Thanks to The Food Show Auckland, a fledgling company has been given the opportunity to showcase its brand-new product at the annual event from Thursday 2 August to Sunday 5 August at the ASB Showgrounds. Earlier in July, the Herald On Sunday ran a competition to award an exhibitor’s stand to an up and coming business to help launch their product to the discerning Auckland foodie audience.

Elliotts King of Kiwi is a delicious, healthy range of kiwifruit-based drinks with no preservatives and no added sugar – nothing but fruit and 100% natural additives. Glenn Elliot started the company in 2009 following a hot summer’s day when he had an overwhelming urge for a tasty but most importantly, healthy, kiwifruit beverage. Struck by the lack of good tasting healthy kiwifruit based drinks, Glenn decided on the spot to create the worlds’ best kiwi juice.

Two years of tests, recipe improvements, product design and lots and lots of tasting later, the Elliots range is ready to launch at The Food Show Auckland in three delicious flavours: Green Kiwi, Gold Kiwi and Feijoa. The range is completely natural, made using the world’s finest processing techniques that retain as much of the fruit’s beneficial components as possible to let the drinker enjoy a nutritious and delicious taste – with no added water or sugar.

Research indicates that kiwifruit is the most nutrient-rich of the 27 commonly consumed fruits. For instance, one kiwifruit has almost twice the vitamin C of an orange, and more potassium than a banana. The kiwifruit that Elliotts choose to make the drinks from are selected from local growers on a year-by-year basis ensuring the very best fruit from the best crops are used - a choice based on quality not contracts.

Of his win, Glenn says, “My mum and I are absolutely thrilled to pieces. It’s been a really hard slog what with massive hassles from suppliers to the PSA disease threatening to collapse the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand. Mum mortgaged her house to help me see my dream through and so we’re over the moon to be a part of The Food Show Auckland. We honestly can’t wait for everyone to sample our delicious drinks. We think it’s so important New Zealanders are more aware of the sugar-filled fruit drinks that saturate the market and want to give them a far healthier option - The Food Show has helped us take our first steps towards doing that.”

Dona White of North Port Events comments: “We chose Glenn as the winner for many reasons. First of all, the journey he’s gone through to get to this point has been extremely trying. His story is one of courage, drive and love. Putting everything he has into the business, with his passion to launch not only a healthy but extremely delicious product – we wish him all the best and are excited to see them exhibit at The Food Show.”

You will find Elliotts King of Kiwi at stand number A11 from Thursday 2nd August till Sunday 5th. Tickets to The Food Show are available from www.foodshow.co.nz