Inaugural ANZ Producer Marketplace Coming To Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay’s very first ANZ Producer Marketplace will be held on Monday, August 21 at the Napier War Memorial Centre. Hospitality owners and their staff can register their attendance now.

The ANZ Producer Marketplace is an innovative B2B event that connects local food and drink producers with hospitality businesses keen to showcase Hawke’s Bay product in their new season menus and Summer F.A.W.C! events

ANZ is also providing free business capability training and development sessions, where attendees will have the opportunity to learn from experts on subjects ranging from legal essentials to staff development and creating extraordinary customer experiences.

The ANZ Producer Marketplace has a been a staple of the Visa Wellington on a Plate (VWOAP) festival for almost a decade. In 2023, VWOAP invited Hawke’s Bay producers to participate in the marketplace as a sign of support following the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. The Hawke’s Bay event will be the second event in the series.

Hawke’s Bay Tourism Chief Executive Hamish Saxton said the organisation was thrilled to welcome the ANZ Producer Marketplace to the region.

“Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s Food and Wine Country, and what’s more, we are now officially a Great Wine Capital of the World. It is a key reason why people come to Hawke’s Bay and the menus at our renowned hospitality providers want to reflect that.”

Recent research conducted by Hawke’s Bay Tourism, revealed 86 per cent of buyers and hospitality businesses indicated that sourcing produce locally was a priority, said Saxton.

“Buyers and hospitality businesses are often interested in sourcing their ingredients locally. The product is fresher, the process is better for the environment, and they are proud to support the local economy. They also indicated that it was important to their brand.

“However, they also said there were a variety of barriers preventing them from doing so, one of which is connectivity. Many hospitality businesses said they only discovered providers through word of mouth or social media, so we hope the Producer Marketplace can assist in removing additional barriers and create strong networks amongst our producer and hospitality sectors.”

ANZ Managing Director for Business Lorraine Mapu said ANZ was proud to support the Producer Marketplace event.

“ANZ is committed to supporting New Zealand’s food and beverage sector to grow. The last few years of pandemic lockdowns and weather-related events, amid ongoing economic and environmental pressures, has made it really tough for many businesses and their owners, but we’ve seen real strength and resilience from the sector.

“It’s wonderful to bring this event to Hawke’s Bay and we hope it will provide busy food and beverage businesses with a platform to connect and learn.”

More than 28 growers and producers have signed up to exhibit at the event, with everything from meat to microgreens to wine.

The ANZ Producer Marketplace and Training Day take place from 10am to 5pm on Monday, August 21 at the Napier War Memorial Centre and is free for the hospitality industry to attend.

Hospitality businesses can register their attendance at

bit.ly/hbmarketplace

.

© Scoop Media