Leon and Navona Nikiforou are mad about nuts.
By Tristan Hooker, MediaPA
They’re passionate and enthusiastic about Brookfarm’s delicious and healthy natural food products, for which they are the New Zealand distributors.
The husband and wife team work hard together at their company, Three Fountains Ltd, distributing Brookfarm products and spreading the word about their unique range of breakfast cereals, power foods and natural snacks.
Navona and Leon say they’re not only selling the products, they’re educating consumers at the same time.
“A lot of people aren’t aware how daylight and fluorescent light can affect nuts that are kept in clear packaging,” says Navona. “The Brookfarm products are packaged in a double-foiled seal. People comment that our nuts taste fresher than most, but they don’t know why. I tell them nuts naturally come in a shell and when that shell comes off and light gets in, the nuts start to oxidize. Nuts kept in clear packaging can start to go rancid and then they’re no longer a health food.”
Gluten Free
Three Fountains works closely with Coeliac New Zealand to make sure there are gluten free options available for people who have Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance.
“A lot of our range is gluten free”, says Navona. “Our coeliac clients are so appreciative”.
Leon adds: “There are other gluten-free offerings in the market but they tend to taste like the box they came in. What Brookfarm did was they said, ‘it’s one thing to make it healthy, it’s completely another matter to make it tasty as well’.”
Their Passion
Navona remembers the first time she came across the Brookfarm products and realised the opportunity to be their New Zealand distributor. “I had a look, I had a taste and straight away I said, ‘I can sell this for you, this is a fantastic product’.
“Brookfarm are and have always bveen incredibly supportive,” adds Leon. “That has a lot to do with our passion and motivation. We have a special relationship with them.”
Another special relationship is the one the Nikiforous have with each other. Navona says, “We work together, we travel together, we’ve seen all of New Zealand. It’s something that excites us. It’s something that is just beautiful”.