T&G Global celebrated its 120-year anniversary in Auckland this week with a fabulous party. Karena and Kasey Bird (Masterchef New Zealand winners 2014) created a mouth-watering menu showcasing the best of T&G’s produce for the occasion. New Zealand growers, customers, suppliers and staff, including one who has worked for T&G for 63 years, enjoyed the menu based on fruit and vegetables from some of T&G’s 1000 growers.
FMCG Business Editor Tamara Rubanowski joined the celebrations and shares her favourite snaps from the night here.
It’s not often a business celebrating 120 years of business can say it’s still fresh to the core, but for one of New Zealand’s largest fresh produce growers – it’s the truth. Turners and Growers was founded in 1897, changing its name to T&G Global in 2014 to reflect its growing global footprint. Innovation has continued with T&G recently launching New Zealand’s first lower carb potato (Lotatoes) and revolutionising the tomato category with its bite-sized Beekist and Ruby’s brands.
The secret to T&G’s longevity and success? Keeping fruit and vegetables consistently fresh, responding to changing consumer needs and adhering to its original business philosophy, as set down by founder Edward Turner who said; “Our industry is vital for healthy living and is essential to mankind and does no one any harm.”
Alastair Hulbert, T&G Global CEO says: “Edward Turner was certainly ahead of his time in many ways, establishing a flourishing fruit and flower business on ‘K Road’ in Auckland in 1897 with the support of his nine sons. Fast forward to 2017 and T&G has a footprint the length and breadth of New Zealand plus 12 offices offshore delivering the best of New Zealand to Kiwis, and the world, and importing what is needed to provide people with fresh produce every day, everywhere.
“We are proud to champion the best of New Zealand and grateful for the support Kiwis – including our passionate growers – have given us over the past 120 years. We’re looking forward to continuing our strong relationships and enabling Kiwis to eat healthy food and enjoy an active lifestyle for many years to come.”
Employing 1300 people across New Zealand and 200 overseas, T&G also recruits around 2000 seasonal workers each year and is on target to achieve $2 billion in revenue by 2020.
T&G is the country’s biggest exporter of fresh fruit and vegetables. Total New Zealand horticulture products recently exceeded $8 billion for the first-time outdoing wine exports and making the industry’s target of $10 billion by 2020 a reality.
Did you know?
Earlier this year T&G’s Envy apple was named the favourite of Americans and this month marks 58 years since Jack Turner coined the name ‘Kiwifruit’, starting a billion-dollar export industry for New Zealand.
