Gourmet Blueberries

What Gourmet Blueberries does

New Zealand Gourmet Limited, trading in part as Gourmet Blueberries, is a privately held, vertically integrated fresh-produce supplier founded in 1982 by the Martin family in Mangere, Auckland. The company grows and distributes a diversified portfolio of premium fruit (blueberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, persimmons, kiwi berries) and vegetables (capsicums, tomatoes, asparagus, leeks, chillies, celeriac, palermos) across seven major New Zealand farms spanning Hawkes Bay, West Auckland, Central Otago, Taupo, and Waiuku. Blueberries are the flagship crop, cultivated on 79 hectares across Hastings and South Head with year-round output of approximately 600 tonnes per season.

Production is supported by capital-intensive infrastructure: 12-hectare climate-controlled glasshouses at Gourmet Mokai (geothermal-heated near Taupo) and Woodhill, an LED-lit winter Campari tomato programme, advanced grading and packing machinery, permanent netting and hail covers in Central Otago, and Integrated Pest Management using Zonda Beneficials products (bumblebee hives and predator mites). An active blueberry breeding programme is run jointly with the University of Florida and the University of Georgia. Recent capacity build includes a 12-hectare greenhouse under construction at Hastings and a 2.7-hectare blueberry glasshouse opened at South Head in 2018.

The business model is B2B direct sales of fresh produce with quote-based wholesale and export pricing. Distribution channels are wholly owned: a headquarters and MPI-approved cool store in Mangere, Gourmet Japan at Narita, Australia Gourmet Pty Ltd in Sydney near Flemington Markets, and Gourmet Trading Company in Redondo Beach, California. Primary customers are large supermarket chains, wholesalers, independent retailers, and produce importers across New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and the United States. The company is still under Martin family ownership, with the New Zealand Superfund holding a cornerstone stake taken in 2018, and operates joint ventures with Tuaropaki Trust, Hauhungaroa Trust, and Eden Orchards for processed juice products.

Name

Gourmet Blueberries

Legal name

New Zealand Gourmet Limited

Website

https://nzgourmet.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce

NAICS

Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480), Strawberry Farming (111333)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAGACAD

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Fruit & Tree Nut Orchards (Citrus, Apples, Berries, Almonds, Walnuts)

SECONDARYAFAGAHAB

Greenhouse Fruit & Berry Production (Strawberries, Specialty Fruits)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Greenhouse, Nursery & Floriculture Production (Protected Crops, Ornamentals, Seedlings)

SECONDARYAFAIACAA

Fresh Fruit Wholesale

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Distribution & Wholesale/Produce (Fresh Fruit & Vegetable) Wholesale

SECONDARYAFAOAGAD

Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities

Agriculture & Food Production/Post-Harvest Handling & Storage (Grain Elevators, Silos, Cold Storage)/Packhouses & Produce Sorting/Grading Facilities

Keywords

• Fresh produce supplier
• Blueberry farming
• Glasshouse horticulture
• Fresh fruit distribution
• Export produce grower

Headquarters

HQ city

Mangere

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Sale of fresh fruit and vegetables grown on their seven farms to domestic and export markets. Revenue generated through direct sales to supermarket chains, wholesalers, independent retailers, and international distributors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gourmet Blueberries (New Zealand Gourmet Limited) is a vertically integrated grower and supplier of premium fresh fruit and vegetables, operating seven major farms across New Zealand and producing blueberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, persimmons, kiwi berries, tomatoes, capsicums, asparagus, leeks, chillies, celeriac and palermos for domestic and export markets. The company sells to large supermarket chains, wholesalers, independent retailers, and produce importers and distributors, with international distribution arms in Australia, Japan, and the USA.

Product overview

Gourmet Blueberries is the leading brand under New Zealand Gourmet Limited, a vertically integrated fresh produce supplier established in 1982. The company operates through multiple sub-brands including Gourmet Blueberries Ltd. (the flagship blueberry operation), Gourmet Mokai Ltd. (high-tech geothermal-heated tomato and capsicum glasshouses), Gourmet Paprika Ltd., Gourmet Summerfruit Ltd., Gourmet Waiuku Ltd., and Sweet Red Gourmet. The portfolio encompasses a diverse range of fresh fruits (blueberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, persimmons, kiwi berries) and vegetables (tomatoes, capsicums, asparagus, leeks, chillies, celeriac, palermos) grown across seven major operations throughout New Zealand, with international subsidiaries in Australia (Australia Gourmet Pty Ltd), USA (Gourmet Trading Company), and Japan (Gourmet Japan). The company also includes joint venture operations like Eden Orchards Juice for processed berry products and Zonda Beneficials for biological pest control and pollination solutions. Distribution, quality control, and export operations are centralized at the NZ Gourmet facility in Mangere, Auckland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gourmet Blueberries Ltd. Blueberry farming operation growing blueberries, asparagus, leeks, and celeriac in Hastings, Hawkes Bay and South Head, West Auckland. Includes active blueberry breeding program with University of Florida and University of Georgia.
• Gourmet Mokai Ltd.
• Gourmet Paprika Ltd.
• Gourmet Summerfruit Ltd.
• Sweet Red Gourmet
• Gourmet Waiuku Ltd.
• Zonda Beneficials

Products and services

• Blueberries

Quantifiable outcome

• Year-round fresh blueberry supply achieved through geographically diverse farms
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eden OrchardscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Family company owned by the Bignell family. Joint venture formed in 2018 producing natural cherry and blueberry juices with health benefits. Partnership helps achieve sustainability goal of reducing waste while providing market with exciting product.
• Massey GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnered in 2016 combining sales and marketing experience with growing expertise. Represents company in strawberry industry across local and international markets under Sweet Red Gourmet brand.
• Tuaropaki TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Joint venture partner with 25% share in Gourmet Mokai. 12 ha climate controlled glasshouse built on Tuaropaki land in December 2002 near Taupo.
• Hauhungaroa TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner25% share in the joint venture of Gourmet Mokai near Taupo.
• University of FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for active blueberry breeding program focused on continuous improvement of fruit size, flavour and time of harvest.
• University of GeorgiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for active blueberry breeding program focused on continuous improvement of fruit size, flavour and time of harvest.
• Five independent Hawkes Bay growersminorOthersFive independent local growers from Hawkes Bay supply fresh asparagus to New Zealand Gourmet.
• Local farmer in KumeuminorOthersLocal farmer in Kumeu, West Auckland grows raspberries which are packaged and sold under New Zealand Gourmet label.
• Matakana PersimmonsminorOthersSupplier located North of Auckland providing fresh persimmons for export.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Naturipe Farms: US grower-owned cooperative producing blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries year-round across North and South America. Comparable vertically integrated, multi-region berry supply chain.
• Hortifrut: Chilean-origin, NASDAQ-listed global blueberry and berry producer with genetics programs and year-round supply across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Direct comparable for counter-seasonal blueberry export model and genetics-driven differentiation.
• Sun Belle: US-based berry marketer distributing blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries year-round with sourcing in the Americas. Comparable as a counter-seasonal blueberry distributor with retail focus.
• T&G Global: NZ-headquartered fresh produce grower and marketer operating globally with apples, berries, tomatoes, and citrus. Comparable in NZ origin, vertically integrated grower-marketer model, and Asian export focus.
• Wish Farms: US-based vertically integrated strawberry and blueberry grower-marketer with proprietary Pink-A-Bella and blueberry genetics. Comparable grower-to-retailer model and year-round supply via multi-region sourcing.
• BerryWorld: UK-headquartered premium berry packer and marketer with proprietary blueberry and raspberry varieties. Comparable branded, genetics-led berry strategy and supermarket retail focus.
• Driscoll's: World's largest berry marketer with proprietary genetics programs and year-round global blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry supply. Most direct comparable for Gourmet's vertically integrated, branded berry strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Costa Group: Australia's largest fresh produce company growing berries, tomatoes, capsicums, avocados, and citrus across protected cropping. Comparable in product mix (berries + glasshouse vegetables), category breadth, and export reach into Asia.
• Stemilt Growers: US vertically integrated tree-fruit (cherries, apples, pears) grower-packer-marketer with strong supermarket retail relationships. Comparable vertically integrated model, premium positioning, and export exposure.

Regional players

• Zespri International: NZ-headquartered global kiwifruit marketer and the dominant NZ horticulture exporter. Comparable as a NZ-based premium fresh-produce exporter with similar geographic diversification, though in a different fruit category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nzgourmet
• Instagraminstagram.com/gourmetblueberries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nz-gourmet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gourmet Blueberries