‘Free From’ category highly contested at 7th ONZFP awards –
More than 290 locally harvested, grown and made food and drink products were assessed in late February with 206 Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals awarded in the seventh Outstanding New Zealand Food Producers Awards.
Head Judge Lauraine Jacobs said, “Each year there is a different trend that becomes obvious as we work diligently to assess the range of entries. This year judges were excited to see how many producers have taken up the health message and emphasized this through their food production.”
‘Free From’ is food made and marketed to meet the requirements of a specific diet such as; gluten-free, carb-free, keto, vegan or meat-free; for the first time this year these products were judged in their own category. Free-From was highly contested with 54 products being assessed and 40 medals awarded in this category.
Specialist sustainability judges Fiona Stephenson and Emily King said, “Most entrants in this category scored well on sustainability. There were a few stand-out entrants, including cereal products and dairy-free alternative options. It’s a notably large category compared to others, which perhaps reflects changing consumer preferences in recent years.”
Outstanding Gold Medal Winners in the Free-From category in 2023 include; Island Gelato, Chocolate & Forest Berry Italian Ice Cream Cake; Little’ Lato, Mango Lassi; Lucy’s Gluten Free, The Seedy One; Mind Your Temper, Speculoos Bonbon; Mylk Made, Almond Barista Mylk Base; Raglan Food Co, Organic Passionfruit Coconut Yoghurt, Well & Truly Artisan Pantry, Raspberry Road Gourmet Granola and Wise Boys, Hemp and Mushroom Burger Patties to name a few.
Lauraine Jacobs led a talented team of more than 25 experienced food judges supported by a team of stewards who assessed entries over two days at Auckland’s Homeland restaurant.
She noted; “This year our judging took place immediately following Cyclone Gabrielle, which caused havoc for many of our farmers and food producers, and meant some outstanding foods could not be included. The team of expert and well-qualified judges want to extend sympathy and encouragement to all those affected. We hope to see you all revive, recover and return to continue to feed our nation with your excellent food products. I can assure you that you were missed.”
Of the 206 Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards medals in 2023, 98 are Gold; 60 are Silver and a further 48 are Bronze.
Eighty-five per cent of the marks for each entry are awarded by the judges for the product, specifically; visual appearance, aroma, flavour, consistency and quality. A further 10% is made for sustainability, with two specialist judges reviewing each entry for environment and social business practice. The final 5% is given for ‘wow’ and brand story, the excitement factor and the point of difference for each product.
All Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards Gold Medal winners are in contention for Category Champions and Special Awards which will be announced at the Champions Party 2023 on Tuesday 18 April at the Glasshouse in Morningside, Auckland.
The complete list of 2023 medal winners is on the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards website. https://www.outstandingfoodproducer.co.nz/medal-winners-2023
Nourish Group restaurants team up to raise funds for KidsCan & SPCA –
Iconic restaurants from Auckland, Andiamo & Jervois Steak House alongside Wellington’s Shed 5, are teaming up with drops from wineries Grove Mill, Mt Difficulty, Martinborough Vineyard and Te Kairanga for an evening of charity donation.
One hundred percent of selected Foley Wines and fifty percent of a la carte purchases on Tuesday 28 March will go to KidsCan and SPCA in areas of New Zealand affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.
KidsCan is on a mission to get clothing and food supplies to children and their families via schools and early childhood centers in Auckland, Northland, Hawke’s Bay, and Tairāwhiti and are helping displaced families start again by providing beds, bedding, whiteware, furniture and household items. The SPCA has been working hard on the ground in Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and Northland, rescuing displaced animals, providing lifesaving transport and shelter and much needed support to vulnerable pet-owners.
Bookings for the fundraiser are now open and can be made on the restaurants’ website at https://www.thenourishgroup.co.nz/
McPlant nuggets premiere in Germany –
The world’s first plant-based nuggets at a McDonald’s restaurant will be available in Germany’s 1450 outlets today, replacing the vegan burger.
Also new on the menu is the McPlant Burger. It replaces the vegan burger and the Fresh Vegan TS, and McDonald’s has emphasized the plant-based characteristic of the nuggets and patties, avoiding the vegan designation.
This makes Germany the first country market with plant-based nuggets on the menu boards. According to the company, this is also the first time a plant-based alternative has been available in a Happy Meal.
McDonald’s and Beyond Meat worked together to create the new plant-based nuggets and tested them in nine restaurants in Stuttgart in August. The nuggets are made from peas, corn, wheat and tempura breading. Beyond Meat has also had a chicken substitute available in restaurants since mid-2021, when the company rolled out its revamped recipe.
In addition, the McPlant Burger, which is already available in Austria, the UK and the Netherlands, among other countries, is now permanently on the menu in Germany.
With the two new products, McDonald’s, and manufacturers Beyond Meat, aim to appeal primarily to flexitarians. This is because their market share is growing steadily in the German population. For the product launch, the company actively involved guests in the development in a broad-based market test.
The McPlant nuggets are said to be a real alternative to Chicken McNuggets in terms of taste.
The McPlant burger with the Beyond Meat patty is also based on pea protein in combination with processed cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, sandwich sauce, ketchup and mustard, and is claimed to be able to convince even die-hard McDonald’s fans .
The burger replaces the Fresh Vegan TS or Veganburger on the menu and no longer bears the vegan label. This is because animal products such as eggs and milk are used in sauce and cheese sandwiches.
Guest wishes and transparency first
To distinguish the plant-based nuggets from the chicken nuggets, they come in a drop shape that is not found in the classic nuggets.
To publicize the new McPlant products, staff will be distributing free sample portions in McDonald’s restaurants in Germany from February 22 to March 01, 2023. From 02 to 05 March 2023, McDonald’s fans and registered users of the McDonald’s app will then have the chance to win one of 100,000 coupons each to try the McPlant Burger and McPlant Nuggets for free.
Season’s Greetings!
Merry Christmas to all our readers, the busy festive season is here and great hospitality is the dish of the day.
Here’s to a profitable, satisfying and delightful summer that also yields great joy.
Share some fun – why not name your ‘Top 10 Best and Worst’ Lists for the year – ‘Ten life & death excuses why customers were late for a booking’; ‘Ten Best Selling Entres’, or ‘Most Popular Specials and Cocktails’ etc – keep it light and fun. And don’t forget the blooper list – the disasters your team is prepared to admit!
Hospitality Business would like to thank all our advertisers, readers and sponsors for their loyalty and support during a difficult 2022 and we look forward to bringing you the very latest useful and timely information to help you excel in 2023.
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from the Hospitality Business team – keep safe and have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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