4 | A real slice of Italy Massimo’s Mozzarella is typically made from cows’ milk which fits well with New Zealand’s dairy industry. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Massimos T T Virginia Wright Hatch Consulting A growing reputation T T Karen Phelps Now a a fixture on New Zealand’s supermarket shelves and on the menu in most of our top restaurants Massimo’s Italian Cheeses grew out of Massimo and Marina Lubisco’s decision in 2006 to come and live here permanently. Coming from Puglia on the heel of Southern Italy’s boot where fresh mozzarella is made and sold daily, it was a staple of the Lubisco’s diet, and Massimo recognised a gap in the New Zealand market when he realised all the mozzarella available here was imported from Italy. “For us one day old mozzarella is already getting old, so I decided to do mozzarella but before then it wasn’t my business. The good thing is that I knew what I wanted, I knew what the final result had to be,” explains Massimo. Helped by his own understanding and knowledge of the food that was part of his daily diet, Massimo soon learnt how to make mozzarella from one of the small artisan producers or ‘caseificio’ processing small amount of milk a day, to make the mozzarella sold locally at the daily markets that are everywhere. The Lubiscos moved to New Zealand and eventually settled in rural Dairy Flat just north of Auckland before launching Massimo’s Italian Cheeses at various Farmers Markets in 2010. From 2011 Massimo’s Italian Cheeses had started winning medals at the New Zealand Cheese Awards, starting with Bronze for both their Mozzarella and Ricotta, and continuing with a mix of Bronze, Silver and predominantly Gold every year since. 2025 was an important year for Massimo’s. From eight different entries they won seven Golds and a Silver. They also won a Gold medal at the International Cheese Award with their Mozzarella Log and Burrata, along with Bronze for Massimos Mozzarella. But Massimo credits a lot of his commercial success to the 2015 New Mount Maunganui‑based Hatch Consulting is building a strong reputation for delivering practical, hands‑on commercial advice across complex construction projects. Founded by quantity surveyor Jo Hatchman, the consultancy has carved out a niche supporting infrastructure and renewable energy developments and is part of the reason Jo has recently been recognized as one of Property Council’s top 30 Women of Impact. “I’m a quantity surveyor by background and when I started Hatch Consulting, I understood that in many cases there was a disconnect between the service a QS was delivering and what was actually happening on the ground. I wanted to bridge that gap, so we are multidisciplinary, bringing a raft of commercial expertise to the table throughout the entire project lifecycle,” Jo says. From the outset, Hatch Consulting’s approach has been grounded in a strong understanding of construction and a commitment to being closely involved in site works, ensuring advice is both practical and commercially robust. Hatch Consulting has carved out a niche working in the renewable energy sector and on large‑scale projects, where managing risk, cost certainty, and stakeholder confidence is critical. Zealand Cheese Association event, and the Gold Award he won that year for his Buffalo Mozzarella. A day was set up exclusively for media and supermarkets to try and buy, after which his products were finally allowed into supermarkets. As distribution has grown and spread across most of New Zealand’s supermarkets as well as restaurants and pizzerias, the factory has also grown. Although they make Buffalo Mozzarella as well, Massimo’s Mozzarella is typically made from cows’ milk which fits well with New Zealand’s dairy industry and which is still Massimo’s personal preference, reminiscent of the mozzarella made in Puglia. In Puglia they use raw milk whereas here it has to be pasteurized which subtley changes the flavour and makes the final product a little sweeter to Massimo’s palette. The Lubiscos credit their early customers at the Farmers Markets, many of whom became friends, with guiding them to success as Massimo decided to prioritise the flavour and texture they preferred over his own. “I went to the market and when people tried them my favourite wasn’t the same one as the majority, they like it with a little less acidity, keeping the flavour and sweetness of the milk.” Massimo knows that mozzarella is seasonal thanks to things like Caprese salads. “When the price of tomatoes goes up in winter the mozzarella market drops,” he explains. But for anyone wanting a true taste of Italy which means using fresh mozzarella (made one day and in supermarkets the next), rather than defrosted from frozen, try one of Massimo’s personal winter favourites: simply put a good slice of mozzarella in a cold frypan with a bit of olive oil, put an egg on top and turn on the heat, as it melts the egg cooks and in two to three minutes it’s ready to eat with some fresh bread; bacon and eggs Italian style! “Above all, we provide our clients with the confidence to proceed with a project, such as Tauranga’s Living Sea Wall and award-winning waterfront playground, part of Tauranga City Council’s development to rejuvenate the waterfront and reconnect people with the marine environment.” The team delivers a broad range of services spanning quantity surveying, contract and procurement management, independent commercial advisory, dispute resolution, and systems and process development. “Each area requires its own depth of skill and experience,” Hatchman says. “That focus on quality is what we’ve built our reputation on, and it’s a journey I’m incredibly proud of.” That capability has been recognised externally, with Hatch Consulting named a finalist for the Excellence in Industry Award at this year’s Tauranga Business Awards, supported by the Tauranga Business Chamber. The recognition follows Hatch Consulting Senior Consultant Viv Pachond being named Emerging Leader of the Year in 2025, after working closely on the Living Sea Wall project. Growing the consultancy by 50% and empowering team members to undertake training and gain professional qualifications are just two of the factors that drew the judges eye to the business. Hatch Consulting is now a team of 10, with seven based in Tauranga and an Auckland branch opened in September 2024. Hatch Consulting has carved out a niche working in the renewable energy sector FOOD & SUPPLEMENT PACKAGING 100% RECYCLABLE PLASTIC PACKAGING IN MOULD LABELS (IML) 0800 32 LINK packtechmoulding.co.nz sales@ptm.co.nz Practical Collaborative Solution Designers Communicators jo@hatchconsulting.co.nz | 022 172 6872 | www.hatchconsulting.co.nz Providing bespoke commercial management solutions that allow our client's to confidently deliver exceptional projects. We can work with you to provide... - Contract Management - Procurement advice and planning - Engineer To The Contract - Quantity Surveying - Variation Assessment - Independent Advisory 027-579-5777 valerie@emeraldbusiness.co.nz emeraldbusiness.co.nz Advancing Business Drive profitability and growth with tailored accounting, taxation and business advisory services. Clarity of Process Reliable Engagement No hidden fees
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=