Kapiti Fine Foods launches premium milk

February 24, 2005

Now It's Kapiti Milk! - Kapiti Fine Foods launches premium milk

The company responsible for the icon Kapiti brand of specialty cheese and super premium ice cream has just launched two premium fresh milk products in the only clear plastic milk bottle in New Zealand.

Kapiti Fine Foods (KFF) is distributing "Kapiti" branded milk in selected supermarkets throughout New Zealand under two sub-brands, Circulait and Classic. The new milk was previewed today.

Kapiti CIRCULAIT is a low cholesterol, 99.9% fat-free fresh milk which comes with the promise of a full milk flavour, and carries the National Heart Foundation "TICK" of approval.

Kapiti CLASSIC is at the other end of the scale, very creamy and as close as you get to pure cows' milk with nothing added, nothing taken away.

Announcing the launch of its first national milk brand, Kapiti Fine Foods CEO Greig Shearer says the introduction of the premium brand of fresh milk was a major step for the company.

"This milk delivers the Kapiti promise of quality, freshness and innovation.

"It is not an every day milk. This is the same fresh milk we use in our premium cheese and ice cream products."

The two milk variants come in clear one litre plastic bottles designed especially for Kapiti. The bottles come with the company's newly introduced double-seal cap, which has the benefits of guaranteed freshness, no more leaky milk bottles (either in the car or fridge) and no plastic milk top ring inconveniently dropping off during pouring.

The new milks give Kapiti a basket of premium dairy products - cheese, milk and ice cream like no other dairy company in the market.

Mr Shearer says the Kapiti Milk brand was a natural progression since the acquisition of the cheese and ice cream business less than two years ago, but it had to be a very special product to match the quality of the specialty cheeses and the ice cream.

" 'Kapiti' is a much coveted, very powerful brand with a special place in the market. The cheese and ice cream business was acquired with this type of development in mind, bringing to the market a premium milk brand."

Kapiti already produces regular milk variants with its "Farmgate" brand, as well as producing house brand milk in the lower half of the North Island for a major supermarket operator. Prior to Christmas the company launched WHAT'SUP (or SUP) a flavoured milk brand in chocolate, banana, strawberry, and more flavours to come.

Mr Shearer says that innovation is the lifeblood of a successful dairy-based business, and KFF was determined to continue the tradition of innovation set by the cheese operation for over 20 years.

"We anticipate that as a low cholesterol, fat-free milk, Kapiti Circulait will appeal to consumers who are health conscious Consumers will be keen to have a product with the full taste of milk, but 99.9% fat free. This milk is high in calcium and enriched with fibre for extra calcium absorption.

"The biggest complaint about fat-free milk is that it has lost its milk flavour. Circulait does not sacrifice taste for leanness.

"Kapiti Classic is a more indulgent variant being fresh creamy milk, and as close as you'll get to milk straight from the cow, given that fresh milk in New Zealand is pasteurised."

Milk production has trebled
The Palmerston North plant started operating four years ago with 17 staff and producing 35,000 litres of standard milk a day. At the time it was known as United Milk Ltd.

Today it's producing in excess of 100,000 litres a day (in a 24-hour, seven days a week operation), and employs over 40 staff. More than 50 percent of its raw milk supply comes from its own contract farmers, a group which is growing all the time.

The company has moved from supplying mostly standard milk to the full range of consumer milk products, more than trebling production in four years.

ENDS

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