From left: Mayor David Trewavas, Mike Barton and Robert Burrow of Rise Taupō, Kylie Hawker-Green of EGLT, Phil Dykzeul and Amanda Smith of Onetai, and Corrie den Haring of Rise Taupō at the factory opening.
From left: Mayor David Trewavas, Mike Barton and Robert Burrow of Rise Taupō, Kylie Hawker-Green of EGLT, Phil Dykzeul and Amanda Smith of Onetai, and Corrie den Haring of Rise Taupō at the factory opening.
Three new jobs have been created and more will follow as production ramps up at a new export dairy product factory in Taupō.
The factory, operated by Rise Taupō, will take honey produced at Onetai Station, a 1450-hectare sheep and beef farm in north Taranaki, and combine it with milk from local suppliers to produce a premium product comprising milk and mānuka honey. It is expected to begin production next month.
Internationally there is a growing demand for products that are natural, healthy and produced sustainably. Onetai Station wanted to capitalise on this with a new food spread which would be produced in Awakino, but processed at the new factory in Taupō.
Onetai Station has been trialling a combination of emission-reduction initiatives including reducing stock rates, planting native trees, restoring waterways and reducing chemical fertiliser use. During this process they saw an opportunity to create a sustainably-produced product that combined two of New Zealand's biggest exports.
"Sweet dairy spreads are hugely popular globally," says Corrie den Haring, general manager of Rise Taupō — an organisation created to produce and market Onetai-branded products.
"For example, in South America dulce de leche, a caramelised milk sauce, is a top seller. Combining quality New Zealand milk with the health benefits of mānuka honey gives us a really strong story for international markets. We've had several inquiries from retailers in western Europe and the Middle East."
Onetai Station's premium milk and honey blend will start production in Taupō next month. Photo / Supplied
Over the past year Corrie and the Rise Taupō team have been designing and building an export-grade dairy factory in Rakanui Rd which will initially produce up to a tonne of premium product a week in bespoke, screw-top glass jars, and will employ six or seven people.
Corrie says Taupō was selected because Rise Taupō's owner and managing director, Rafael Grozovsky, who is based in Argentina, has the company's partners, banks, accountants and lawyers in the town.
"He looks at Taupō and thinks: why wouldn't you want to be here?" Corrie says. "As a team we are focused on investing in the Taupō district. We have used local suppliers for the factory construction, and local professional services including marketing, banking and legal support. We have also been talking with Miraka about supplying our dairy ingredients. It's important that our product story is authentic — we want all parts of our production and marketing to be based right here in Taupō."
In the future the aim is to create a destination visitor experience in Taupō.
"We want to attract visitors from around the world to the Taupō district. They can come and taste our products, connect with our team, and experience what this region has to offer," Corrie says.
The team at Rise Taupō have received strong local support during the factory design and build process.
"Organisations like Enterprise Great Lake Taupō have been really encouraging. They've helped connect us to local suppliers, and made us feel welcome in this community. Kylie and Rick are always available to talk through any issues that crop up — we've found it really easy to get things done," he says.
Although the alert level 4 lockdown caused delays, production of the new Onetai milk and honey spread will be starting within the next few weeks.
Corrie says Onetai's milk and honey spread has many uses.
"It can be spread on toast, drizzled on cereal, used as a dessert topping, or mixed to make a hot drink. We're also looking into its potential as a sport supplement — there are lots of options."
Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas recently visited the new Rise Taupō factory and said he was impressed by the investment and scale of the operation.
"It is always pleasing to welcome new business and industry to the Taupō district," says David. "The team at Rise Taupō have created a unique and delicious new food product that will be proudly exported and branded as made in Taupō. I wish them well with the product launch and the commencement of production."
