An award-winning New Zealand vanilla company is set to take the international gourmet food market by storm this year after securing support from a group of high-powered investors.

Heilala Vanilla has just signed a deal in which the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) and Enterprise Angels BOP – a Tauranga-based consortium – will invest into the company. This involves 12 individual investors including Ross McCallum (founder of Kapiti Cheeses and Kapiti Ice-Cream) and Geoff Ross (founder of iconic vodka brand 42 Below).  

“Heilala Vanilla is an example of the kind of innovative world-class food company New Zealand can produce and the kind of company we look to invest in,” says Neil Craig, chairman of Enterprise Angels.

The deal will provide the capital injection Heilala Vanilla needs to substantially expand its innovative business and ramp up its current exports to Australia, the United States and South East Asia. New opportunities in the US, UK and Japan will also be explored in 2012.

Heilala Vanilla’s sales and marketing manager, Jennifer Boggiss, says the company’s aim is to become a globally-recognised brand which professional chefs, bartenders and food lovers around the world will seek out.

And they have made a great start – snapping up numerous food awards and earning high profile endorsements from the likes of leading UK celebrity chef Peter Gordon.

Their most recent accolades came at the NZ Food Awards 2011 where Heilala Vanilla Syrup won the KPMG Food Export Award and the Food Enterprise Innovation Award.

This syrup encapsulates Heilala Vanilla’s desire to make vanilla an everyday product – not just an ingredient used for baking cakes and biscuits.  Boggiss says the syrup will be heavily promoted this year for use in coffees, cocktails, smoothies and to pour over fruit, pancakes and ice-cream.

“New Zealand has been a great testing ground for our new products and we are confident we can achieve strong growth in Australia which has a similar foodie market,” she says. “We’ve been exporting there for two years now and in 2011 we gained listing with Thomas Dux (the Woolworths gourmet food retail chain) ranging the full product range. The plan for 2012 is to focus on boosting our sales and marketing resources across the Tasman.”

Americans are also big vanilla consumers and Boggiss says the company will establish warehouse facilities on both the West Coast and in New York in the near future. “Our Heilala Vanilla Beans and Paste are now in a number of high profile New York restaurants and our Heilala Vanilla Syrup is in 200 US stores through prestigious food retail chain Williams-Sonoma. Dean and Deluca, another US gourmet food retail chain, is also set to stock Heilala Vanilla Sugar from Easter 2012. We’ve made a good start on the US market, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Heilala Vanilla is the only company world-wide that grows processes and sells its own vanilla products, having total ownership of the supply chain.

The family-owned business is jointly run by Boggiss, her husband, Garth, and her father, John Ross. The trio have transformed the market for vanilla products and dramatically improved the fortunes of one small Tongan community in the process.

Heilala Vanilla’s crop of vanilla beans are grown on the Vava’u Islands in northern Tonga before being harvested and sent to New Zealand for processing and packaging into premium vanilla beans, extract, paste, syrup, sugar, ice-cream and powder products.

The plantation land in Tonga was gifted to John, a retired dairy farmer, by the Latu family in recognition of his humanitarian efforts to help re-build their local community following a destructive cyclone in 2001. John had personally sent money to help repair the family’s roof and organized his local Rotary Club in South Auckland to undertake various repair projects in the local villages.

Afterwards, Laulile Latu offered John the lease on his family’s plot of land in return for establishing a business that would provide for the local community. John spent some time researching the best crop to grow and Heilala Vanilla was launched in late 2002.

The business has since flourished, with John supervising the vanilla crop in Tonga. Jennifer is an accountant by trade with skills in marketing, oversees business development, while Garth has an IT and horticultural background, so is responsible for Heilala Vanilla’s product knowledge and Research and Development.

Boggiss says vanilla is the most labour-intensive agricultural crop on the planet as flowers have to be hand-pollinated within a six hour window and then the resulting vanilla bean nine months later is then carefully cured and dried over a further six month period.

“Vanilla is an annual harvest, which requires a significant investment each year in raw materials. This investment, with NZVIF and Enterprise Angels BOP, will allow us to move forward with confidence to both grow existing markets and develop new markets, while also driving product development and innovation,” Boggiss says.

The company has partnered with Massey University in recent years to develop their innovative creations such as their award-winning vanilla syrup. Synthetic chemicals rather than real vanilla beans are used in 98 per cent of vanilla products sold worldwide, so Heilala Vanilla’s authentic products taste substantially better than their rivals.

“Our new investment partners have seen the terrific commercial opportunity that lies ahead, and we’re very excited to be moving into the next phase of our company’s development.”

The NZVIF was established by the New Zealand government in 2002, to help build a vibrant venture capital market in New Zealand. Enterprise Angels BOP is the 13^th

partner in NZVIF’s Seed Co-Investment Fund and the first in the Bay of Plenty.

“Our goal is world vanilla domination,” Boggiss laughs, “but we want to grow our business in a sustainable way. Our Pacific partnership is something rather special to us. We are strongly committed to supporting the local Tongan economy as well as generating export dollars for New Zealand.”

The Auckland-based company is the only producer of terracotta and hand-glazed tiles in Australasia and offers the biggest selection of coloured tiles on either side of the Tasman.

Their latest tile range includes eye-catching Lime Green, hot-pink Flamingo and a mesmerising blue called Pacifica. Also new are a blue speckled Peacock tile and a dramatic black and white Newsprint tile.

Jeff Roberts, who established Middle Earth Tiles in 2002, is passionate about colour and says tiles can be used to create unique permanent pieces of art in courtyards, patios, swimming pool surrounds and indoor spaces.

Middle Earth’s ceramic tiles are available in over 80 hues with gloss finishes that have a sheen which brings out the vibrancy in each colour.

“Our tiles are designed for both wall and floor applications. Hand-glazed ceramic tiles are perfect for bathroom and shower walls, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds and various floor applications. People can add their own personal style to any room,” Roberts says.

Murray Macarthy, owner of Buddha Stix restaurants in Christchurch and Petone, used Middle Earth’s brightly coloured tiles to create a feature wall which reflected the spicy flavours of his Thai food.
“Using our large format abstract tiles mixed with our Lava, Kowhai Yellow and Valencia Orange colours, we have been able to create a unique feature wall that reflects the warmth of Thailand, as well as a ‘visual’ taste of the spicy flavours which Buddha Stix specialises in,” Roberts says.

Colour creates life and vitality and Roberts wants Middle Earth Tiles to be recognized for their individual beauty. Most New Zealand tile suppliers sell tiles imported from overseas which are mass produced “photocopy” tiles typical of modern manufacturing processes.

Middle Earth Tiles are durable, of the highest quality, and are the most eco-friendly tiles made in New Zealand.

“We are extremely proud to have introduced organic tiling and sustainability to the tile industry. We use sustainable manufacturing practices to produces traditional unglazed tiles, commonly called terracotta tiles, and unique hand-glazed tiles in both normal tiles sizes but also mosaics,” Roberts says.

The company’s tiles replicate the classical hand-made tones created in the Mediterranean (Middle Earth) hundreds of years ago. And their in-house hand-glazing processes and designs add variation in colour to the tiles, enhancing the contemporary look of all Middle Earth products.

The tiles are produced in Middle Earth’s Warkworth factory, and the entire collection is on display at the company’s new showroom at 194 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Auckland.

For online enquiries visit www.middleearthtiles.co.nz.

Herrmann International has collected thinking preference data on women and men across the globe for the past 30 years and has compiled a statistical database containing 2 million profiles worldwide.

Wayne Goodley, Managing Director of Herrmann International New Zealand says the paradox about love is we attract people with opposite thinking, which supports the notion of nature facilitating diversity.  However, over time these differences which were once celebrated in the relationship, become areas of friction.

“The secret to not being driven mad by our partner is to increase self-awareness of the ‘thinking lenses’ through which you and your partner view the world,” says Goodley.

Many people are familiar with the terms ‘left brain’ and ‘right brain’ thinking, but Whole Brain® thinking takes this one step further by dividing the brain into four quadrants to help figure out what degree of preference individuals have for thinking in each of their four brain quadrants.

The upper left ‘blue’ quadrant specialises in logical, analytical, quantitative, fact-based thinking. The lower left ‘green’ quadrant focuses on details and specialises in planning, organising and sequencing information. The lower right ‘red’ quadrant places a priority on feelings and the interpersonal, emotional and kinaesthetic aspects of a situation. The upper right ‘yellow’ quadrant synthesises and integrates information and is more intuitive and holistic in its thinking.

“Of course we know that the two lenses through which you and your partner view the world are generally going to be opposite.  For example one partner may be a planner, the other more spontaneous.   So a solution to meeting both needs may be during the weekends, Saturday is completely planned and Sunday isn’t.  By agreeing on a compromise you may be surprised how you look forward to each other’s day!”

Goodley says partners who have learned how to work around each other’s thinking preference become powerful and attractive couples.

“Our research found that men and women only share ten percent in common in regards to their thinking, therefore we can conclude most couples at some stage in their relationship will find their partner frustrating.

“However, once you realise your partner’s way of thinking does actually complete you (to borrow a line from Tom Cruise!), then you can work towards ‘shared thinking’. With these new skills you can rekindle the spark in your love life, deepen your understanding of one another and better work through the rough patches that come in every relationship,” says Goodley.

About Herrmann International

The originator of the Whole Brain® system and the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®) thinking styles assessment, Herrmann International works with organisations around the world to help them put their full brainpower to work to outthink, outpace and outperform the competition. The company’s Whole Brain® Thinking framework, which includes a variety of learning solutions, facilitation resources, job aids and business tools, has helped nine out of ten of the Fortune 100 harness their collective intelligence to sell more, spend less, innovate faster, and develop and retain the best talent.

Bryan and Ervin from Mokoia Restaurant, Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort, talk to Rawdon and Toni from Breakfast TV about incorporating indigenous herbs into everyday dishes. Watch the full segment here:

http://tvnz.co.nz/breakfast-news/recipe-avocado-and-kawakawa-ice-cream-4711235/video

Recipe:

500ml milk
1 vanilla pod
4 egg yolks
125g caster sugar
300ml cream
10 fresh kawakawa leaves
4 ripe avocados
200g caster sugar

1. Bring the milk to boil with the vanilla pod. Remove from heat and stir in cream, set aside to cool.

2. Cream egg yolk and sugar together, heat over double-boiler, stirring to create sabayon. The sabayon is ready when the mixture starts to set on the spoon.

3. Add sabayon to milk mixture and set aside.

4. Finely chop the kawakawa leaves and whisk into the mixture.

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5. Place 4 ripe avocados and 200g caster sugar into a food processor and puree. Add this to the mix, chill with greaseproof paper on the surface to prevent a skin forming.

6. When completely cooled, pour into an ice-cream maker and churn until creamy. Do not overfill as the mixture will increase in volume.

(Recipe supplied courtesy of Executive Chef Ervin Garde, Mokoia Restaurant, Wai Ora Lakeside Spa Resort).

Bestow Beauty Oil is the first skincare product of its kind and is designed to treat the deepest layers of your skin to leave it feeling soft, smooth and velvety.

One tablespoon of Bestow Beauty Oil a day will deliver the perfect balance of Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) to your skin. As these deep skin cells move up through the layers towards the surface, they carry moisturising, protective qualities with them. Cell walls then become more permeable, allowing nutrients to be absorbed and waste removed, so your skin looks more radiant than ever.

These Essential Fatty Acids will also strengthen your hair and nails, improve cardiovascular health, brain function, increase your energy levels and help you loose weight by encouraging your body to burn fat rather than glucose.

Bestow has been created by leading New Zealand beauty entrepreneur Janine Tait, an expert in derma-nutrition who wanted a product designed specially to boost our inner health and outer beauty.

“One of the best ways of treating your skin’s deepest layers is from the inside,” she explains. “Getting anti-aging active ingredients to penetrate deeply enough into the skin when applied to its surface is very difficult because your skin is naturally designed to keep things out.”

Tait has successfully used Essential Fatty Acids to treat a vast range of skin conditions over the years, including acne, increased sensitivity, oiliness and excessive dryness.  She now shares her expertise on derma-nutrition by providing extensive training to therapists throughout New Zealand.

Bestow Beauty Oil contains a blend of organic, unrefined, extra virgin seed oils cold-pressed from flax and golden flax to provide you with these Essential Fatty Acids, which our bodies cannot produce on their own.

It is designed to be eaten raw, or mixed with other foods, to ensure the nutrients are more easily digested and absorbed into the skin than if they were taken in tablet form. It contains more Essential Fatty Acids than fish oil and also tastes much better. It has a very mild nutty flavour and is suitable for use in both sweet and savoury dishes.

A daily dose of Bestow Beauty Oil can be added to yoghurt, smoothies, cereals, or mixed with mashed or stir-fried vegetables, porridge or soup (once it is cool enough to eat).  It can also be used to replace other oils in salad dressings, mayonnaises or pesto sauces.

Tait has developed a range of delicious recipe ideas and food wisdom information sheets to accompany each purchase of Bestow Beauty Oil, to help people look after their skin from the inside out.

Bestow Beauty Oil can now be purchased from more than 100 beauty professionals nationwide and has a RRP of $33.50 for 500ml.

The fast-paced nature of this role is off-set by the beautiful surroundings of Village PR & Marketing’s Mount Maunganui location.

The ideal candidate for this role must have a relevant degree qualification and at least 18 months of consumer public relations experience (preferably agency work) and a passion for achieving the very best results for clients.

We are seeking a person who takes professional pride in their work, is a team player and a consistent performer.

If you have journalistic writing skills, this would be an advantage.

This role will offer you:

• A career path
• Professional development
• A strong and supportive team culture
• Fantastic clients
• The opportunity to do what you love, in paradise!

Please apply on-line http://www.qjumpers.co.nz/browse-jobs/senior-pr-account-executive-5929/ before January 30^th.   Salary based on experience.

Enjoy Lighting’s candles use LED technology rather than traditional wicks to create a seductive ambience both indoors and outdoors without any mess, fire risk, or chance of the flame blowing out in the wind.

Enjoy Lighting proudly accepted the award for “Best New Product” at the 2011 REED Gift Fair in Sydney recently and have quickly become a firm favourite of Hermon & Hermon, Orson and Blake, Donna Hay for Oprah Winfrey, Dannii and Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John and Carrie Bickmore, amongst others.

Le Monde Inspired Homewares has now secured distribution rights for Enjoy Lighting in New Zealand and owner Noelle Davies says the range is the perfect addition to her business’ stylish range of unique, quality products.

“We are always looking for furnishings and accessories that radiate a style and atmosphere that blends into our New Zealand lifestyle and we love introducing new products to our retailers which offer a real point of difference.”

The range of pillars, votives and tealights are so realistic people cannot tell them apart from their traditional flame counterparts.

They are made from 100 per cent paraffin wax and each candle features a hand finished melted top so no two candles look the same.

Enjoy candles throw light to the top of the candle while the bottom two-thirds of the candle remains solid, Noelle explains. “Ten years of investing in research and development ensures Enjoy candles are the most realistic, authentic flameless wax candles on the market.”

These astonishing candles all have a multi timer ‘set and forget’ function, which allows you to programme each one to light up and switch off at the same time every day. This makes them ideal for use in retail stores, window displays, at home, outdoors while entertaining or even as a child’s night light.

“There is no risk of the flame going out or anything catching on fire so they’re great for boating or camping and completely safe around children and pets.”

The stunning wax candles combine meticulous craftsmanship with chameleon-like qualities. They are available in an extensive range of colours and delicate fragrances such as vanilla, coconut, sweet basil or pomegranate passionfruit.

As well as bringing an elegant, romantic touch to any setting, Enjoy Lighting candles will also save consumers up to 80 per cent of their average candle spend. “The AA Energizer batteries will last for 300 hours, and if using the four hour timer every day, you will only need to change your batteries five times a year,” Noelle says.

Le Monde is delighted to share these three candles with you to help create an instant ambience wherever you choose. The trio will form an excellent candlescape in any room and also provide the perfect backdrop for outdoor entertaining this summer.

The style of Christmas trees changes with fashion and interior trends alike. This year the trees appear to have a ‘softer’ look. Teals and blues are popular and just as you would change cushions in your room to renew your look, changing just a few of your Christmas decorations will really freshen things up.

It may be that we’re still living in challenging economic times that there’s also a renewed desire to get back to the true significance of the day. This is borne out by the fact that more than ever, hand and homemade decorations are important this year.

When thinking about what kind of Christmas theme you want to create, ask yourself if you prefer the traditional Christmas feel (think boughs of pine, reds, golds and green and the magnificent table of turkey, ham and Christmas pudding), or do you lean towards celebrating in a Kiwiana way (think shellfish on the barbecue to a backdrop of Pohutukawa trees and blue waters).

Fabrics and wallpapers offer endless, simple and heartfelt options for gifts and decorations. They can be easily and very effectively utilised to create new decorations to suit your theme for 2011. Bows, small shapes and stars all look fabulous and can match your interior décor for this year. Ribbons and bows can also be personalised to each glass of champagne – a great way of also identifying whose is whose.

Shells tied to ribbons that have been calligraphically labelled with each individual’s name are also a pretty reminder of your party for your guests to take home. The more handmade the better – blanket and tacking stitch is often all you will need. Traditional stockings of red and green felt – or gorgeous classical fabrics, delicately embroidered – could adorn your fireplace. Think about making pillowcase-style sacks for Santa to leave his prezzies in, which can then be savoured for generations to come.

Hemmed (or frayed edged) table runners will add colour to the Christmas table (and for those long overdue ‘catch-up’s’ that we squeeze in prior to the big day!). Fabric table napkins make the day feel truly special too, otherwise coordinate fabulous paper napkins to the theme.

Like the penchant for handmade decorations, it seems we all want to share more presents made with love. Fabrics and wallpapers make this easy to achieve. What about fabulous chutneys with rubber band or ribbon-wrapped fabric tops?  Handmade ‘ham bags’ (make sure the fabric has been prewashed as most will have finishing agents that may be toxic – natural fibres are best) are also another thoughtful and useful gift idea.

Line a practical Tupperware container with pretty fabric or tissue, before baking delicious Xmas ‘yummies’ to put in there. Gifts wrapped in fabric, or with a small tie of frayed fabric as a bow look great too – especially when you incorporate raffia or good old fashioned brown string or rope. The traditional Christmas pudding wrapped in tartan is perfect for those that yearn for the more Northern style Christmas. Sometimes a fabric that you simply love can become a gift of art when you wrap it around a canvas and secure it at the back in readiness for the wall.

One of the most atmospheric and ambient elements you can add to your Christmas day and events is a scented candle. Softly burning, they make us all slow down and appreciate the true meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone – remember the mess of Christmas, the abandoned present wrappings and the vestiges of toys and gifts simply add to the décor and will become treasured memories.

EVIE’S Inflatable Rashies are a huge hit in Australia and are expected to become a ‘must have’ summer item in New Zealand.  They combine the sun protection afforded by a rash shirt with the safety features of a life-jacket. They are ideal for playing in the surf, in swimming pools or out on boats, and are a cost-effective, less bulky option than traditional Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs).   

EVIE New Zealand distributor Joanne Percy says EVIE is the world’s first PFD-rated sun smart inflatable rash shirt.

“They fit like a normal rash shirt, but contain a concealed chamber, both front and back which inflates either orally, manually or automatically depending on what style of Rashie is purchased.”

EVIE’S Inflatable Rashies are available in a variety of colours and come in both long and short sleeves. They’re made from 50+ UV protection material and are suitable for use by   adults and children aged 4 and over.

There are three Rashie options:

1. The self-inflating Rashie is perfect for adults and children who want a little more  confidence while playing or   exercising in the water.  Simply blow air into the inflator tube found on the top left-hand side of the shirt. This Rashie is also great for people undertaking water therapy or rehabilitation.

2. The rip cord manual Rashie is activated by pulling on a toggle. Co2 gas fills the chamber hidden inside the shirt.  This is perfect for boaties and fishermen (particularly for rock fishing) who love being near the water but don’t plan to get in unless it’s an emergency. A self-inflating tube is also attached to this shirt as a secondary option.

3. The automatic Rashie will inflate as soon as it’s submerged in water and is available in a child’s size 4-6. The shirt will inflate within one second of being submerged, and has both a manual toggle and self inflator attached for ultimate protection.

“These unique Rashies are much cheaper than buying a child or adult sized life jacket. They all meet the New Zealand/Australian PFD (Personal Floatation Device) Standards for use in all water activities such as boating, fishing, kayaking, multi-sport, stand up paddling, snorkelling, waka ama, surf life saving and swimming.
“Many children don’t like wearing bulky life jackets, especially when trying to move about on boats. While New Zealanders love water pursuits, our drowning toll is appallingly high and we need to take water safety very seriously,” says Percy.

For younger swimmers, EVIE’S Inflatable Swim Shirts are a great alternative. These are suitable for 4-6 year-olds and combine a sun smart shirt with a self inflation tube. “These swim shirts are great for water confidence when children are first starting out and will provide parents with that extra peace of mind when at the beach or pool this summer,” says Percy.  The Inflatable Swim Shirts are not PFD-rated.

All EVIE products are available online at www.inflatablerashie.co.nz.

Prices are:
$65 for an Inflatable Swim Shirt;

$79.50 Child / $99.50 Adult for a Self-Inflating Rashie;

$95.50 Child / $109.50 Adult for a Manual Inflating Rashie;

$124.50 for an Automatic Inflating Rashie.

The Australian inventor of EVIE the Inflatable Rashie has worked closely with the world’s best athletes, safety advisors, manufacturers and therapists to produce an affordable, comfortable, safety-rated product. The Rashies are endorsed by Olympic and Commonwealth gold medallist swimmer Meagen Nay.

The giant puffball (Calvatia Gigantea) is found on Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua and is said to rival the world’s best truffles.

It naturally fruits from January until March each year and is not found anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, this large edible species of fungi is native to North America and some parts of Europe but Mokoia Island’s unique microclimate has seen it flourish.

Mokoia Restaurant chief executive Bryan Hughes says the giant puffball typically spans 30cm in diameter, is white in colour and has a marshmallow texture inside when it’s split open. Occasionally, they can grow as big as 150cm wide and weigh 20 kilograms.

“It has a distinct and delicate flavour similar to a truffle,” Hughes explains. “Local Maori call it the Pukerau, and our restaurant will be serving a wonderful array of Pukerau-inspired dishes over the coming months.”

Once harvested from beneath the plentiful native bush canopy found on Mokoia Island, these giant puffballs will be incorporated into Mokoia Restaurant’s award-winning beef and vegetarian dishes.

“All of our dishes also incorporate the unique flavours of other indigenous herbs and spices, which is what Mokoia Restaurant is famous for.”

Hughes says the puffball will only feature on the menu for a short period of time. “When the Pukerau is young, it’s white and fleshy and ready to be eaten. But once this large mushroom starts to mature, it creates spores and changes to a yellow / brown colour.

“Once it’s reached this stage of decomposition it is dangerous to eat. So this makes our exclusive menu over the next few months all the more special.”

In previous years, countries such as Germany have imported Mokoia Island’s giant puffballs to use in their top culinary creations.

Mokoia Restaurant offers a fine dining experience on the shores of Lake Rotorua at Holdens Bay. It specialises in Pacific Rim cuisine and is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and high tea.

“We certainly hope people will take this opportunity to visit Mokoia Restaurant in early 2012 and enjoy a truly unique culinary experience,” Hughes says.

“Rotorua is certainly a short journey for all New Zealand food lovers who want to try these giant puffballs. The only other option is to travel to the other side of the world!”