As the saying goes “you can’t get enough of a good thing” – and this proved to be true for this year’s Supreme Winner for Large Manufacturers at the 2018 New Zealand Ice Cream Awards. Tip Top Ice Cream’s Boysenberry Ripple Ice Cream scooped the pool winning the Standard Ice Cream Category and 2018 Supreme Award. It’s the fourth time this product has won the Supreme Award.
The judges said the product “had great creamy texture and true to fruit boysenberry flavour and for a standard ice cream, it just continues to deliver.”
For the first time Ginelli’s won the Supreme Award for a Boutique Manufacturer with their Black Sesame Ice Cream. The six judges described this ice cream as “very creamy, with a very natural roast sesame flavour”.
The Gelato category was won by Gellicious Gelato Ltd with their Cardamon, Ginger and Turmeric Yoghurt Gelato aptly named Indian Summer. This Gelato also won the New to Market Award – hotly contested by 91 entries.
Best of Sorbet Category was awarded to a newcomer – The Island Gelato Company for their Tamarillo Sorbet.
Kids choose White Chocolate & Raspberry
The kids from Clevedon School had to make choices from 21 entries in the Kids Choice Category and they chose White Chocolate & Raspberry made by New Zealand Natural as their pick for 2018.
Tip Top Ice Cream also won Best in Category Standard Vanilla Ice Cream with their Creamy Vanilla Flavour Ice Cream.
The Export Award was won by Much Moore Ice Cream Co Ltd with a Salted Caramel Swirl Ice Cream destined for Asia and the Pacific.
Another newcomer to the Awards, Appleby Farms, won Best in Category for Premium Vanilla Ice Cream with their Bedford Vanilla Bean, made with farm fresh A2 wholemilk and cream.
Changes in scoring of the Open Creative categories in ice cream and gelato/sorbet included an additional score for innovation and creativity. The entries this year certainly pulled out all stops to create some new and innovative entries including Maple Syrup and Bacon ice cream, Violet with White Chocolate ice cream, Champagne and Beer gelatos and Pomegranate and Hibiscus Tea sorbet.
The winner across the two sections of the Open Creative category was Deep South Chip & Dip Ice Cream. This was a classic onion dip ice cream served with salt and vinegar chips that was created by Dairyworks.
A classic, well made Guilt Free Vanilla entry made by Talley’s Group Ltd won the Low Fat Category, which must contain less than 3% total fat.
The Non Dairy Award, introduced for the first time in 2017 has continued to attract more entries – 19 this year up from 12 last year. The winner of this category was PURE New Zealand Ice Cream with their Blackcurrant and Coconut Gelato.
This was a record year for the Awards with the highest number of entries to date (385) and 37 manufacturers entering from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson and Wanaka, showing that there is a high standard in the industry throughout New Zealand.
