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Kapiti Fine Foods Ltd
Subsidiary of a co-operative
Industry Dairy foods
Founded 1984
Headquarters New Zealand
Products Cheese, Ice Cream, Yoghurt
Revenue NZ$60 Million
Number of employees
230
Parent Fonterra

Kapiti Fine Foods Ltd is a New Zealand company producing gourmet cheeses, yoghurts and other dairy products for domestic consumption and for export, owned by Fonterra. It takes its name from its original site at Lindale on the Kapiti coast. It has factories in Paraparaumu and Palmerston North. It began production in 1984. In 2019, Kapiti ice cream was licensed to Froneri as part of the Tip Top (ice cream) sale.

History

Kapiti Cheeses was founded in 1984 by Ross McCallum and Neville McNaughton as a small cheese shop and boutique factory at Lindale Tourist Complex on the Kapiti Coast. Ross McCallum was a cheese maker of long standing with Kiwi Co-op Dairies, and took part in a Vocational Training Tour in 1978 through England, Europe and the United States. After the trip, McCallum saw potential for developing a specialty cheese category in the New Zealand cheese market, a new market that had been considered conservative and restrained up until that time. The shop and factory was run with only one full-time staff member, help from the families and part-time students. By 2002 Kapiti had 150 employees and retail outlets in Auckland, Christchurch and Lindale, assisted by an expansion of production facilities in 1997, and consistent annual growth.

Specialty Cheeses

Kapiti has a range of over 30 different specialty cheeses, including popular international styles and their own New Zealand inspired cheeses. Most of these products can be found in supermarkets across New Zealand, however rare styles are sold from the Kapiti Store in the Auckland CBD and Lindale, New Zealand. The Kapiti range includes soft-white, blue, washed rind, fresh, semi-soft yellow, cheddar and Parmesan-style cheeses.

Key Cheese Products

Cheese Category Product
Soft-White Aorangi Brie*, Kahikatea Camembert, Kakariki Brie, Kotuku
Blue - Washed Rind Ramara*, Port Nicholson
Fresh Mascarpone, Mozzarella, Bocconcini
Semi-Soft Yellow Kanuka Waxed Havarti*, Smoked Havarti, Gouda - various, Emmental, Karu, Peka Peka Edam
Cheddar Tuteremoana Cheddar*, Pakari Aged Cheddar, Port Wine Cheddar, Pakari Smoked Cheddar

Ice Cream & Sorbet

Kapiti ice cream and sorbet has been produced for the New Zealand food service industry since 1997, mainly for hospitality (restaurants and cafes) and airlines. They have a range of flavours inspired by NZ such as those below, and are available from scooperies or restaurants:

Ice Cream Flavours Sorbet Flavours
Dark Chocolate Chilli & Raspberry Lime Sorbet
Vanilla Bean Lemon Sorbet
Triple Chocolate Raspberry Sorbet
White Chocolate & Raspberry
Double Cream & Cookies
Black Doris Plum & Creme Fraiche
Fig & Honey
Feijoa
Gingernut
Spicy Apple Crumble
Lemon Meringue Pie
Vintage Strawberry & Cream
Blueberry Muffin
Lemongrass & Ginger
Affogato
Hokey Pokey
Pohutukawa Honey
Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch
Blackcurrant & Blackberry
Boysenberry
After Dinner Mint
Passionfruit & Lemon Curd

In 2009, Kapiti launched a range of ice creams on sticks and in tubs for dairies, petrol stations and supermarkets. Flavours include vanilla, boysenberry, white chocolate & raspberry, gingernut, strawberry & cream, caramel & almond.

Gourmet Yoghurts

In 2010, Kapiti launched a range of gourmet yoghurt for New Zealand supermarkets in flavours Vanilla Bean, Champagne Rhubarb, Passion Mango and Butterscotch. In 2011 this expanded to include a Lemon Meringue flavour. Kapiti yoghurts were deleted from the market in 2013.

The Kapiti Store

Kapiti has a retail store in the Auckland CBD, at the Hotel de Brett on Shortland Street.

Company acquisition

On 15 November 2005, New Zealand's largest dairy company, Fonterra, agreed to purchase Kapiti Fine Foods Ltd from Foodstuffs.

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