The third annual Horowhenua Taste Trail will take place on Saturday November 24. The event, an adventure through Horowhenua specialist food producers, provides participants a behind the scenes experience of the excellent food grown and produced in the Horowhenua.Antony Young, Chairman of the Horowhenua Taste Trail Trust, says “when we launched the inaugural Horowhenua Taste Trail in 2016, we were determined to use it as an opportunity to tell inspiring stories of the district’s food producers”.
“Horowhenua grows and produces excellent food. We’ve created a live paddock to plate experience where participants are invited to explore the farms, packing sheds, and get inside our commercial kitchens and processing plants, providing a rare level of transparency.”
The event aims to showcase excellent producers and also help participant’s value fresh locally produced food.
“We are excited to announce our line-up of producers for the 2018 event which includes some iconic well known businesses. We also welcome new producers on the Trail this year, including The Ultimate Egg and The Baked Dane.” says Mr Young.
The ten producers on the Trail for 2018 are Woodhaven Gardens, Lewis Farms (home to Tendertips Asparagus and fresh strawberries), Genoese Pesto, Turk’s, Woody’s Free Range Farm, Levin Eel Trading , Thoroughbread Foods, The Ultimate Egg, The Baked Dane and Bagrie’s Dairy Farm. At each stop on the Trail participants will be taken through an experience which showcases the produce. From factory tours to gourmet food experiences, tastings to farm tours, the Trail will showcase the journey our locally made food takes from paddock to plate.
Catherine Lewis, Executive Director, says “each year we want people coming back for more. So we are conscious of the need to include new producers but also grow the experiences on offer.”“This year, we are also creating special gourmet food dishes freshly prepared at many of the producer venues. You will walk away having sampled Horowhenua’s freshest produce at it’s best."
The event welcomes people of all ages, and is family friendly. Tickets will be on sale Monday October 1. Anyone wishing to join in the Trail can find out more information at the Taste Trail website www.tastetrail.co.nz or on their Facebook Page @horowhenuatastetrail
Event information-
- Ticketed event
- Date: Saturday 24 November 2018
- Time: 10am-4pm
- Producers: Woodhaven Gardens, Lewis Farms (home to Tendertips Asparagus and fresh strawberries), Genoese Pesto, Turk’s, Woody’s Free Range Farm, Levin Eel Trading , Thoroughbread Foods, The Ultimate Egg, The Baked Dane and Bagrie’s Dairy Farm.
- Website: www.tastetrail.co.nz
- Facebook and Instagram: @horowhenuatastetrail
2018 Producers
Genoese - A family owned and operated local business, manufacturing premium pestos from herbs and all natural ingredients. Genoese was established in Levin in 1993, and is the number one retail brand in New Zealand.
Thoroughbread Foods - Thoroughbread is a family owned gluten free company, selling baked goods to farmers markets and specialist grocers. Through the love of food and their passion for health, they strive to make the best products possible.
Turk’s - A family business which has been in operation for over 40 years. Turk’s free range chickens are corn-fed which means they produce healthy chickens with delicious flavour and goodness. Their products are enjoyed throughout New Zealand.
Woodhaven Gardens - Woodhaven Gardens is a family run commercial growing operation located on the fertile plains of the Horowhenua. They have production in excess of 1000 acres, producing and distributing quality vegetables both nationally and internationally.
Lewis Farms - Lewis Farms is home to Tendertips Asparagus and is in the process of adding strawberries to its’ seasonal offering. Lewis Farms is a family owned and operated business, that has been farming in the Horowhenua since 1934. They are the second largest asparagus grower in New Zealand whose produce is enjoyed in New Zealand and Japan.
Woody's Free Range Farm - Woody's Free Range Farm was established at Manakau in 2013, breeding and growing 100% pasture raised pigs. Woody's specialises in Heritage pig breeds, and is now processing a range of small goods from its' new facility in Levin. Woody’s pork is available by mail order from their website and through a number of speciality food stores.
Levin Eel Trading - Levin Eel Trading is a family owned business which started in 1978, specialising in processing and exporting frozen eel throughout Asia and Europe. Levin Eel also export live eels straight to the markets in Asia, Europe and North America, and sell ready-to-eat smoked eel and other fresh eel products primarily for the domestic market.
Bagrie Farm - Bagrie Farm is a family dairy operation based in Waitarere, with a modern 54 bale rotary milking shed filtted out with the latest technology. They also operate an earthmoving, roading and agricultural contracting business which has been running in the Horowhenua since 1986.
The Baked Dane - The Baked Dane is a newly established local business that specialises in rustic Scandinavian inspired baked goods. Two years ago owner, operator Lisa Brink, started baking and selling home baked goods at local farmers markets as a hobby. Before she knew it she had quit her daytime job as a logistics coordinator and turned her guesthouse into a commercial kitchen.
The Ultimate Egg - A family owned business which offers free range and barn laid eggs for wholesale distribution throughout New Zealand supplying cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and specialty food stores. With exceptional high animal welfare standards, the Ultimate Egg was one of the first barn egg suppliers to be SPCA Blue Tick approved.
