Kaipaki artisan Sue Loder hauls in awards with handcrafted gluten-free foods

Owner of Well and Truly Artisan Pantry Sue Loder (right) and Matt Loder working side by side. Photo / Supplied

A Kaipaki woman has won the bountiful category in the 2021 NZI Rural Women New Zealand Awards and is now in the running to win the supreme award.

Sue Loder started her food industry venture in 2018 when she started The Muesli Company. This year she rebranded the business and it is now called Well and Truly Artisan Pantry – producers of certified gluten-free products including gourmet granolas.

"Winning the Rural Woman NZ bountiful table award is such an incredible honour, to be amongst such inspirational women past and present is such a privilege and truly the icing on the cake - or should I say yoghurt on the granola," says Sue.

Sue prides her business on being totally artisan – her entire range is handcrafted right from blending through to packaging.

The range includes granola, vitality bars, a macadamia gold spread and a crunchy nut crumble.

Sue's wins don't stop with the NZI award.

This year she won seven silver medals at the Outstanding New Zealand Food Producer Awards and she has reached the finals for both the New Zealand Artisan Awards and the New Zealand Food Awards – winners are expected to be announced later this month.

The supreme award winner for the NZI Rural Women New Zealand Awards will be announced later this year.

Sue says people are at the forefront of her business.

"We're a bit different, we choose to put people before profits, from the high-quality ingredients we choose to the flexibility we offer our team and to the partnerships with our wholesale customers," says Sue.

"We believe in building a community that feels supported in their pursuit for a balanced life, which is super important now more than ever."