Shoppers who buy any of these New Zealand products: Gregg’s, Hansells, Healtheries, Hubbards and Luv’ya stand to win attractive prizes

Malaysia, 29 April 2011 – New Zealand, a country highly-regarded for its safe meats, vegetables and premium dairy products, is now also offering nutritious and delicious grocery items nationwide.

“New Zealand has a reputation for good quality products, farmed in responsible environments and produced with high standards in quality,” says JT Leong, Senior Category Manager at Cold Storage Malaysia.

“We have always carried the more “traditional” New Zealand items such as honey, milk, meat and fruit. This time we have extended our range of New Zealand grocery items, adding in products such as cereals, teas and oils and functional food from New Zealand,” she adds.

From April 29 to May 16, 2011, Cold Storage shoppers will also have the chance to win up to RM1500 in Cold Storage cash vouchers when they buy any of these participating brands: Alfa One aioli and oils Gregg’s crumble mix, Hansells range of pancake mixes, Healtheries foods and beverages, Hubbards wholesome breakfast cereals, and Luv’ya apples from New Zealand.

“We are delighted to partner with Cold Storage in introducing some of New Zealand’s best wholesome and ready-to-eat food and beverage products,” says Fiona Acheson, New Zealand Trade Commissioner to Malaysia.

Worldwide, New Zealand food and beverage is known for its freshness and flavours of its produce – tender meat, full-flavoured dairy products, superb seafood, ripe fruit and vegetables, sublime wine and innovative specialty food and beverage.

According to Ms Acheson, food and beverage products account for 80 percent of New Zealand exports to Malaysia. Dairy has driven growth– just under 50 percent of annual exports over the last five years – but wholesome and ready-to-eat food is increasingly becoming popular among Malaysians consumers.

“New Zealand’s trademark innovations enable sustainable and premium production of specialty and functional food products. New Zealand companies invest in systems and technologies that guarantee food safety, freshness, and quality,” she says.

Also known as The Fresh Food People, Cold Storage offers the finest and freshest selection of foods, including a wide variety of top international brands of superior quality products. New Zealand’s fresh produce and wholesome grocery products are available in all 17 Cold Storage stores nationwide.

For more information, enquiries or media interviews with NZTE or any of the participating companies, please contact:
Lauren Bartlett
Regional Marketing & Communications Manager, NZTE South/South East Asia
Tel: +65 6733 2550
Cell: +65 9721 5336
Email: lauren.bartlett@nzte.govt.nz

Elaine Yap
Business Development Manager, NZTE Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +60 3 2078 4899
Cell:+60 162197198
Email: elaine.yap@nzte.govt.nz

Donna Garcia
Senior Consultant, Rice Communications
Tel: +65 6221 8046
Cell: +65 9734 8808
Email: donna.garcia@ricecomms.com

About New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the New Zealand Government’s national economic development agency. It works to stimulate economic growth by helping to boost export earnings, strengthen regional economies, and deliver economic development assistance to industries and individual businesses. Through its global network of offices NZTE works with international businesses and investors, connecting them to New Zealand business opportunities.
To find out more about business and investment opportunities in New Zealand please visit: www.newzealand.com

Cebu, Philippines, 16 February 2011 – ‘Experience New Zealand’ in the Philippines kicked off with a bang last night at the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu where New Zealand hosted an exclusive gala evening.  The event showcased not only the best of New Zealand food and beverage but also a taste of what’s in store for visitors to New Zealand in September, as it hosts Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011).

New Zealand whetted the spirit of competition with a glimpse of the world-class tournament.  Beyond celebrating the sporting side of life, New Zealand highlighted the significance of the business and festival events taking place alongside RWC 2011.

“Guests were blown away by the images and sounds of New Zealand presented at the gala night,” says New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Andrew Matheson.  “The show gave people a real taste of what’s in store when they visit New Zealand during this Rugby World Cup year.  Centre stage was a traditional Maori performing group, showcasing our indigenous culture that makes visiting New Zealand a unique experience,” he added.

During the six-week tournament, New Zealand will showcase the best of its arts, heritage, entertainment, produce, experiences and lifestyle.

“Rugby World Cup offers overseas business people an exciting opportunity to explore the trade opportunities that New Zealand has to offer particularly in fast-growing sectors such as food and beverage, clean technology, ICT, education and training, and more,” says Alan Koziarski, Regional Director of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

The seventh Rugby World Cup will take place from 9 September to 23 October in New Zealand.  It is expected to draw an estimated 85,000 fans, and will be broadcast worldwide, attracting a television audience of around four billion.

The New Zealand 2011 Business Club is specially set up to accord a host of trade, investment and networking opportunities, and a chance to experience the best of New Zealand business when visiting Rugby World Cup 2011.  The club seeks to connect visiting individuals with key players in sectors such as food and beverage, ICT, specialised manufacturing, aviation and creative industries.  Visitors will be able to meet local business leaders in a relaxed setting.  Membership is free and open to all business people.

New Zealand will also organise the REAL New Zealand Festival, a nationwide initiative targeting locals and visitors.  Events will showcase the very best that New Zealand has to offer, over a wide range of varied interests such as culture and heritage, arts and theatre, music, food and wine, sports recreation, business and more.

In 2010, Forbes ranked New Zealand as the third-best country to do business in, based on criteria such as trade and monetary freedom, property rights, innovation, technology and market performance.

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Contact
For more information, enquires or media interviews with New Zealand Embassy staff, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise or any of the participating companies; or if you wish to enquire about  the Chef’s Table, an exclusive trade event featuring a specially-created New Zealand menu paired with wines such as Villa Maria, Nobilo and Wither Hills, please contact:

Lauren Bartlett
Regional Marketing & Communications Manager – South/South East Asia
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Tel: +65 6733 2550 or +63 927 3831025 (PH)
Email: Lauren.Bartlett@nzte.govt.nz

Amy Colayco
Acting Trade Commissioner
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Manila
Tel: +63 2891 4625 or Mob: +63 917 891 4626
Email: amy.colayco@nzte.govt.nz

About New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the New Zealand Government’s national economic development agency. It works to stimulate economic growth by helping to boost export earnings, strengthen regional economies, and deliver economic development assistance to industries and individual businesses. Through its global network of offices NZTE works with international businesses and investors, connecting them to New Zealand business opportunities.

For more information on New Zealand Trade and Enterprise visit: www.newzealand.com

New Zealand 2011
REAL New Zealand Festival
Web: http://www.nz2011.govt.nz/realnzfestival

New Zealand 2011 Business Club
Web: http://www.nz2011.govt.nz/business

New Zealand food and beverage exports to the Philippines totalled US$483.8 million in 2010

Cebu, Philippines, 15 February 2011 – Fresh and delicious Kiwi food and beverage will be the order of the day in Cebu during the ‘Experience New Zealand’ festival from 15-20 February. The week-long event is part of an annual New Zealand festival week in the Philippines, which promotes the best of New Zealand produce, culture, entertainment, travel and lifestyle.

New Zealand food and beverage is known the world over for its freshness and flavours– tender meat, full-flavoured dairy products, superb seafood, ripe fruit and vegetables, sublime wine and innovative specialty food and beverage – all of which will be part of ‘Experience New Zealand’.

The food and beverage industry has put New Zealand on the world map. New Zealand exports high-quality produce around the world including the Philippines, one its key trading partners.

In 2010, New Zealand food and beverage exports to the Philippines totalled US$483.8 million, a 30 percent increase from the previous year.

Acting New Zealand Trade Commissioner to the Philippines, Amy Colayco says, “New Zealand produce is a particularly good match for Cebu, as a premier resort destination offering world-class cuisine. We’re bringing a taste of New Zealand to Cebu, and we hope our guests will enjoy it as much as we’ve enjoyed creating ‘Experience New Zealand’.”

Guests at ‘Experience New Zealand’ held at Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, can look forward to sampling delicious dishes created from some of the best ingredients in the world, the result of stringent quality controls and innovative production methods.

Celebrity chef Simon Gault (Masterchef New Zealand) has worked together with the Radisson Blu’s own Ofir Yudilevich to create the menu.

“The premium-quality New Zealand produce works well in both western and local dishes,” says Chef Ofir Yudilevich, who worked with a range of New Zealand companies to source tender meat and sumptuous dairy products. “Guests can look forward to trying a taste of New Zealand here in Cebu, including classic Kiwi dishes with a twist.”

One of the highlights of the festival is a week-long buffet set-up with a New Zealand-inspired menu at the hotel’s Feria restaurant. New Zealand ingredients will also be used to create dishes that best exemplify quality and freshness, hallmarks of New Zealand’s world-class produce.

Wine connoisseurs keen to sample world-renowned New Zealand wine can do so at the Radisson’s The Lobby, where wine and spirits will be promoted during the same week.

New Zealand Week was launched with a gala night where attendees caught a teaser of what individuals can expect from New Zealand’s hosting of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC).

The seventh RWC takes place from 9 September to 23 October 2011 in New Zealand. During the six-week tournament, New Zealand will showcase the best of its arts, heritage, entertainment, produce, experiences and lifestyle.

New Zealand will also organise the REAL New Zealand Festival, a nationwide initiative targeting locals and visitors alike. Festival events and experiences will cover a whole spectrum of interests including culture and heritage, arts and theatre, music, food and wine, sports recreation, business and more.

###

Contact
For more information, enquires or media interviews with New Zealand Embassy staff, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise or any of the participating companies; or if you wish to enquire about  the Chef’s Table, an exclusive trade event featuring a specially-created New Zealand menu paired with wines such as Villa Maria, Nobilo and Wither Hills, please contact:

Lauren Bartlett
Regional Marketing & Communications Manager – South/South East Asia
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Tel: +65 6733 2550 or +63 927 3831025 (PH)
Email: Lauren.Bartlett@nzte.govt.nz

Amy Colayco
Acting Trade Commissioner
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Manila
Tel: +63 2891 4625 or Mob: +63 917 891 4626
Email: amy.colayco@nzte.govt.nz

About New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the New Zealand Government’s national economic development agency. It works to stimulate economic growth by helping to boost export earnings, strengthen regional economies, and deliver economic development assistance to industries and individual businesses. Through its global network of offices NZTE works with international businesses and investors, connecting them to New Zealand business opportunities.

For more information on New Zealand Trade and Enterprise visit: www.newzealand.com

New Zealand 2011
REAL New Zealand Festival
Web: http://www.nz2011.govt.nz/realnzfestival

New Zealand 2011 Business Club
Web: http://www.nz2011.govt.nz/business

Cebu, Philippines, 8 February 2011 – The Queen City of the South is hosting this year’s ‘Experience New Zealand’ celebration in the Philippines.  A showcase of great food, wine and sportsmanship, the event is taking place at the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu from February 15 to 20.

“More and more Filipinos are visiting New Zealand to holiday, study, and even settle down, with Filipinos now making up nearly one percent of our population,” says New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Andrew Matheson. “I’m delighted that this year the ‘Experience New Zealand’ festival will give Cebuanos a taste of the unique cuisine and culture that some of their fellow countrymen are already enjoying.”

Visitors to ’Experience New Zealand’ can expect mouth-watering lamb, fresh seafood, succulent beef and delicious desserts that showcase New Zealand’s renowned dairy produce, paired perfectly with world-class New Zealand wine.

Food and beverage is New Zealand’s largest manufacturing sector by total output.  It is exported to 180 countries around the world, including the Philippines, which is New Zealand’s 14^th-largest and 10^th fastest-growing export market.

“Exports of New Zealand food and beverages to the Philippines have increased 30 percent in the past year,” says Amy Colayco, Acting New Zealand Trade Commissioner to the Philippines. “The ‘Experience New Zealand’ festival is a chance for both Filipinos and tourists who already love New Zealand food, and those who haven’t yet tasted it, to try new takes on premium New Zealand produce, produced by top New Zealand chefs.”

Internationally acclaimed New Zealand celebrity chef Simon Gault is visiting Cebu especially for the event.  The MasterChef New Zealand judge will be collaborating with the Radisson Blu’s executive chef, Ofir Yudilevich, also a New Zealander, to present the finest New Zealand cuisine.  “Expect some dishes you will be familiar with and some that will be completely new to you,” says Chef Ofir who is working with New Zealand companies such as Fonterra, to source premium-quality dairy products.  ‘Hokey Pokey’ ice cream — a dessert made with crunchy honey comb pieces — is one unique Kiwi dish diners may see on the menu next week.

A week-long buffet setup with a New Zealand-inspired menu at the hotel’s Feria restaurant is the centrepiece of the food and beverage festival.

Radisson Blu’s The Lobby will be serving world-renowned New Zealand wine and spirits throughout the week.

This year New Zealand will also host Rugby World Cup 2011, which is expected to attract 85,000 visitors from around the world who will be treated to a wide range of activities including food and beverage festivals.

The week-long spread is laid out for a limited time only, so call the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu now to make your reservations.

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Contact:
For more information, enquires or media interviews with New Zealand Embassy staff, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise or any of the participating companies, please contact:

Lauren Bartlett
Regional Marketing & Communications Manager – South/South East Asia
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Tel: +65 6733 2550
Email: Lauren.Bartlett@nzte.govt.nz

Amy Colayco
Acting Trade Commissioner
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Manila
Tel: +63 2891 4625
Email: amy.colayco@nzte.govt.nz

For interviews with Radisson Blu Executive Chef Ofir, or Chef Simon Gault, please contact:

Mary Joan C. Danao
Assistant Director – Marketing Communications
Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu
Tel: +63 32 402 9900, +63 32 505  1700
Fax: +63 32 402 9999
Email: mdanao@radisson.com
Web: http://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-cebu

About New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the New Zealand government’s national economic development agency. It works to stimulate economic growth by helping to boost export earnings, strengthen regional economies and deliver economic development assistance to industries and individual businesses. Through its global network of offices NZTE works with international businesses and investors, connecting them to New Zealand business opportunities.

For more information on New Zealand Trade and Enterprise visit: http://www.newzealand.com

Maybe it’s the right time to combine New Zealand’s innovations with S’pore’s business acumen
By ALAN KOZIARSKI

TIME magazine’s list of the 50 Best Inventions of 2010 included the Martin Jetpack, the world’s first practical jetpack. Nearly 30 years in the making, the Martin Jetpack has a carbon-fibre composite frame that houses a gasoline-fuelled, 200-horsepower engine. Its pair of carbon-Kevlar rotors can take the operator as high as 8,000 feet, in theory. Its inventor, Glenn Martin, hails from New Zealand.

This world-class level of creativity is the result of New Zealand’s culture of innovation. In the last few years, the New Zealand government has taken great pains to nurture a spirit of invention and create a culture and infrastructure to encourage it. Those efforts are already beginning to pay off.

In some respects, New Zealand and Singapore are very similar. Both have small populations, as well as small but open economies.

Read the rest of the article at Business Times Online.