NZ dairies lead the way

NEW ZEALAND could teach us a thing or two in a number of food related areas, they are obsessive about keeping plant animal and insect diseases out of the country.

So woe betide anyone who tries to smuggle anything in or forgets they have a piece of fruit in the bottom of their bag. There are plenty of warnings at the points of entry, fines for the heedless are substantial and rightly so.

Agriculture is a huge part of GNP. Fonterra is the biggest dairy company in the world and is responsible for more than a third of all international dairy trade and 25% of New Zealand’s export earnings. Kiwi dairy farmers are doing well at present.

As in Ireland, New Zealand can grow brilliant grass, yet New Zealand butter didn’t seem to be so highly regarded in some foodie circles. Twice when I enquired about the best butter I was surprised when it was suggested that I buy Lurpak.

In New Zealand, as in this part of the world, artisan producers are growing in numbers and their produce, despite recession, is gaining popularity. Cuisine Wine Country magazine lists not only the top wine makers but the Farmer’s Markets and Artisan Producers and, of course, cafes and restaurants on both North and South Islands.

Farmers markets are a good place to get a real insight into what local people are eating. I visited several during the course of a couple of weeks. The Hawkes Bay Farmer’s Market in Hastings is the original and many would say still the best in New Zealand. It’s held every Sunday and is run by a voluntary committee. It’s mid-summer down under now so the stalls were overflowing with fruit and vegetables. The asparagus season was just over but there was an abundance of gorgeous cherries, stone fruit and berries.

I particularly loved Gernots preserves at the Hawkes Bay Farmers Market — sublime jams and jellies — all made from fruit grown in the local area. There was everything from crab apple and saffron Jelly, apricot and gin jam, tangelo and Cointreau marmalade.

Another company makes a range of delicious products from St Andrews Limes, including a superb lime and passion fruit curd, Feijoa and Black Pepper Jelly and a Lime and Fig Marmalade — divine. The Damson Company in Havelock North had a fantastically good damson paste, damson vinaigrette, damson chocolates and damson liqueur which is just like our damson gin. They have already been a recipient of the Cuisine Artisan Food Awards.

The North Island of New Zealand is blessed with a Mediterranean climate, hence the thriving wine and a growing olive oil industry. On the North Island we also made it our business to be in Matakana for the Saturday Farmer’s Market one of the most stylish markets I’ve been to in any country.

We visited an Omaha Blueberry farm where Robert and ShannonAuton grow 40 acres of organic blueberries close to the beach. Again they are highly innovative, and encourage people to come onto the farm to eat their homemade blueberry ice cream, sorbets, yogurt and smoothies. I also visited Heilala Vanilla Company. The vanilla grows on the Pacific Island of Tonga and is processed in Tauranga on the North Island. In just a few short years Heilala Vanilla has swept the boards and beat all comers in blind tastings.

The farmhouse cheese industry is also growing, we visited several dairies, including Over the Moon in Putaruru on the road between Hamilton and Rotorua. They make a variety of cow, goat and sheepsmilk cheese and have recently set up a highly acclaimed cheese making school.

Check out the following websites for more information and inspiration.

www.thedamsoncollection.co.nz

www.overthemoondairy.co.nz/index.php

www.gernotsgold.co.nz

www.oob.co.nz

http://standrewslimes.yolasite.com