Olives New Zealand
Olives New Zealand Executive Committee
Andrew Taylor – President of ONZ
oliveculture.harvesting@paradise.net.nz
I have grown horticultural crops such as avocados, kiwifruit, pipfruit and summerfruit for nearly 30 years. In the last 10 years I have provided horticultural advice, harvesting and pruning contract services to the olive industry and now work full time with olives in much of the North Island. I live on a 53 ha property just outside Napier with my wife and two children where we grow olives, apples and graze stock.
I believe a strong Olives New Zealand organisation can provide a platform to enable technical transfer, benchmarking of performance and cohesion on all matters to do with the production of olive products in New Zealand. An additional parameter that I believe is necessary is that Olives New zealand should drive the quality and the virtues of our products.
John Arthur – Vice President of ONZ
My olive grove is ”Matapiro” in the Hawke’s Bay. The grove consists of 72 hectares (6 of which are owned by a third party) is home to about 20,000 trees. The grove will produce up to 100,000 litres of EVOO per annum at full production.
Our aims at Matapiro are to be significant brand owners in the New Zealand supermarket, speciality stores and hospitality markets together with exporting,whilst maintaining the quality standards as set down by Olives New Zealand. We will continue to ensure that our EVOO’s are subject to the awards processes of ONZ, where to date Matapiro has received number awards.
I believe the New Zealand Olive industry is at a crossroad. It could remain a cottage industry with maybe three bigger players or come together regionally and consolidate. As a member of the ONZ Executive I wish to see growers and brands succeed but this will only happen when the fundamentals such as yields per tree are consistently high enough for the costs of production to be below revenue received. ONZ is not a marketing organisation, its focus is on helping growers, highlighting where funds allow, the beneficial attributes of NZ EVOO, providing a platform for ensuring high quality EVOO is recognised by New Zealand consumers and providing a framework whereby growers can exchange ideas.
As a grower and marketer I see the need for ONZ to be the voice of the Industry at a National and International level. The Industry cannot succeed unless we have a national body of committed growers.
Craig Leaf-Wright – Treasurer
Leafyridge Olives, situated near Masterton in the beautiful Wairarapa region of New Zealand, is owned and managed by the Leaf-Wright family.
Its location, at the southern tip of the North Island of New Zealand, has an ideal climate for producing some of the finest Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the world. The trees grow in the stony, free draining soils so typical of the Wairarapa, alongside the Ruamahanga river. The cold, wet winters followed by long, hot and dry summer days are perfect conditions for the olives, resulting in oils with uniquely fresh flavours to gratify even the most discerning palate.
The grove was established in July 1999 with the 31 acres being progressively planted over the following 3 years. The olive grove has 3650 trees comprising varieties from Italy (Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino), France (Picholene) and Spain (Manzanillo, Picual). The olive oils produced by Leafyridge have been consistent medal winners in the NZ Olive Oil Awards. Check out www.leafyridge.co.nz for more information.
Committee
David Walshaw
My ambition for New Zealand’s olive oil industry is to have the true meaning of “extra virgin olive oil” understood by New Zealanders and what the quality of our oils means in terms of health giving properties and great tastes. To this end I will continue to further promote our “qualmark” red seal as a point of difference from other imported so-called extra virgin olive oils.
After a 30 year career in banking, both here and overseas, I spent 12 years building a personal investment and financial advisory business which I sold a few years ago so I could grow olives and make great olive oil.
My wife Helen and I have a 2,050 tree grove at Te Horo on the Kapiti Coast. Our brand is Kapiti Olives. www.kapitiolives.com
I am happy to represent members of the olive community on the Executive of Olives NZ.
I especially want to see NZ Extra Virgin Olive Oil take its rightful place with NZ consumers. Why would New Zealanders want any other olive oil?”
Chris Moore (also Canterbury Chairman)
I have been married to Annette for 35 years with 2 adult children and a grandson. Passionate sportsman with a love of rugby, cricket and golf. Keen gardener.
We live in Robinsons Bay (located on Banks Peninsula) where we run a bed and breakfast and an olive grove of around 1,000 fifteen year old olive trees and have completed 4 harvests. We market our extra virgin olive oils, infused oils and olives under our Robinsons Bay brand and sell through various retails outlets in Canterbury, the Canterbury Farmners Market and our own tasting room.
Prior to being involved in the olive industry I worked for Fonterra for over 20 years and held various Chief Executive positions in New Zealand and overseas in Fonterra’s consumer business with a track record of significantly improving company performance and increasing shareholder value.
I am passionate about the NZ olive industry.
John Dunlop
After semi-retirement from the building industry in Wellington and Queensland, Australia, my wife Helen and myself moved into the area of primary production with the purchase of a 5,000 stock unit farm in the Nelson region. This was followed by the purchase and development of our 3,000 tree olive grove, Kakariki Olives, in 1999, with planting spread over a two year period. The grove consists of mainly Tuscan varieties, with a few Kalamata, Picual and Picholine trees.
I have been involved with our local branch of Olives New Zealand since joining in 2001, and also with Nelson Olives Ltd and Olive Services Nelson Ltd, of which I am a director.
I appreciate the opportunity to represent growers as a member of the executive of Olives New Zealand.
Regional Representatives
Bob Marshall – Hawke’s Bay Chairman
After moving from Auckland, my partner Shona and I bought a block of bare land on the edge of the Ngatarawa Triangle in Hawke’s Bay and in 2003 planted a grove of Leccino, Frantoio, Pendolino, Picual and Koroneiki olives. With only 650 trees we are a small producer, but successfully market our oil (‘Aquiferra’) at markets and to a number of restaurants.
After 30 years of research and teaching in universities in Canada, NZ and Australia I am currently the Research Director at the Eastern Institute of Technology. My background has given me skills in management and project administration. My involvement in the olive industry is motivated by a belief in the extraordinary quality of our product and a desire to see the association strengthened through the involvement of more growers. Shona and I have been active in the HB Olives Association since planting the trees, and I have been the Chair of the branch since 2009.
Roger Armstrong – Nelson Chairman
I arrived from Australia in 1974 and began a career in horticulture in the Nelson Apple industry.
Looking for diversification away from apples I entered the olive industry in 1996 with our first order of olive trees from Blenheim arriving 1997. I formed our company Tasman Bay Olives Ltd with two close friends and during the next few years planted a total of 12,000 trees.We installed a Pegaso 500 in 2002 which has been my responsibility for the company.
I have also been developing harvesting machines with an engineering background gained over the years in operating an apple packhouse.
I have been a member of the local Nelson Olives New Zealand group since its inception in 1997 and elected Chairman 2 years ago.
I look forward to being a part of a leadership that has fresh commitment and determination to see this industry become a permanent and successful part of the New Zealand Horticultural Story.
Allan Frazer – Kapiti Chairman
Greenwoods Olive Grove, Kapiti.
My wife Heather and I established a 240 tree grove at Otaki seven years ago and have been members of the Kapiti Regional Committee of Olives NZ since that time. I grew up on a family horticultural enterprise and, while I have pursued a city based business career, I have always been keen to get involved again on the land. The opportunity to do so arose after looking at many sites when we purchased a bare land property at Otaki on a former riverbed terrace which seems just right for growing olive trees. It has been great to join with a
group of people dedicated to supplying New Zealanders with a quality product. We have really enjoyed participating in local branch events and learning from the great people who share similar interests and those who service our industry.
I am strongly supportive of the current direction of Olives NZ especially in relation to the focus on grower members and in establishing a fund to create greater awareness among New Zealanders about the quality attributes of extra virgin olive oil backed by the ONZ certification mark.
I look forward to making a contribution to the NZ olive industry both in terms of drawing on over 40 years of experience working in an industry good organisation and in being able to communicate with and listen to members of the Kapiti Regional Committee of Olives NZ.
Olives New Zealand Executive Officer
- Gayle Sheridan
Gayle Sheridan
I have been involved in the New Zealand Olive industry since 2000 when my husband Lionel and I established our first olive grove at Pauatahanui, just north of Wellington. This was followed by the purchase of our second grove at Barrys Bay, Banks Peninsula in 2005 and then our third (!) at Akaroa in 2007. This last property was developed as a commercial olive grove under the brand name of La Casa Toscana, producing both extra virgin olive oil and table olives. All of the olive oils entered by La Casa Toscana in the NZ Olive Oil Awards were at least Silver medal winners, with the Manzanillo being awarded Gold, Best in Class and Best in Show in 2009.
I have substantial experience working at a senior management level including Chief Executive with the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation, IT Manager at Work and Income New Zealand, Client Support Centre Manager at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Head of Business Faculty with Manawatu Polytechnic.
I have a variety of tertiary qualifications in business and education, including an MBA from Henley Management College, UK.
Contact Us
Email: admin@olivesnz.org.nz
PO Box 28140, Havelock North 4157
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
Ph: +64 (0)6 8771 447
Mob: +64 (0)21 057 7635
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