Dairy free kiwi ice cream start-up explodes in China

Innovative Kiwi startup Wahiki Creamery has achieved its biggest commercial international contract to date: Asia’s biggest childcare centre with 20,000 enrolled children.

The company, fresh off exhibiting at China’s biggest ice cream trade show, the 21st Ice Cream China 2018, in October, is positioned to take one of the biggest global markets by storm. Wahiki was the only coconut ice cream company present, out of hundreds of exhibitors and representatives say the interest was huge.

Chief executive Haman Shahpari says there are immense opportunities for growth in what he calls China’s untapped potential for healthy food alternatives.

“We have received a huge reception from the Chinese market who are extremely astute and keen on innovative, healthy food alternatives that address the major health questions of our era such as dairy, sugar and calorie intake.

“The Chinese are a progressive market when it comes to food and are active and enthusiastic about providing their population with better-for-you products such as our low sugar, low calorie, vegan, dairy free, gluten free ice cream.

“We have essentially eliminated all the risk factors out of ice cream while retaining ice cream’s traditional characteristics such as creaminess, texture and taste: all the things that make it the single biggest universally loved frozen dessert.”

Wahiki Creamery’s deal with Cathay Future will see the first coconut ice cream brand and kiwi brand to be featured at the leading-edge educational facility. With headquarters in Tianjin, China, the school has been an international leader in educational enrichment for more than 20 years.

It boasts having catered to more than 100,000 students from around the world, and in 2015 launched its global expansion program which saw it establish the Cathay School in Rockville, Maryland in the United States.

Shahpari says the deal marks the beginning of a long term, strategic relationship with the global economic power.

“The Chinese have shown us no hesitation in hearing about the health and benefits of our products and have demonstrated that they are actively looking for ongoing innovation and product development which delivers in the better-for-you markets.

“We are currently working on other channels as well continuing to re-innovate and reformulate to produce ice cream that isn’t just delicious but market leading for its health and wellness offerings.”

Wahiki Creamery produces vegan, dairy free and low sugar ice cream flavours and is the only ice cream brand to be certified gluten free by Coeliac New Zealand.

It also produces New Zealand’s only dairy free, vegan matcha flavor and released the world’s firs turmeric latte flavour in March 2018. It is the only ice cream brand to include turmeric, black pepper, ginger and cinnamon, all superfoods.

“This is the only the beginning for us – we are taking ice cream where no one else has before and will be putting out even more flavours previously unheard of,” says Shahpari.

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