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

Bring Burger Wellington to your home kitchen with this succulent venison burger by Chef Shaun Clouston from Grill Meats Beer.

The wonderful writer and cartoonist Tom Scott once wrote, "if the Buena Vista Social Club and a Mississippi Paddle steamer ever had children it would look like the Havana Coffee Works Factory! Their glorious avocado coloured building on upper Tory St is at the heart of Wellingtons love affair with coffee. This building is where the creative caffeine visionary company roasts its potions for the people today."

Havana Coffee Works was established in 1989 in Cuba St, driven by a desire to roast coffee better and cleaner than what was then available. Pioneering their own hot air roaster designs that were electric and not gas, Havana Coffee quickly got its own following of loyal caffeine addicts and co-founder Geoff Marsland gave their coffee the slogan COFFEEUFEEL.

Now over 30 years on, Havana Coffee Works is still Wellingtons loveable wild child and a nationally known brand roasting delicious coffees with clean hot air. In 2017 they made the bold move to roast on the world’s most environmentally sustainable hot air Loring Roaster. Always a trailblazer in the industry, since the beginning they have used biodegradable and compostable packaging wherever possible and they ensure social inequalities are addressed through the business practices of Fairtrade and their own brand REALTRADE.

Havana’s Real Trade relationships are strong and long standing. They make sure the people who grow their coffee get a bigger share of the price paid. This includes regular visits to origin, ongoing mentoring and pre-financing growers during the harvest. Havana’s Real Trade relationships pay premium prices in recognition of the coffee growers and the importance of the coffee industry to the many struggling economies where coffee is grown. Real Trade prices paid are over and beyond Fairtrade.

Havana has close relationships with both their growers and customers. The new generation of coffee drinkers want to know where their coffee comes from and the Havana Coffee Works factory has an open door policy to show the magic in what they do. As well as their sustainability and education practices they also have a fun and creative culture for their staff to work in.

Havana Coffee Works roasts with love around 12 different origins and has created 7 of their own unique blends. You can buy 4 of their blends and their straight Cuban origin at Moore Wilson's in both retail and food service packs, which can be ground to order in Moore Wilson's Fresh. Havana Coffee is very popular and is one of the brands available for customers to enjoy in a barista made coffee in the Fresh area.

Moore Wilson's has a range of delicious Havana Coffees to take home.

Following are some of the staples of Middle Eastern cuisine that you'll find at Moore Wilson's Fresh:

Bulgur Wheat A roughly ground wheat grain commonly used in tabbouleh (a grain salad with pomegranate seeds and herbs) and kibbeh (little stuffed croquettes).

Chickpeas The main ingredient in houmous, chickpeas are also really common in Middle Eastern salads and stews.

Za’atar This earthy dried herb mix is often served with bread and olive oil before meals, or as a seasoning for meat and fish. Fresh and punchy.

Sumac Tangy, fresh and packed with citrus flavour, sumac is often used in salad dressings or dips for a bit of added zing!

Ras-El-Hanout A precious, potent Moroccan blend of up to 30 spices; each merchant has his own unique blend.

Harissa A Tunisian hot chili pepper paste that is as complex as it is spicy, with hints of garlic and cumin. Spread it on sandwiches, mixes it into yogurt, and drizzle harissa oil over fried olives.

Cumin Some say this spice “makes everything Middle Eastern”. Pungent, earthy, and unmistakable.

Turmeric  Fresh turmeric has a spicy bite and deeply orange flesh.

Pistachios One of the jewels of Middle Eastern cuisine, bright green pistachios are delicious toasted and scattered over salads, or baked in classic desserts such as baklava. 

Pomegranate Molasses Rich and sticky pomegranate molasses works brilliantly in sweet or savoury dishes. It has a lovely bitterness to it, and pairs well with stronger flavours such as mackerel and fennel.

Labneh You can strain plain yoghurt to make your own labneh – a soft cheese. It’s delicious spread on toast, or served with an omelette.

Dates Nature’s candy, dates are delicious with a cup of sweet tea. They’re also brilliant for sweetening spiced milkshakes, or as petit fours.

Preserved Lemon Luxuriously soft lemons that, even whole, melt in your mouth. They are bright and yellow and satisfyingly salty. Used in many savoury dishes.

Kataif  Thinly shredded filo dough, and while it doesn't taste like much on its own, it's a great source of crunchiness and texture.

Tahini Used in dressings, sauces, dips, even baked into flatbreads and cakes, nutty, rich sesame-seed paste is essential to Middle Eastern cuisine. Look for tahini that is smooth and light in colour. The natural oil will rise to the top; stir to incorporate before using.

Rose and Orange Flower Water These fragrant waters are distilled from the Damascus rose and the Seville orange tree, respectively. An essential ingredient in many Middle Eastern desserts and Turkish Delight.

New Zealand homes throw away over 120,000 tonnes of food per year, all of which could have been eaten. This is enough food to feed the whole of Dunedin for two years! Wasting this food costs the average household $563 a year.

There are two main reasons why we throw away food: we don’t eat our leftovers and some food goes bad because it is not stored properly. The foods we waste the most are bread, leftovers, potatoes, apples, chicken and bananas.

Here are five easy ways to waste less food in your own household:

1. Use the whole vegetable

• Make stock with the off cuts and use to flavour soup, stews, and risotto
• Dice up stems of broccoli, cauliflower, and silverbeet and add to chilli con carne or bolognaise bases
• Make a crunchy slaw with broccoli, cauliflower, and silverbeet stems and celery leaves.
• Keep skins on apples, potato, and kumara
• Preserve excess as pickles, jellies or jams

2. Plan your menu to use leftovers through the week, for example:

• Risotto > arancini balls
• Rice > fried rice
• Potato/Kumara/Pumpkin > hash
• Leftover salad/chicken > filo parcels
• Fish and vege > fish cakes
• Cooked vege > puree to make soup
• Casserole > pies
• Cooked leftovers > frittata

3. Eat a range of cuts

• Support producers by eating a range of cuts from premium fillets to slow cook cuts and sausages or smallgoods
• Make stock or sauce from raw or cooked bones for soups, stews, or sauces.

4. Storage

• Make sure you keep the cool chain going to ensure limited spoilage.
• Have good quality reusable storage containers on hand
• Check dates regularly and freeze if it is not going to be eaten
• Invest in a Foodsaver to pack product airtight for fridge, freezer, or pantry
• Wrap cheese in paper to avoid sweating
• Crumb, dry, or freeze stale bread

5. Shop regularly

• Where practical, Moore Wilson’s Fresh has most produce lines loose, so you can just buy as much as you need, often.
• Vacuum packed meat has a longer shelf life than repacked products. Having protein fresh in the fridge encourages cooking without having to defrost the day before.

You can't beat a warming soup in winter and this one ticks all the boxes - filling and flavoursome! Recipe by Prefab for the 2018 Moore Wilson's Calendar.

Mt Somers Station is the family property of David and Kate Acland. Together they run the 3800ha farm that runs from the Ashburton River, at an altitude of 400m, to the boundary of the conservation park at the base of the Mountain, an altitude of 700m.

Mt Somers Station runs over 13,000 breeding sheep, 3000 deer, 1300 dairy cows, and 200 head of beef cattle. The property also includes 500ha of native vegetation and beech forest which has been retired from grazing. This vegetation provides ample food source for the 400 hives on the property producing manuka and honeydew honeys in addition to the clover honey produced from the lower terraces. The Station has 12 full time staff, most of whom live on the property.

History

David’s great-great Grandfather JBA Acland originally took up Mt Somers Station, and a number of other Canterbury runs, in 1856 with his business partner Charles Tripp. In 1861 they dissolved the partnership with Acland retaining Mt Peel Station to the south and Tripp taking Orari Gorge and Mt Somers Stations. The families of Acland and Tripp have farmed Mt Peel and Orari Gorge Stations since this time, however Mt Somers Station was sold in 1862 to Tripp’s brother-in-law Charles Cox.

For the next century, Mount Somers Station had various owners, but, for the most part, the Acland family remained closely associated with the property.

The Station originally included almost the entire of Mount Somers and bounded the Staveley Bush, however in the 1970’s the lease on the majority of the bush and mountainous area was retired and the land became part of the national conservation estate.

In 1983, the current owners sold two-thirds of Mt Somers Station to David’s parents Mark and Jo Acland. The family moved from Mt Peel Station where Mark had been farming in partnership with his brother. The property was relatively underdeveloped with limited housing and no deer fencing. Mark undertook a massive development program and the first deer were brought to the property in August 1983 at a time when deer farming in NZ was in its infancy. Mark and Jo purchased the remainder of the Station in 2002, the same year David returned home.

Lambs Wool Blankets

Each year on Mt Somers Station around 15,000 lambs are born. All sheep remain outside on predominantly grass pastures for the entirety of their lives. Lambs remain with their mother for 2-3 months before they are weaned and grown out for market.

The bulk of Mt Somers Station lamb is supplied for export with the largest markets for NZ lamb being the UK and China.

Each year Kate and David shear 6000-8000 of their lambs, the fleece is slightly finer than the main ewe fleece and is perfect for use in lambs wool blankets.

The wool is scoured (cleaned) locally then sent to Wellington for spinning and finally Auckland for weaving. They are incredibly proud to be producing these blankets entirely in NZ.

The blankets are beautifully soft and a generous size (180cm x 150cm) making them perfect as a comforter for a double/queen bed, a sofa throw or to keep in the car as a travel rug. A quality blanket that will last for generations.

Sheep on the Station are also shorn and the wool is used for carpets and heavier textiles.