"Last year we got in as finalists for two of our lines but this is our first big win," said Ms Edwards, who is a director of Hastings-based Kiwigarden. "I was stunned - I wasn't expecting it at all so it was a genuine surprise." She said the freeze-drying technique ensured they could lock in virtually all the nutrients found in the raw ingredients. She said the family had been among the pioneers in freeze drying in New Zealand, developing the technology over more than 30 years. "It gives us access to this state-of-the-art freeze drying facility, the largest one in the southern hemisphere."

Source: New Zealand Herald November 03, 2016 18:02 UTC