Cassels Brewing Co is a family owned brewery in Christchurch, New Zealand, who have been brewing on a commercial scale since 2009. At The heart of the brand and the business is a belief in heritage and craftsmanship.

With a lifetime of brewing, Alasdair Cassels along with son Zak and son-in-law, Joe Shanks built a wood fired brewery in the Old Tannery Buildings in June 2009 to serve the local community. In February 2011 the earthquake destroyed the original plant. However, not to be beaten, within 100 days, the family opened a brewpub, 'The Brewery', a place for the community to gather while the city dusted itself of.

On the back of this Alasdair wasted no time in developing "The Tannery', a heritage focused Victorian retail arcade specialising in boutique fashion stores with a current registered value of NZ$31 million.

Through the appreciation of traditional methods mixed with modern technical practices and a will to create the best beer experience possible, Cassels Milk Stout was awarded a trophy at the 2011 NZ Brewers Guild Awards and has, along with other beer styles, won medals since.

In 2012 Simon Bretherton was hired as Executive Brewer (from Boddingtons Brewery in the UK and Little Creatures Brewery in Australia). Bringing Simon on demonstrated the passion and commitment Cassels has, to become the number one craft beer producer in New Zealand (and the World!).

Casselshave recently invested in a Kosme labeller and a Moravek bottling machine and commissioned additional capacity. Their focus remains on quality and craftsmanship, using local resources with a 'no shortcuts' mentality.

You can find Cassels Beers at online and in store at Moore Wilson’s

Starting his business in a garage in New Zealand 30 years ago, Brendan Lindsay has built a product line being exported to 82 countries around the world and counts its customers in the millions.

Sistema’s Kiwi-made design, the paragon of plastic food storage, has been keeping food fresh in school bags, pantries and lunchroom fridges for the past 30 years, and now employ over 300 people and has a new manufacturing plant in Auckland, which uses the latest robotic technology in their art 200,000 square foot factory in New Zealand.

Taking the simple premise that customers would want a well-made, beautifully designed, food safe storage container that would be stackable, the Sistema range was born.

The Klip It collection with its distinctive blue clips launched the company into the Australian and New Zealand markets. That range has now been added to with the release of the Microwave and To Go family of products designed for added convenience.

Sistema general manager Glenn Beattie says it’s the New Zealand-made print on the bottom that makes all the difference.

“One of our major selling points overseas is that our products are made in New Zealand,” Beattie says. “The fact our products are made in New Zealand means they’re perceived as safer than, say, plastic products made in China.”

Using BPA-free plastic has earned the brand the approval of the Food and Drug Administration in America, the penultimate tick for plastics manufacturers in the eyes of safety-conscious US consumers.

When going into discussion with Us Fortune 500 Company Newell Brands regarding the sale of Sistema, Lindsay only agreed to sell his company if the new owner could guarantee that business would continue to take place in New Zealand for the next 20 years. He also demanded that they would guarantee all staff, inside and outside New Zealand, long term employment opportunity.

After enduring 5 years of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Aalt Verkerk left his home in Amsterdam in 1952, and worked his passage on a slow ship across the oceans to start a new life in New Zealand.

Aalt had been trained as a Dutch Master Butcher at the Alkmaar School of Butchery and Smallgoods and brought these rare skills with him as he set about plying his trade in the new country he had made his home.

Within 10 short years he had acquired the assets which now underpin the activities of A Verkerk Ltd, the company which still carries his name.

The consumer branded business is now an established national brand which enjoys market leadership in the salami and ferment type and continental categories across all New Zealand supermarket groups, with a strong presence through the food service channel. The company has recently fulfilled one of Aalt’s dreams; obtaining an export license and beginning to export to the Asia Pacific region.

The Verkerks brand is synonymous with the values critical to a successful and trusted modern brand; creative innovation, unimpeachable integrity, unmatchable quality and unbeatable value for money

Aalt Verkerk’s character is personified in the legacy which defines the brand’s values. Aalt played an active role in the business until his passing just after his 89th birthday, Aalt’s daughter Mary-Anne is now the managing director, ensuring the company stays true to the legacy that Aalt left behind.

The A Verkerk Ltd story is a testament to a lifetime of achievement and a truly outstanding contribution to New Zealand business and society.

Known widely in New Zealand for his Dilmah catch cry "do try it...", Merrill J Fernando was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his extraordinary passion and commitment to tea and his unique philosophy of making business as a matter of human service at WorldChefs Congress 2018.

The Sri Lankan tea pioneer was saluted for his commitment to tea, especially the harsh early years when he fought for value addition at source and against the colonial economic system that saw his country's prized crop sold as a commodity at auction in London.

When his brand Dilmah (named after his sons Dilhan and Malik) was born in 1988, it was a victory for farmers around the world as it was the first time that tea, coffee or cocoa was available that had been grown, picked, packed and branded at source by a farmer.

Merrill J Fernando points out that a farmer's desire is for quality and that's fundamentally different to the objective of a trader, who buys and sells tea purely for profit from and to any source in any market.

Fernando's commitment to family values and their embodiment in his brand through the philosophy of making business a matter of human service. That principle requires each of the Dilmah Tea, plantation, packaging and ancillary businesses to contribute a minimum 10% of their pre-tax profits to the Merrill J. Fernando Charitable Foundation (www.mjffoundation.org).

The Foundation utilises these funds to empower youth, and women in difficult economic and social circumstances, children with special needs, communities that are economically marginalised, and the environment. Among the outcomes of the Dilmah philosophy is the Empower Culinary School, a WorldChefs' approved training school that offers culinary training free of charge to young women and men who are economically, socially or otherwise disadvantaged.

Those that have benefited from the Empower School include youth with Cerebral Palsy and Down syndrome. Several New Zealand chefs have travelled to Sri Lanka to help teach these young people.

A second Empower Culinary & Hospitality School will open in August this year at the MJF Centre East. It is the largest privately funded charitable initiative in Sri Lanka, which is designed to serve differently abled children, youth, women and economically disadvantaged communities through the principle of empowerment with dignity.

Moore Wilson’s has stocked Dilmah tea since it launched in New Zealand and have met Merrill and his sons on a number on occasions. Dilmah was the original supplier for Moore Wilson’s tea and teabags and we continue to source tea from them.

From Cambridgeshire, to Australia to Horowhenua, Daniel Todd’s journey to becoming a free-range pig farmer has been far from traditional. Seventeen years at an electronics firm saw him develop a curiosity for pig farming – in particular, the ethical farming of rare pig breeds.

Born in Peterborough in the UK, in 1974, Todd moved to Australia in 2015 where he met his partner Claire, who originally hailed from Palmerston North. The stars aligned – Claire wanted to move back to New Zealand to be closer to her family, and Daniel had become bored with his job. "It was no longer challenging or rewarding." he said. "I thought a change would be good." It was no small change. Daniel started his professional life with a degree in history and working for a consumer electronics company, managing the buying and business strategy, while Claire completed a law degree and worked for the likes of Yahoo and ABC.
Neither of them had any experience in pig farming, but that wasn't about to put Daniel off. He attended a short course on pig farming in Australia but is primarily self-taught, relying on books, podcasts and YouTube. "Pig farming was something that I had become interested in when I realised how horrific the pig farming industry had become," he said. "Not only did free range pig farming give me the chance to make a difference in a world that seemed to care less and less about animal husbandry but also it met with my business acumen requirements industry with greater demand than supply."

Woody's Farm (named after the family dog) is located at the base of the Tararua Range in Horowhenua – an hour from Wellington and 45 minutes from Palmerston North. In 2017 Woody's Farm opened its own butchery and factory in Levin, just a ten-minute drive from the farm. Part of the appeal of Woody's is the story behind the product, which is becoming increasingly important as consumers become more aware of what they're eating. "It's important for the consumer to be interested in our philosophy," Todd explained. "We want consumers to really understand what free range is and not just accept it when they are told meat is free range. In New Zealand only one percent of pig farming is free range so if the supplier can’t tell you the name of the farm, then without a doubt it is not free range."

Additionally, 'free range products from outside New Zealand (particularly imported from Denmark) is actually 'free farmed', which can be misleading for consumers. "All we ask is that retailers only promote the truth," he said. "It’s not acceptable to have a big sign saying ‘Free Range' when half the products are free farmed or intensive. We understand that
free-range farms in New Zealand can’t supply the full demand for the product and consumers can’t always afford the price of free-range, but the choices should be clear."

The breed of pig is essential in maintaining free range. Pigs that are going to be outside all year round need to be capable of dealing with the weather. "Heritage breed pigs are closer in genetics to the original breeds of pigs and as such have traits more suitable for
free-ranging." explained Todd. "In particular our breeds, Large Black and Berkshire, are black and as such are less susceptible to sunburn and any related diseases." However, these breeds are much slower to grow, and fat and muscle levels can be hard to maintain.

A crucial part of the Woody’s story is provenance, one which appeals to consumers countrywide. "We are all about transparency and provenance of the meat we produce and sell. We believe that you should know the farm from which your meat comes if you really care about what you are eating. Animals need to live a pleasant, healthy life in order for the product to be healthy." Woody's products are currently stocked in Moore Wilson's and Farro Fresh, with more to follow soon. Woody's products are also found in restaurants all over the country such as Orphans Kitchen and Noble Rot Wine Bar.

Todd is always looking at expansion - the recently opened butchery and factory is a testament to that. The increased capability which comes with the factory means that Woody's now offers a full range of charcuterie and salami. "We are also working on various new sausage flavors, some of which are being made exclusively for various customers," he said. "Later this year we will start to bring in other meats from our farm and sister farms such as goat and beef. We're all about experimenting and love to try new things."

You can find a wide range of Woody’s Free Range Farm’s products at Moore Wilson’s. Find a variety of natural and flavoured mince, sausages and bacons in our chillers.

When Reid+Reid co-founders, brothers Chris and Stew Reid took a trip through Scotland in 2013, they were somewhat enthralled by the thriving craft distilling market. This appreciation turned into a business idea a few drams later (as is so often the case with budding ginsmiths), when the duo decided it was time to take some of that buzz back to New Zealand.

Of course – up in Scotland they were supping on whisky, but gin stood out to them as something that could excite their fellow Kiwis. “What we love about gin is its versatility: as far as spirits go, gin can lend itself to a wide range of styles, and it manages a good balance between traditional and modern. This gives rise to plenty of opportunity to experiment, which we find exciting,” Stew explained. “And we’re both big gin drinkers, so we knew we’d have at least two customers.”

The idea didn’t come to much of anything until Chris returned to New Zealand in 2014, wherein he began working on distillery premises. While this was happening – and from opposite sides of the world – the brothers began to work on the recipe for Reid+Reid Gin, exchanging and trialling recipes created on small home stills.  With their backgrounds in engineering and wine making, Stew and Chris set up Reid+Reid to challenge the perception of a ‘classic’ gin and promote New Zealand's unique natural flora. The result: Reid+Reid, New Zealand native gin.

Reid Brothers Distilling is located on the Reid family vineyard in Martinborough. Chris’ wine making background played a huge part in shaping the flavour of Reid+Reid Gin: “The concept of a product with a ‘sense of place’ is ingrained in his outlook, and we’ve sought to apply this in creating a uniquely Kiwi gin. We felt we could offer the world something different by releasing a gin that not only uses, but highlights, native New Zealand botanicals.”

The very first batch of Reid+Reid Native was released in late 2015 with the pair adding a Martinborough Pinot Noir Barrel Aged version in in late 2017. Reid + Reid can be found around the world from Australia to the UK and Japan.

You can find Reid+Reid products in store and online at moorewilsons.co.nz