Food for Thought

Venture Taranaki invites you to Food for Thought – a networking event aimed at developing and fostering a vibrant food and beverage sector in Taranaki.

The evening will feature a panel discussion highlighting some of the region’s most promising food and beverage producers – including Shining Peak, Van Dyck Fine Food, and Planta.

Hear their story, learn about their challenges and successes, and find out their tips for successful growth.

You’ll also hear from Venture Taranaki about their plans to support and grow the food and beverage sector in Taranaki. This is a key area of focus for the coming year and there are plenty of great projects on the cards.

So, if you're looking to expand your network and learn from some of the best in the business, mark your calendar and join us at Food for Thought. We can't wait to see you there!

Please contact Matt Lamb, Strategic Projects Adviser, Venture Taranaki, for any questions: matt@venture.org.nz

About Shining Peak:

Founded in 2019, Shining Peak was one of the first ‘Brewpubs’ in the region and continues to have a distinctly Taranaki flavour. Not only is Shining Peak the direct English translation of Taranaki, but nearly all of their beers are named and tied back to a local story, such as Fanny Fantham Lager, named after the first woman to climb Panitahi, the side peak of Mt Taranaki visible from Stratford (now colloquially known as Fantham’s Peak). Throw in the mix more than $170,000 raised for local charities and countless national and international beer awards, Shining Peak have shown the way to brew success in the beverage industry in Taranaki.

About Planta:

Through running their food truck in Oākura, Holy Guacamole, Cathi Strebinger and Isaac Drought noticed something was missing – so they developed their tea-based fizzy drink Planta Mate. Planta is a carbonated Yebra Mate tea (pronounced Maa-Tay) inspired by their travels through South America. Now available in dozens of retailers throughout New Zealand, Planta aims to customers something exotic, healthy and unique, something fun to go with the casual beachside dining experience that’s good for the soul as well as energising and refreshing.

About Van Dyck Fine Food Limited:

Following a chance meeting with a local bakery manufacturer, Inge Vercammen and Marcel Naenan set up Van Dyck Fine Food Limited in New Plymouth in 1999. Their passion for Belgium inspired pancakes, crepes and blinis has seen the business grow to nearly 50 staff with products being distributed from their Bell Block facility all around the world. While supplying many global brands through private label production, Van Dyck’s is best known domestically for their own brand, Marcels, name after one of their founders.

Register here.