NZ Food Heroes Awards finalists announced

1st September 2020 By Staff Reporter | news@foodticker.co.nz | @foodtickernz

Sixty of the country’s food and beverage heroes have been selected as finalists in the 2020 New Zealand Food Awards.

The organiser of the awards, Massey University, said more than 340 nominations were received across 6 categories.

The categories were Innovators, Outstanding Service, Local Hero, Greater Good, Industry Supporter and The Dream Team.  

Perishable food rescuers KiwiHarvest, tourism operator Ridgeline Adventures, and Leader Products’ Joanne Tonge led the nominations, each making the finalist lists in three categories.

Massey University’s national events and sponsorship manager, Kelly Douglas, said the finalists illustrated the “scope and scale of innovation and community spirit unleashed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic”.

“The campaign has brought to light a myriad of ways the food sector adapted to the challenges and uncertainties of living during a global pandemic,” Douglas said.

“Kiwis can be proud of Aotearoa’s food and beverage community and the efforts they have made for our team of five million.”

Douglas added that this year’s finalists included “organisations large and small who ‘pivoted’ to provide meals and food parcels to the vulnerable, isolated or needy in urban and rural communities, as well as other food-related services to lift spirits during these challenging times”.  

The winners would be announced at a gala event at Cordis Hotel in Auckland on 8 October.

The full list of finalists can be seen here.