Spiced goat pie, finger limes, black garlic, health tonics and ice cream are among more than 300 locally grown and made products being judged in the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards 2022 in early May.
Produce from Northland to Southland and the West Coast over to the Chatham Islands will be assessed in the sixth year of the annual Awards, which celebrate outstanding food and drink harvested, grown and made in Aotearoa.
Judged by an expert panel of food, drink and sustainability professionals, for the first time the assessment will be held over two days – at Homeland, The Food Embassy for Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands, on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 May 2022.
A team of experienced judges from throughout New Zealand will be led by food writer and champion of NZ food producers, Lauraine Jacobs. Lauraine noted that as Kiwis go out of their way to seek out and enjoy locally made food and drink, producers are continuing to step up and innovate, providing new and interesting foods which reflect New Zealand’s unique terroir.
Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards organisers Kathie Bartley and Nicola McConnell believe producers enter the Awards to set themselves apart from their competitions as they seek to take advantage of increased consumer demand for locally made food and drink products. The top-rated products are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to add to packaging to give consumers confidence that they are buying a quality New Zealand made food. Gold Medal winners are assessed for the Champion and Special Awards. Over the past five years the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards have assessed nearly 1500 products.
Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners will be announced on Tuesday 31 May 2022 with category and special award winners announced at the Champions Party 2021 on Tuesday 21 June at Mantell’s Tamaki Drive in Auckland.
