My Food Bag Celebrates Kiwi Suppliers With Inaugural Awards

My Food Bag celebrated its inaugural Supplier Awards at its Parnell Development Kitchen last week, acknowledging the Kiwi suppliers’ instrumental role to the brand’s success. The event brought together co-founder Nadia Lim, the My Food Bag leadership team, and finalists from three award categories. CEO Mark Winter highlighted the vital role all of My Food Bag’s suppliers have played since My Food Bag's founding in 2013, navigating tight timelines to enable the delivery of fresh local products to thousands of Kiwi homes each week. Suppliers were judged on three categories – Quality, Service and Innovation Excellence;

In the Quality Excellence category, the spotlight was on Moana, Mega Foods and Health Pak— suppliers who consistently meet the high standards set by My Food Bag. Mega Foods who provide free-range chicken for My Food Bag, and premium seafood supplier Moana, both set a high bar for quality and sustainability. However, it was Health Pak that claimed the award for their meticulous attention to detail, ensuring every spice blend they create meets My Food Bag’s rigorous standards. By turning complex recipes into well-crafted products, Health Pak has become a key partner in delivering top-quality ingredients.

The Service Excellence award recognised suppliers who go the extra mile to accommodate My Food Bag's demanding delivery schedule, a feat that requires constant flexibility and responsiveness. Finalists in this category included Bluestar, who print My Food Bag’s recipe cards and use a just in time model that allows the chefs to swap seasonal ingredients up until the Tuesday before delivery; delivery partner NZ Post, who ensure fresh ingredients are delivered in perfect condition to homes all over New Zealand; and premium meat supplier Neat Meat, who provide a wide variety of cuts of beef, lamb and venison. NZ Post took home the award for its reliable delivery standards and innovative solutions, including the new twilight and early Monday morning delivery slots that have been added this year to offer more convenience to My Food Bag customers.

In the Innovation Excellence category, nominees were celebrated for their creativity and responsiveness in developing products that make My Food Bag meals unique. Wild Wheat was a finalist thanks to the creation of its black burger buns, a customer favourite during the brand’s Paris 2024 Olympics campaign, with over 20,000 buns enjoyed nationwide. Manly Park Kitchen was nominated for its fresh ready-made meals, while Loft Food Co., the development team behind My Food Bag’s signature sauces, was also a finalist. Loft Food Co. stood out for its flexibility and culinary skill, producing over 50 bespoke sauces weekly and creating new products in response to customer demand. Their ability to swiftly transform a kitchen bench sample into large-scale production not only earned them the Innovation Excellence award but also the Supreme Award for Supplier of the Year for 2024, recognising their essential role in enhancing My Food Bag’s distinctive flavours and appeal.

The My Food Bag team plan to run the awards annually said Winter, and are looking forward to continuing to celebrate the great Kiwi suppliers who play such a vital part in delivering simple, healthy and delicious meal kits to thousands of New Zealanders each week. “It was fantastic to get our suppliers together for the inaugural awards to recognise the part they play in our success. Our suppliers are at the heart of our business, partnering with us week in and week out to develop and deliver unique, delicious and high-quality local products – enabling us to deliver on our purpose to help Aotearoa New Zealand eat and live well.”

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