24 | Food products popular throughout the country Fresha Donuts are made fresh each week and range from sugar-coated classics to custard, salted caramel, triple chocolate and more. Fresha Foods T T Rosa Watson “We are about being the best producer of premium quality donuts and croquettes and as such we like all our staff to try the products, so they know what a good tasting and looking item is.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT What started as a small donut business three decades ago has grown to a national distribution for a Christchurch food production company. It all began over 30 years ago with Fresha Donuts that was manufacturing refry donuts from the same site on Birmingham Drive, Christchurch. Terri and Al Read took over the business in 2013, and at the time it was only supplying the greater Christchurch region with one distributor in Timaru, that is still with the company. Today the company supplies distributors in Dunedin, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Palmerston and Auckland, as well as several of the Foodstuffs’ North Island stores. They also supply Summerset Retirement Villages nationwide with croquettes and are in talks with Ryman Healthcare. The company has expanded its reach for their croquettes in the South Island through Foodstuffs South Island. New World, Pak’ n Save and Four-Square stores can now purchase products direct from the distribution centre. Later this year the company will venture into North Island Foodstuffs stores to gain more traction there. The latest product to be developed is a potato croquette, which Terri says has been in demand for a while. “Our first trial turned out so good that we think we will stick with it.” These will be slowly released into the market over the coming months, she says, with retirement villages first in line. With Al coming from a chefing background — Airforce trained and a long stint at the Lone Star Manchester St and in restaurants in London — he uses his knowledge of food to improve on all the recipes for both the donuts and the croquettes. The croquette range includes a hearty beef flavour through to a peanut satay chicken with a hint of chilli. In total there are six croquette flavours to choose from. “Something for everyone, including our vegetarian friends,” Terri says. Fresha Donuts are made fresh each week and range from sugar-coated classics to custard, salted caramel, triple chocolate and more. Donuts are sold primarily through fish and chip stores and some bakeries, and croquettes can be found at petrol stations, cafes, retirement homes, bakeries, convenience stores, food bars, pubs, sports facilities, anywhere food is sold. While no longer produced in the 300gm jar, chutneys are still available to purchase in bulk quantities. The company hopes to grow further afield. It regularly receives phone calls and emails from people looking for the products in the North Island, Terri says. “We are always on the lookout for distributors nationwide who would love to team us with us to supply their region.” The company also offers schools, community centres and sports clubs etc., the chance to fundraise with donut products. “We have teams that come back every year using this as their main event, earning them profits in the thousands.” Some croquette flavours are available only through fundraisers. Products are tested on staff before going to the market to ensure quality. “We are about being the best producer of premium quality donuts and croquettes and as such we like all our staff to try the products, so they know what a good tasting and looking item is,” Terri explains. Salted caramel donut and vege croquettes tasting days are particularly popular, she says. While food manufacturing has faced challenges in recent years, the company has adopted the philosophy of “create your own economy”. “We live by this and when things have gotten tough, we went out and found new markets. This has kept us excited for the future with so many markets we have yet to explore in New Zealand,” Terri says. Looking ahead, they are looking to expand their reach and are eyeing up export opportunities, she says. The croquette range includes a hearty beef flavour through to a peanut satay chicken with a hint of chilli. In total there are six croquette flavours to choose from. 45 Illinois Drive, Rolleston 03 983 6607 | www.moffat.co.nz Moffat – Built for Busy Kitchens When performance matters, trust Moffat. Engineered in the UK and built for durability, Moffat catering equipment delivers reliability you can count on - service after service, day after day. ® COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL & RESIDENTIAL REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING, QUALITY ASSURED. CONTACT US Unit 4, 12 Newtown Street, Bromley, Christchurch | Phone: 03 384 3374 | Fax: 03 384 3087 As qualified and experienced refrigeration engineers, we are able to complete any job.
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