100% NZ bacon on the grill at Wendy's

Wendy’s NZ will soon by serving up 100 percent New Zealand bacon, making it the only major New Zealand fast food company to use local instead of imported bacon in its burgers.

Great news for Kiwis in more ways than one, the company’s move comes at an opportune time amidst reports of a worldwide bacon shortage expected in 2013.

Farmed mainly in the Waikato and produced by an award-winning Te Awamutu butcher, the new thick-cut Manuka-smoked streaky bacon will be served in Wendy’s restaurants from Monday (29 October) and replaces a Hickory-smoked version previously sourced from the United States and Canada.

A special new Streaky Mozzarella Baconator burger will also be available at all 17 Wendy’s restaurants from Monday.

The first major New Zealand fast food chain to serve New Zealand bacon, the move is a real coup for Wendy’s and has the support of the NZ Pork Board.

With tighter supplies of imported bacon predicted to drive up prices of imported and local product, Wendy’s CEO Danielle Lendich says the deal is also good news for customers who will not be hit in the wallet. 

Confident they will like the change, Lendich says bacon has been a kiwi favourite since the first two pigs arrived onshore in 1796, so much so that New Zealanders eat bacon more often than they do lamb*.

“We’ve been doing a lot of testing and Kiwis love Manuka-smoked bacon. Our wonderful butcher in Te Awamutu Magills adds a touch of Manuka honey to the family recipe as well, so it’s a quintessentially Kiwi flavour we know our customers will enjoy.”

Lendich says the New Zealand pork industry has amongst the highest animal welfare standards in the world and doesn’t use growth hormones to artificially enhance New Zealand pigs.
 
“Interestingly streaky bacon has also leapt from 13 to 31 percent of consumption in recent years, making it New Zealand’s second favourite bacon behind loin at 35 percent. It certainly came out tops with our customers during trials.”

Believing that real quality taste starts with real quality local ingredients, Lendich says the move means over 95 percent of its food ingredients now come from within New Zealand.

“Wendy’s uses only premium quality New Zealand beef and chicken. Our free-range eggs are from Kiwi farms, our cheese from a maker in Christchurch and our tomatoes, onions and lettuces are all grown locally. Even our sauces and syrups are locally made.”

Previously making up the bulk of its imports, Lendich says Wendy’s had until now struggled to find a New Zealand bacon supplier capable of meeting its volumes, consistency and quality standards.

Sourcing pork from farms mainly in the Waikato and elsewhere around New Zealand, Magills Butchery owner Mike van der Hoeven says the contract means exciting things for his butchery and the farms involved.

Previously battling the effects of the recession, he says bacon volumes will double and extra staff will be needed to cope with production. New state-of-the-art equipment will also allow the team to develop new products and refine existing ones.

Making its presence in the Waikato known in more ways than one, Wendy’s will open two restaurants in Hamilton next year with new stores also in the pipeline for Whangarei, Palmerston North and Christchurch.

Wendy’s new Streaky Mozzarella Baconator, which features two fresh New Zealand prime beef patties, parmesan sauce, mozzarella cheese and that thick cut, Manuka-smoked streaky bacon, is available from Monday (29 October) for a limited time for $10.60.

*According to last year's (2011) Meal Monitor 7% of meals contain bacon, 7% contain fresh pork and only 5% contain lamb. So Kiwis eat bacon more often than they eat lamb and nearly 3 x as much pork a lamb. Sourced from the NZ Pork Industry Board.