Expert mentoring up for grabs for start-up food businesses

Entries are open for the Good Food Boost in Wellington until 28 August. The competition is now in its third year and offers four food businesses a programme of mentoring from some of the country’s most successful food business experts.

The winners are selected for their potential to successfully promote ‘good food’ across the region. ‘Good food’ is healthy and nutritious and contributes to local economies, reduces waste, and helps protect and restore the environment.

The initiative was launched by the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) in Auckland and is now run in partnership in Wellington with the Wellington City Council.

Laurie Foon, SBN Wellington Regional Manager, says: “We are helping the next generation of successful Kiwi food businesses to be all about good food. Every meal in New Zealand should feature food that is good for the people, our society and our natural environment.”

Applications are open from Monday 29 July until midnight on Wednesday 28 August, with winners announced on Thursday 5 September.

Winners receive four mentoring sessions from experts in food and business including:
• Matt Morrison, co-founder of Karma Cola and All Good
• Kelda Hains, Wellington restauranteur, formerly of Nikau and now Rita
• Teva Stewart, Merchandise Manager for Commonsense Organics
• Matt West, Business Director at EightyOne.

Winners will also receive a strategy session with the FoodBowl or NZ Food Innovation Network’s FOODPILOT project, and a one on one business development session with the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency.

An experienced line-up of judges including Beth Brash (Visa Wellington on a Plate), Nicky Solomon (NZ Food Innovation Network) and Nicola Young (foodie Councillor) will assess the applicants on a range of criteria covering everything from taste to traceability.

There will be an opportunity for businesses to find out more about how to enter the Good Food Boost at an event tomorrow, 31 July at EightyOne. The winners of last year’s Wellington Good Food Boost will share their progress. They will be joined by Roman Jewell of Fix and Fogg and Kelda Hains of Rita.

Laurie says: “This event to launch the Good Food Boost is about information sharing and connection so that a pool of good food businesses are able to keep growing from Wellington”. If you wish to attend please contact laurie@sustainable.org.nz

Products from all winners of the 2018 Wellington Good Food Boost are now stocked in Commonsense stores.

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