and Minister for Tourism Stuart Nash on the trip to Australia last week.
The New Zealand Trade Mission was the first trip of its kind to Australia for Prime Minister Ardern since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, curtailing plans for a trade mission in June 2021.
The aim of the visit was to advance the business interests of those on the delegation, broadly promote transtasman linkages and enhance the overall quality of New Zealand's trade relationship with Australia.
From humble beginnings growing up in Te Hapua in a house with no power or gravity-fed water, Morrogh has grown her Kai Ora Honey business into a manuka honey empire.
The company now exports around 60 tonnes of honey each year and sells a range of products including salad dressing, cooking oils and seasoning.
Recognising the demand for natural skincare, Morrogh also recently added to her business portfolio by introducing Hāna Botanicals, which now sells skincare products to countries all over the world.
The mother of two said she was still buzzing after the once-in-a-lifetime trade mission and said it had fuelled her desire to push even harder for better innovation and collaboration across the Te Taitokerau business sector.
"I truly am proud to have been able to represent Northland's quality foods and beverages over the past week," Morrogh said.
Kai Ora Honey CEO Blanche Morrogh with New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern in Australia. Photo/White Chilli Photography
"I started the week feeling like a tiny ant among the giants but left feeling like I was valued and belonged.
"Significant opportunities have also opened as a result of the trip and I look forward to sharing these opportunities with more Northland businesses at the grassroots level."
Morrogh said she had great plans for the region, which while seemingly ambitious, were in her opinion not unachievable.
She said setting the foundations in innovation, in particular, would position the community to continue to grow well into the future.
"A big takeaway from this trip is that to be successful moving forward, we need more innovative collaboration between businesses in order for us all to survive and thrive," Morrogh said.
"When people think innovation, they think science labs and the like, but it's so much more than that.
"For example, there are so many amazing Far North businesses offering unique products and services, but the cost of entering the market as a sole entity can often be a barrier.
"Through innovative collaboration, we can stop working in silos and do things like using the same single licensing, share the cost of a single export office and scale and price competitively without leaving Northland."
Morrogh said the new Free Trade Agreements with Australia and European Union were also set to benefit New Zealand businesses, with demand for Kiwi products secured as part of the new deals.
Sustainable and innovative businesses were also said to be key predictors of future success, according to Morrogh, who reiterated the need for Northland business owners to ensure they don't get left behind in the race to remain competitive and relative.
A New Zealand Trade Enterprise spokesperson said when looking at what businesses to choose for the visit, they looked at several key themes, including what the business was doing around sustainability.
"Blanche and fellow business owners were selected based on the trade mission's overarching theme of connect, collaborate and innovate," the spokesperson said.
"We looked at whether they already had strong established connections in Australia and/or the potential to further develop long-lasting relationships as a result of being part of the travelling delegation.
"In terms of collaboration, among other things, we looked at businesses that had previously shown their willingness to collaborate with NZTE.
"For innovation, businesses had to have a strong element of innovation and an ambition to innovate their offering (product, business model, approach or process) specific to the Australian market."
According to the NZTE, there was also growing consideration by the Australian public/consumers and businesses around sustainability and how it played out both day to day but also over the long term.
They said in terms of this aspect, "Kai Ora Honey and Blanche were a perfect fit."
The delegation travelled to both Sydney and Melbourne for various events, including the Discover New promotion whereby, in partnership with David Jones, 25 New Zealand consumer brands were showcased online and in DJ's Sydney flagship store on Elizabeth St.
The group also took part in recognising and celebrating NAIDOC week - a week-long national celebration of the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The following New Zealand companies took part in the recent Trade Mission to Australia:
Technology
Banqer (financial education) Firmsy (legal industry software) Groov (mental health wellbeing) Cogo (carbon management) Education Perfect Chnnl (mental health wellbeing) The Mind Lab (education) Healthpoint MyHR Sharesies Tait Communications XERO (accounting) Mint Innovation (Clean Tech)
Tourism and Events Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) New Zealand Māori Tourism
Food and Beverages Garage Project Giesen Kia Ora Honey OKU Herbal Teas Reefton Distilling Co. (producer of Little Biddy Gin) The Pure Food Co Van Dyck Fine Foods Zeffer Cider
