New Zealand’s leading avocado oil manufacturer is enjoying strong growth both at home and abroad but is about to set its sights even higher.
Grove Avocado Oil has big plans to increase distribution within the food service industry this year.
Grove Avocado Oil’s executive director, Brian Richardson, says the company currently supplies in excess of 100 restaurants in New Zealand and is now focused on growing its market share.
Grove Avocado Oil is highly regarded and is a product of choice for top restaurants such as Molten in Mount Eden who use Grove Avocado Oil as a garnish for their Waikanae Crab and is used as sauce in their Crispy Hapuka with Paua sausage.
John Millward from Little Karoo is a Grove Avocado Oil food service representative and says that Molten’s menu is a great example of avocado oils’ versatility. “Owner Michael Van de Elzen uses the oil in many different ways from dressing to sauces. He makes a fantastic aioli with avocado oil, which has become a firm favourite with his customers,” says Millward.
“Consumer knowledge and understanding of the benefits of Grove Avocado Oil is driving this growth and chefs love cooking with it because it has the highest smoke point of any extra virgin oil and is a healthy option for roasting, stir frying, pan frying and barbeque cooking.,” says Richardson.
Grove Avocado Oil is also higher in healthy monounsaturated fats (proven to lower harmful blood cholesterol levels) than most other culinary oils including olive, canola and rice bran oil. In addition, it’s a natural source of bio-available vitamins A, E and D.
“A really important point of difference for Grove Avocado Oils is that we use 100 percent avocado oil and our products aren’t refined, bleached or deodorized – it’s completely pure,” says Richardson.
Producing oil from avocados suitable for cooking was first introduced by Grove Avocado Oil in 2000. It became the first product of its kind to be sold on supermarket shelves, and is now exported to Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Mexico. Sales in Japan doubled during the last financial year.
Grove’s range of cold-pressed, extra virgin avocado oils now includes Lime, Garlic and Horopito (pepper) infused flavours, as well as premium, organic and aerosol spray products. Grove Premium Avocado Oil range is sold in deli’s such as Nosh and Sabato in Auckland. All have the Heart Foundation tick and are packaged in attractive, tapered bottles.
Sales received a major boost this year after Grove Lime Avocado Oil won the ‘best oil for dressing’ category at the 2009 Healthy Food Awards. The annual awards, judged by a panel of experts on behalf of Healthy Food Guide magazine, highlight the best food choices available on our supermarket shelves for consumers.
About Grove Avocado Oil
This Tauranga-based company has spent the past decade developing its extensive range of cold pressed extra virgin avocado oils. Grove Avocado Oils are made entirely in New Zealand from naturally ripened locally-grown avocados which are then gently cold pressed. The company’s manufacturing processes are closely monitored to ensure the oil produced is of the highest possible quality.
Quality Assured
The entire process of fruit sourcing, ripening, processing and oil bottling is managed using a documented quality management system. The company operates a New Zealand Government Approved Food Safety Programme using Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Systems (HACCP) which is externally audited and certified by AsureQuality. Each batch of oil produced is sampled and tested against rigorous specifications and Certificates of Analysis are provided with all shipments.
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