Kapiti Fine Foods facts for kids
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| Subsidiary of a co-operative | |
| Industry | Dairy foods |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | New Zealand |
| Products | Cheese, Ice Cream, Yoghurt |
| Revenue | NZ$60 Million |
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Number of employees
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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.
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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.
