Wunderbites - A Cereal Romance

Wellington couple take a bite out of the New Zealand cereal market

Wunderbites - A Cereal Romance

Thanks to The Food Show Wellington, a fledgling company has been given the opportunity to showcase their brand new product at the annual event from Friday 11 May to Sunday 13 May at the Westpac Stadium. In April the Dominion Post ran a competition to award an exhibitors stand to an up and coming business to help launch their product to the discerning Wellington audience.

Wunderbites are a delicious range of snack bars with clear nutrition information designed to help New Zealanders make better food choices. Wellington locals Mike and Mary Bennett started the company in 2007 after Mike was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It’s a little known fact that New Zealand is the third fattest country in the OECD behind the US and Mexico. With 65% of adults and 29% of children overweight or obese and 7% of Kiwi adultshaving type 2 diabetes, these facts and Mike’s diagnosis shocked the couple into paying more attention to what they were eating.

Health experts use the 10:10 rule to make better food choices which is: choose food with under 10% sugar and under 10% fat, as well as high fibre, low saturated fat a low GI and low sodium. However, at times if feels like you need a degree in rocket science to decipher the nutritional information on the back of food packaging.

Mike and Mary decided they wanted to change this. Having searched high and low for a delicious satisfying snack bar that adhered to the 10:10 rule – none did – they began baking and product testing in their home kitchen 5 years ago.

Now they’re all set to take a bite out of the snack bar market, by launching Wunderbites at The Food Show… fast forward to May 11th 2012 – the day The Food Show Wellington opens –the first person to buy a Wunderbite snack bar from the couple, will be their first ever customer!

Of their win Mike and Mary say “We are absolutely thrilled to pieces. If you’d told us last year we’d have given up our retirement savings to launch a new snack bar we would have laughed you out of the kitchen. We’re over the moon to be a part of The Food Show Wellington, and can’t wait for everyone who comes along to the show to sample our delicious treats. We really hope we can inspire Kiwis to start living a healthier lifestyle, and The Food Show has helped us take our first steps towards doing that.”

Rebecca Stewart, General Manager of North Port Events comments “We chose Mike and Mary to win for many reasons. First the passion they have for their product and business is very clear. They want to make a real difference to the health of Kiwis, and that really resonates with us. Their story is one of courage, drive and love. Putting everything they have into their business to launch a not only healthy but really fantastic looking product – we wish them all the best and are just as thrilled to help launch their future success.”

You will find Wunderbites at stand number 227 from Friday 11th May till Sunday 13th. Tickets to The Food Show are available from www.foodshow.co.nz
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