Bay Blue
Bay Blue is a family-owned boutique berry grower and artisan producer based at the Hirst Family orchard in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, supplying fresh and frozen berries plus gelato, sorbets, and conserves via farmers markets and specialty retailers across the North Island.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersHastings, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bay Blue does
Bay Blue (also operating as Bay Blueberries) is a privately held, family-owned boutique berry growing business operated by the Hirst Family on their orchard at Longlands in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. The company grows, harvests, and packs blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries on-site, with varieties selected specifically for taste and eating quality. Its production approach emphasizes sustainable growing practices and plant health, including preserving the berries' natural waxy bloom as a natural protective barrier. Bay Blue was awarded the Supreme Award for the East Coast region by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust, recognizing its environmental stewardship, and uses 100% recycled RPET punnets.
The company operates a portfolio spanning fresh berries (seasonal, late November to late April), frozen berries (blueberries year-round, raspberries and strawberries in limited quantities), and artisan value-added products including gelato, sorbet, berry tartes, blueberry conserve (developed in partnership with Hawke's Bay chef Noel Crawford), and blueberry patés de fruit. A soda syrup product line is in development. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer channels — the Orchard Gate Market (7 days/week in summer), Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market (Sundays), Napier Urban Farmers' Market (Saturdays), and Black Barn Growers' Market (Saturdays) — with retail placement in New World supermarkets (Hawke's Bay), Bellatino's Food Lovers Markets, Moore Wilson's (Wellington), and Farro (Auckland).
Bay Blue targets health-conscious consumers seeking antioxidant- and fiber-rich superfoods and premium food enthusiasts pursuing locally grown, artisan-quality products. Marketing is community-led, centered on farmers market presence and organic social media (Instagram, Facebook). The company has no disclosed funding, no parent organization, no institutional ownership, and no digital platform or API surface — its growth ceiling is fundamentally constrained by single-site production capacity and the seasonality of fresh harvest.
Bay Blue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bay Blue
- Legal name
- Bay Blue
- Website
- https://bayblueberries.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bay Blue is a family-owned boutique berry grower and artisan producer based at the Hirst Family orchard in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, supplying fresh and frozen berries plus gelato, sorbets, and conserves via farmers markets and specialty retailers across the North Island.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bay Blue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fresh Berries and Artisan Berry Products
- NAICS
- Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334), Strawberry Farming (111333)
- SIC
- Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities (AFAOAGAD)
Keywords
Where Bay Blue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hastings
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bay Blue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fresh Berries: Fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries sold direct at markets and through local supermarkets. Harvest season from late November to late April.
- Frozen Berries: Frozen blueberries available year-round; frozen raspberries and strawberries in limited quantities. Sold direct and through retail channels.
- Artisan Products: Freshly made ice-cream (gelato and sorbet), berry tartes, blueberry conserve, and blueberry pates de fruit. Available at Orchard Gate Market and farmers markets during summer season. Sorbet is gluten, egg and dairy free.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Bay Blue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bay Blue is a boutique family-owned berry growing operation that cultivates, harvests, and packs fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries on the Hirst Family orchard at Longlands in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. The company sells fresh berries during the harvest season (late November to late April), frozen berries year-round, and an artisan product range including gelato, sorbet, berry tartes, blueberry conserve, and pates de fruit. Products are sold direct to consumers through its Orchard Gate Market and multiple Hawke's Bay farmers markets, and through local New World supermarkets and specialty food retailers in Wellington and Auckland.
Product overview
Bay Blue is a boutique berry growing operation offering a portfolio of fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), frozen berries, and artisan value-added products including gelato, sorbet, berry tartes, blueberry conserve, and patés de fruit. The company operates from the Hirst Family orchard at Longlands in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, selling directly to customers through orchard gate markets and local supermarkets. Frozen berries and artisan products are available seasonally or year-round depending on the product line.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Berries (Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries)
Companies that use Bay Blue
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bay Blue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Bay Blue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Noel CrawfordminorHawke's Bay chef who inspired Bay Blue's Blueberry Conserve. The small batch, hand-made conserve was inspired by Noel Crawford and Bay Blue's best berries. Intensely flavoured and delicious product resulted from this creative collaboration.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Bay Blue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Maungaturoto Berry Company: NZ-based berry producer growing strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for domestic retail. Direct peer in the NZ boutique berry farming category.
- Blueberry Country NZ: Largest NZ blueberry grower with multi-site orchards, retail and U-pick operations. Direct comparison for Bay Blue's core blueberry growing activity, with materially greater scale.
- Fresh Berry Farms NZ: NZ berry producer supplying supermarkets with fresh berries. Direct peer operating at a similar boutique-to-mid scale within New Zealand retail.
- Jolanda's Berries: NZ boutique berry grower producing premium fresh and frozen berries across multiple channels. Closely comparable as a specialty domestic berry brand targeting premium retail.
Broad incumbents
- Driscoll's: Global market leader in berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries). Represents the dominant scaled competitor and category benchmark for premium berry supply worldwide.
- BerryWorld: International berry marketing and supply company with global grower networks. Comparable as a broader berry category incumbent with significant scale and retail reach.
- T&G Global: Major NZ fresh produce company with extensive domestic and export reach across multiple fruit categories. Comparable as a large incumbent competing for NZ retail shelf space in fresh produce.
Others
- New Zealand Farm Environment Trust: Awarding body that granted Bay Blue the Supreme Award for the East Coast region. Relevant as the sustainability certification ecosystem participant underpinning Bay Blue's premium positioning.
- Horticentre / NZ berry plant suppliers: NZ horticultural suppliers providing berry plants and growing inputs. Relevant as an ecosystem enabler and value-chain participant supporting NZ berry growers including Bay Blue.
Regional players
- Te Mata Figs / Te Mata Artisan Foods: Hawke's Bay-based premium artisan producer leveraging provenance and quality for specialty retail. Comparable as a regional Hawke's Bay premium food brand with similar GTM motions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bay Blue social profiles
Digital presenceBay Blue compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Bay Blue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bay Blue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Bay Blue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bay Blue M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bay Blue
What does Bay Blue do?
Bay Blue is a boutique family-owned berry growing operation that cultivates, harvests, and packs fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries on the Hirst Family orchard at Longlands in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. The company sells fresh berries during the harvest season (late November to late April), frozen berries year-round, and an artisan product range including gelato, sorbet, berry tartes, blueberry conserve, and pates de fruit. Products are sold direct to consumers through its Orchard Gate Market and multiple Hawke's Bay farmers markets, and through local New World supermarkets and specialty food retailers in Wellington and Auckland.
Is Bay Blue a public or private company?
Bay Blue is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Bay Blue founded?
Bay Blue was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bay Blue based?
Bay Blue is headquartered in Hastings, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Bay Blue make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fresh Berries are the primary driver. The others are frozen Berries and artisan Products.
Who are Bay Blue's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Maungaturoto Berry Company, Blueberry Country NZ, Fresh Berry Farms NZ and Jolanda's Berries. Broad incumbents are Driscoll's, BerryWorld and T&G Global. Others are New Zealand Farm Environment Trust and Horticentre / NZ berry plant suppliers. Te Mata Figs / Te Mata Artisan Foods is listed as a regional player.
Does Bay Blue have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bay Blue.
What industry is Bay Blue in?
Bay Blue's product category is Fresh Berries and Artisan Berry Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGACAD, Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries), with a secondary code of AFAOAGAD, Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities. Its NAICS code is 111334 and its SIC code is 2030.