A connection to the land and sea

THE CREAMIEST DAIRY

The country’s milk products are the result of rich soils, a great climate and abundant water, creating the perfect environment for pasture-fed dairy cows, all of which have plenty of space to roam.

The Collective Dairy launched in 2010 with the aim of creating the greatest dairy imaginable. It was started in New Zealand by two entrepreneurial chefs, Angus Allan and Ofer Shenhav. It offers gourmet yoghurt that is fresh, natural, vegetarian friendly and has no artificial colours or preservatives. Our favourite is The Collective Dairy Raspberry Gourmet Greek-style Yoghurt, which combines thick and creamy yoghurt with layers of tangy and sharp raspberries.

THE FRESHEST SEAFOOD

You can taste phenomenal flavours with nutritious seafood that can be found along New Zealand’s long coastline and oceanic waters. The sustainable management of the country’s seafood industry is guided by the Māori concept of kaitiakitanga – or guardianship – to ensure its bounty is preserved for generations to come.

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon’s Freshwater King Salmon, for example, comes from the swift cold currents of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Here, nature takes the lead with minimal human intervention and low stocking densities – giving the salmon space to grow and thrive. Spinneys fish counters feature Mt Cook Alpine Salmon’s bone out, skin on salmon, which is recognisable by its clean, subtle taste and buttery texture.

North of this is Marlborough, where family-owned and operated shellfish producer, Omega Seafood, calls home. The producer’s Greenshell Mussels are all-natural, lightly cooked shellfish which can be eaten straight from the pack – making it a convenient product that delivers on quality. Marketing and Sales Manager Lizzie Redwood is the second generation moving into the Redwood family business and she explains that: “My father Chris Redwood started this business as a mussel farmer in the Marlborough Sounds. We are really proud of the product that we produce and how fresh and delicious it is – and because it’s produced just an hour from harvest, that means that it’s fresh and it tastes like it’s just come from the ocean”.

GRASS-FED MEAT & POULTRY

New Zealand’s wide, open spaces, natural environment and year-round outdoor grazing methods make for healthy grass-fed animals, resulting in distinctively flavoured and tender meat. Alongside beef, New Zealand supplies top-quality poultry to Spinneys. New Zealand’s animal welfare standards also rank among the world’s best, and their strict biosecurity and quality control processes, together with the country’s geographic isolation, result in an animal disease-free status recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

One such product you can find at Spinneys is the tenderloin from ANZCO. ANZCO products are selected and handled with the utmost care from paddock to plate.

New Zealand’s largest poultry producer, Tegel, celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2021 (as did Spinneys) and supplies Spinneys stores with free range and barn raised chilled and frozen chicken. Why not get a taste of Tegel’s Louisiana Style Tenders, made from 100% New Zealand chicken tenderloins and covered in crispy coating? If you’re in the mood for some Southern-style chicken goodness, you can get your fix straight from the oven.

THE TASTIEST FRUITS & VEGETABLES

New Zealand growers produce more than 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables, including kiwifruit, apples, cherries, berries, stone fruit, avocados, onions, butternut squash, garlic, tomatoes, asparagus, carrots and much more.

In addition to eating these fresh, they go into creating a variety of snacks and sweets. For example, TNF Fruit Bars are made using apple pulp sourced from apples grown in the Nelson region of New Zealand as the base and combined with three other variants of real fruit pulp (strawberry, apricot and raspberry), before being poured into trays and carefully air dried to maintain a powerhouse of nutrients. In the UAE, the most popular bar is the TNF Raspberry flavour. These are a perfect healthy choice for your kids’ lunch boxes, a quick and easy energy boosting snack on the go, or a great alternative to a little after-dinner sweet-treat.

UNIQUE HONEY FLAVOURS

Whether in the mountain highlands or low-lying pastures, New Zealand is renowned for its delicious, high-quality honey. The country produces a varied range of honeys, from pale, mild creamed honeys through to the full-flavoured mānuka and bush honeys. The most well-known of New Zealand’s honeys is manuka. Comvita has been beekeeping in New Zealand since 1974 and is now the global market leader in mānuka honey and bee products. When reflecting on the origin of Comvita, Co-Founder Alan Bougen says: “the idea was that we’d produce products that were as close to the natural state as what we could possibly find, and that principle is still part of what we do today”. Comvita crafts raw, wild and unpasteurized, non-GMO mānuka Honey from the pristine forests of New Zealand. Their UMF™10+ is one of its best-selling grades of mānuka honey, which is rich in unique mānuka compounds and, as part of a healthy diet, can help provide antioxidant support and promote well-being.

PURE AND SUSTAINABLE BEVERAGES

From natural juices, soft drinks, sparkling water, and more, New Zealand beverages have firmly secured their reputation around the world as top-quality products.

One of its popular products is Antipodes Natural Mineral Water, which is the perfect partner for fine foods. The founder, Simon Woolley, says “For me the water, just like the food you choose for a restaurant, every part of it has to be careful and considered. Where it comes from, is sort of the essence of the water really.” It has a subtle minerality and high silica content which ensures it cleanses the palate and allows the food to shine. Antipodes is sourced from an artesian aquifer that is 327 metres deep, located in the rural Bay of Plenty. Categorized as New Zealand’s deepest, highest quality aquifer, the water naturally filters through dense volcanic rock over the course of 50 to 300 years. Antipodes water is exceptionally pure and needs only a simple microfiltration before bottling. No sterilization, no additives, no industrial cleansing and processing.

CAREFULLY CRAFTED SWEET TREATS

When you combine nutrient-rich soil, lush pastures, a temperate climate and unspoiled coastlines with the care, attention and expertise of New Zealand producers, you get food and drink bursting with incredible flavour.

You can see this with the products from J.H. Whittaker & Sons, Ltd, a New Zealand family-owned and operated beans to bar premium chocolate manufacturer based in Porirua. Founded in 1896 by James Henry Whittaker, the family remains passionate about crafting New Zealand’s finest chocolate. One star product is its 33% cocoa Creamy Milk chocolate, made from Ghana's finest cocoa and New Zealand milk. Then, for utter smoothness, it’s refined with the manufacturer’s Swiss 5 roll refiner.

Mother Earth is another producer that sources the very best ingredients to make delicious honey, peanut butter and snacks. We love the Natural Smooth Peanut Butter, which is 100% natural. Peanuts are ground to the desired consistency and just a little salt is added to most variants. A versatile snack and ingredient with 26% protein, Mother Earth peanut butter is made with high oleic peanuts (which contain better fats than standard peanuts) and is vegan-friendly.

With producers and growers who focus on the shared values of sustainability, food safety and food innovation, New Zealand is always striving to offer products that are better for people, and for the world. Discover the tastes and flavours of New Zealand at Spinneys.