64 | T T Rosa Watson A recipe for success The Nelson-based company took out gold at this year’s Outstanding Food Producers Awards. REGIONAl DEVELOPMENT Proper Crisps - Outstanding Food Producers Awards 2024 High end potato chip brand Proper Crisps won’t be moved on their commitment to quality and taste – something that has been recognised at this year’s Outstanding Food Producers Awards. The Nelson-based company took out gold awards for their Big Cut Dill Pickle and Big Cut Purple & Gold crisps, as well as a silver medal for their Big Cut Smoked Paprika. Brand manager Hayley Lewis said Proper Crisps had always taken opportunities to showcase the quality and expertise behind their products, and that it was the only potato crisp brand that used only real ingredients to create their seasonings. A huge amount of effort and resources was put into sourcing only the best ingredients, she said. “(The founders) would travel the world and spent a lot of time sourcing ingredients.” An example was the smoked paprika that is imported from Spain that is expertly smoked in oak barrels. “We source ingredients from all around the world for the flavour that works best.” Potatoes, kumara and vegetables were 100 per cent sourced from New Zealand growers from around the country. Agria is the preferred variety of golden and makes up the majority of the company’s production, Hayley said. This set them apart from other brands. “Agria has to be the best potato flavour. “We’re quite passionate about when you’re eating the chips you are still getting that potato flavour. The way that we cook and season is very similar to the way chef’s work.” The process includes cutting and peeling vegetables by hand, and ingredients for seasoning are blended and ground on-site. While technology plays its role in production, each part of the process is overseen by staff doing quality checks. “We still have people there to get the bits the machine might miss. We have people at every stage of the process making sure what goes in the bag is the best quality it can be.” The company currently employs up to 70 staff. The Australian market has grown to 30 per cent of the company’s sales, with New Zealand making up the rest. “We’re experiencing big growth in Australia, so that’s definitely a focus for us.” There are 14 products across the company’s portfolio, the core range – the big cut range, tortilla range, and vegetable range. The most popular is the Marlborough Sea Salt flavour, followed by the Cider Vinegar crisps. They were the first potato crisp brand to be gluten free, and are vegan and dairy free. Its commitment to real ingredients and quality control placed them at the premium end of the market. “We are hand-crafted, so I think what comes with that extra quality is we’ll always be positioned at the top of that premium end. “You can taste the difference. People are very happy to find a chip ... (that’s) the healthiest option in the chip market.”
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