Latest from Food & Beverage Industry

Monteith's brews export success
Monteith's craft beers and ciders are making a splash overseas with a 14 per cent increase in export sales predicted for the 2014 year, says owner DB Breweries.

Women battle to make cut as top chefs
Women in the industry say the glass ceiling of the kitchen boys' club was broken through in the 90s, but Brendan Manning explores why high-profile female chefs are still noticeably absent.

New Auckland restaurant takes top prize
In just six months, Japanese eatery Masu by Nic Watt has outshone local competitors to be served the supreme award in the 2014 Restaurant of the Year Awards.

Goodman bid tip of merger iceberg
Singapore's Wilmar International and Hong Kong's First Pacific have launched a A$1.27 billion ($1.38 billion) joint takeover bid for Australasian food group Goodman Fielder.

Shelley Bridgeman: What's all the froth over coffee?
I don't drink coffee, I don't like coffee and I don't understand the fascination with this bitter concoction, writes Shelley Bridgeman.

Burger prices and the minimum wage
Economists love hamburgers - specifically fast-food burgers, because the sandwich makes a handy yardstick for international financial comparisons.

Georgie Pie helps lift sales at McDonald's
McDonald's New Zealand had a 5.8 percent gain in sales in 2013, the year it relaunched the Georgie Pie brand after a decade-long hiatus.

Cathay cooks 31.7m meals
Cathay Pacific's catering operations at Chep Lap Kok in Hong Kong last year produced 31.7 million meals for 41 international airlines.

Kiwi cafe firm targets America
Cooks Global Foods, the New Zealand franchisor of the Esquires cafe chain in markets outside Australasia, is poised for North American expansion.

Scrap over $109k food bill
The parent company of a firm that sold controversial currency trading software racked up a $109,000 debt for food and drink at a flash Auckland restaurant.

A little sprinkle ... and cheers
American drinkers will soon be able to sprinkle their favourite beverage rather than pouring it - as powdered alcohol drinks have been given official approval.

Easter treat all about the taste
If you want top quality hot cross buns at a good price, you may be best to make them yourself.

Gen Y spend big on fancy food - report
Some generation Y foodies are spending up to $600 a week on gourmet produce such as seafood, cheeses, olives and cured hams.

Lucky Taco a hot prospect
The founders of The Lucky Taco have set a lofty goal - the creation of a "global Mexican food brand".

Cakes aim to sweeten sadness
An Auckland business is looking to brighten sad situations by delivering free cupcakes to people nominated through a new social media campaign.

$1.7m sought from Nando's NZ operator
Creditors are claiming around $1.7 million from the company that owns the master franchise for Nando's fast food chain, which is in a "messy" liquidation.

Peter Calder: Venturing beyond butter chicken
Who knew you could age rice? It's a silly question, really. The answer is probably about 3.5 billion people or half the world's population.

Wendyl wants to know: Unpalatable surprises in Easter treats
Each week, Wendyl Nissen takes a packaged food item and decodes what the label tells you about its contents.

Chardonnay shaping for a cracker
Leading winemaker Hugh Crichton believes the 2014 chardonnay crop could produce the best vintage for the style yet seen in Hawke's Bay.

Failed eatery leaves behind $100k debt
A central Auckland restaurant shut down this month by its landlord is likely to leave creditors at least $100,000 out-of-pocket, according to a receiver's report.

Picking the brains of a beer expert
To welcome the Spanish brew to NZ shores we speak to a Barcelona based chemistry expert about his love of beer.