New Zealand Food Awards 2022 just happened, and there have been many winners. The awards were owned and organised by Massey University. These awards have recognised the most creative, authentic and highest-quality New Zealand food and beverages. Many winners have made it out well, like Allmite Gold under Pantry Award, but No Rush has been one of the finalists that made it out to the final as they nabbed a trusted and certified stage in the New Zealand food industry. 

The event was initiated to recognise how researchers and manufacturers add value by introducing new varieties, cultivars or breeds and new or alternative harvesting, processing, or packaging to extract or create new or innovative primary sector products. 

New Zealand Food Awards 2022 is an annual event celebrating New Zealand food and beverage products and business innovation led by Massey University. Everyone was encouraged to participate. It was open to all small and large food and beverage manufacturers across New Zealand, including primary food producers, food service providers, and ingredient supply companies. The award show continued its theme "Food Hero" to commemorate the resilience and reaction of companies during the global pandemic, especially during the 2020 lockdown. 

There were 12 categories for this year, which have been judged in three products: Product awards, Business awards, and Community awards.

There were a total of 9 categories that competed under the Product awards, that to some extent holds the number of most awards under the three areas, which were:

  1. Product awards.
  2. Business awards.
  3. Community awards.

 

No Rush Amongst New Zealand Food Awards 2022 Finalist
Pantry Finalists among one of the contest categories.

 

The announcement of winners for the New Zealand Food Awards had taken place last October. And the winners were:

  1. Supreme Winner Award: Poaka Artisan Cured Meats, Salami Whole - Chorizo.
  2. Food Hero Award: KiwiHarvest.
  3. Artisan Award: Poaka Artisan Cured Meats, Salami Whole - Chorizo.
  4. Below Zero: Little Island, Tropical Nice Blocks.
  5. Beverage Award: The Wild Fermentary, Kefir Soda - Beet & Berry.
  6. Chilled Award: Aoraki, Pƍhutukawa Hot Smoked Salmon.
  7. Health and Wellbeing Award: Rebel Bakehouse, Gluten Free Sourdough & Super Seeds Wraps.
  8. Novel Award: Good Sh*t Soda, Ginger.
  9. Pantry Award: Allmite Gold, Yeast Spread.
  10. Primary Sector Award: Poaka Artisan Cured Meats, Salami Whole - Chorizo.
  11. Business Innovation Award: Kƍrure.
  12. Product Lifetime Achievement Award: Whittaker’s, Whittaker’s Peanut Slab Chocolate Bar.

 

Below is the list of Product Awards categories contested during the New Zealand Food Awards:

  1. Beverage Award, sponsored by the New Zealand Food Innovation Network.
  2. Artisan, funded by Cuisine.
  3. Chilled, led by Americold.
  4. Below Zero, sponsored by FoodHQ.
  5. Pantry, supported by Countdown.
  6. Primary Sector, by the New Zealand Food Safety.
  7. Health and Wellbeing, another sponsored by Countdown.
  8. Novel, funded by Kiwiso.
  9. Product Lifetime Achievement Award funded by AsureQuality.

The judging were made by a distinguished board of judges coming from a division of experts in New Zealand to integrate and embody the values of the NZ Food Awards of Innovation, Sustainability and Excellence. The judging had centered on the technical capability, food quality and safety, regulatory compliance and consumer acceptability of each products.

 

The complete list of products that made it into the Pantry Category and No Rush made it into the list
No Rush made it into the Pantry Category list.

 

The complete list of products that made it into the Pantry Category:

  1. Allmite Gold.
  2. Blue Frog Breakfast.
  3. Kai Ora Honey.
  4. Kiwigarden.
  5. Mixed Roots.
  6. Mons Flavors.
  7. No Rush.
  8. Rebel Bakehouse.
  9. Wise Boys.

Before the previously held gala dinner to announce the winners, NZ Food Awards already made their judging. After careful deliberation, among the products that made it to the finalists' list under the Pantry category were No Rush.

In case you have not heard about this revolutionary product, No Rush offers healthy freeze-dried meals from 100% New Zealand beef. All the ingredients used in making these products are all-natural and free from additives and preservatives. And even without the help of preservatives, No Rush can be stored for years and still tastes fresh and delicious.

Freeze-drying is a process of dehydration typically used to preserve perishable products with the intent of making their shelf life longer. It is usually used for fruits, but No Rush makes it up a notch by providing us with high-quality freeze-dried meat products. And even after the freeze-drying method, the taste of the meat remains palatable, and the texture is still as tender and fresh similar to freshly cut.

Also, the nutritional content of the meat continues to be the same after freeze-drying. That is why No Rush is a good source of protein, iron and zinc. It is made from 100% New Zealand beef from Aotearoa, so you can ensure that the quality of the meat used is superb.

Nowadays, you can find No Rush in almost all leading supermarkets in New Zealand. There are three options to choose from: No Rush Beef Cubes, No Rush Chicken Cubes, and No Rush Beef Slices. They are packed in resealable packages so they can be easily stored. You can even bring a pack of No Rush with you when going outdoors since it does not need to be stored in a cold, dry area. Such a significant relief for campers who want to eat fresh meat during camping. This innovative product will truly change the game for convenient food that is healthy yet super easy to prepare and tag along with.

In conclusion, the New Zealand Food Awards was an excellent opportunity for businesses to showcase their products and services. After all, one thing is for sure, No Rush is healthy and a perfect partner to your everyday diet.