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2015 New Zealand
Ice Cream Awards
 (28
May 2015)
THE NINETEENTH NEW ZEALAND ICE CREAM AWARDS
were announced in
AUCKLAND this evening.
 Full
media release here. 
Full
list of 2015 Awards winners here.
The saying that quality stands the test of time is certainly true for the winner
of the Supreme Award for a Large Manufacturer for 2015.
For five years this product has won Best in Category for Standard Ice
Cream, and was once previously judged Supreme Award winner, in 2013.
The Supreme Award for a Large Manufacturer this
year went to:
Tip
Top Ice Cream
for
their Tip
Top Boysenberry Ripple Ice Cream
The judges’ comments on the winner were unanimous – “melt-in-the-mouth
texture, great berry flavour with a smooth and rich berry ripple”.
Similar comments were made of the Supreme Award for a Boutique Manufacturer:
Puhoi
Valley Cafe and Cheese Store
for
their Chai Latte Ice Cream
This entry in the Premium Ice Cream category was described as “elegant
in flavor with superb creaminess”.
 In
the Premium Ice Cream category Puhoi Valley Cafe
and Cheese Store’s Chai Latte Ice Cream and New
Zealand
Natural English Toffee made by New Zealand
Natural Ltd (pictured left) were the joint Best in Category winners.
The New Zealand Ice Cream Awards attracted 302 entries this year, which is the
same number of entries as last year, and while the major manufacturers continue
to be the backbone of the Ice Cream Awards, there continues to be increasing
participation by smaller gelato and boutique ice cream producers.
Entries came
from a total of 33 companies and individuals.
The categories which attracted the largest number of entries were Premium Ice
Cream with 59 entries, Gelato with 48 entries and Sorbet with 49 entries.
 In the large Gelato and Sorbet categories, Gelatiamo, based in the Wynyard Quarter,
Auckland, scooped both of the Best in Categories with a Banana
Gelato and a Grapefruit
Sorbet.
The flavour for this year’s featured “Best of” category
was Berries.
With 36 entries across all product types (ice cream, gelatos, sorbets) there
was a huge variety of not only berries, but berries with inclusions such as balsamic,
mint, cheesecake, mascarpone and white chocolate.
A Raspberry Sorbet made by
Carrello del Gelato was the winner of this year’s Best
of Berries category.
There
were 41 entries in this year’s “Best New to Market” category
for products new to retail in the last 12 months. The winner of the Best New
to Market award was Tip Top Ice Cream with their Tip
Top Peaches & Cream
Ice Cream.
 TV One programme Seven Sharp joined ten children from Kohia
Terrace School to
judge 17 entries in the Kids Choice category, plus one ice cream entered on the
day made by Seven Sharp presenter Pippa Wetzell.
Due diligence was performed
on all 18 ice creams and while only 17 were eligible for the award of Kids Choice
Category for 2015, Pippa’s homemade ice cream was rated as “OK” on
the “Yum” to “Yuk” scale. Presenter Tim Wilson has found
a second job as an ice cream judge !
(Photo: Manukau Courier)
 The
kids chose Chateau Cola Spider (pictured right) made
by Emerald
Foods Ltd as the winner of
the Kids Choice Best in Category.
In the Open Creative categories in ice cream and gelato/sorbet, the entries made
with knowledge of how to achieve great texture in ice cream, gelato and sorbets
were pronounced.
Often a great flavor idea was ruined by poor delivery of this
flavor due to iciness, stickiness or “short” texture. Novel flavours
in the Open Creative Ice Cream category included tahini and carob molasses, brie
and vanilla,
and goats cheese with kamahi honey.
Equally as creative were the Open Creative
Gelato/Sorbet entries with salted coconut, pumpkin, spices
and pastry, cucumber
and honey and watermelon, mint and chilli.
The
winner across the two sections of the Open Creative category was an Earl
Grey
tea flavoured ice cream made by Kapiti Ice Cream called Gelatea.
 Much
Moore Ice Cream won Best in Category for Standard
Vanilla Ice Cream with
their Much Moore Wonders Vanilla Ice Cream (pictured
left).
Emerald Foods Ltd won Best in Category for Premium Vanilla
Ice Cream with their Private Label Japanese Vanilla designed
for export.
In the Export
Ice Cream category
it was another Emerald Foods Ltd entry, Heston for
Coles
Wattleseed Vanilla (pictured right below),
that won the Best in Category.
The main judging of the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards was undertaken during the
first week of May at the Food Innovation Centre, Verissimo Drive, Auckland Airport.
 The Chief Judge, Kay McMath and her team of six judges took two full days to
judge the large number of entries split over the 11 categories.
Judging involved awarding points for a number of key attributes in different
properties. Appearance was worth 10 points, Body and Texture – 40 points,
and Flavour – 50 points.
Gold Awards were given to entries with more than 95 points, Silver Awards to
those between 90 and 95 points.
Full
list of 2015 New Zealand Ice Cream Awards winners.
Any further information is available from:
 Mrs Jenny de Lisle
NZICMA Secretary
Mobile: 027 4946664 (on Friday 23 May)
Office: 04 385 1410
Mrs
Kay McMath
Chief Judge
Mobile: 021 88 1643
The Executive Secretary
New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers' Assn (Inc)
PO Box 9364, Wellington 6141
Telephone (04) 385 1410
Fax No. (04) 384 3980
Email info@nzicecream.org.nz
Website www.nzicecream.org.nz
A
full list of the 2015 Awards is here.
Photos
from the 2015 NZ Ice Cream Awards presentations and Dinner.
 Back to
the Awards page |
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