This week our taste buds were given delightful new experiences with goodies from Quite Good who sent us enticing all-natural RTDs to sample, Farrah’s sent us their new low-carb wraps, and Lucy’s – a new find – sent us their gluten-free and vegan sourdough loaves. We were also delighted to experience three Griffin’s products – all manufactured in support of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.
Our focus office has of course, been a hive of activity with keen tasters invited in from neighbouring offices to sample all these delicious treats.
Introducing the all-natural RTD that actually tastes… Quite Good
Quite Good is a new range of all-natural, artisan-made New Zealand RTDs (Ready To Drink) beverages, ready for consumption, that taste delicious, and are low in sugar and contain no artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives.
We invited five colleagues (four women, one male) over from neighbouring offices for a taste-test and to get feedback from the following Quite Good RTDs:
Vodka, Organic Kombucha, Pineapple, Mango & Soda
Vodka, Organic Kombucha, Passionfruit, Guava & Soda
Gin, Organic Kombucha, Raspberry, Lemon & Soda
Vodka, Organic Kombucha, Lime & Soda
The Gin combo was the clear winner and three of the five testers said they would buy that flavour again. The Vodka, Kombucha, Lime & Soda was also popular but the Vodka, Passionfruit, Guava and Soda was their least favourite as our testers felt it lacked the flavour of the others and was a bit watery.
The 5% Alc/Vol in the RTDs is relatively low – most light beers are around 3.5%; a glass of wine would be around 12% and hard liquor around 40% – so our testers felt these RTDs were a good option to take to a friend’s party or get-together. Perfect for summer!
Made from premium vodka or gin, blended with organic New Zealand fruit extracts and made in Tauranga, the RTDs are available in 330ml cans and are available from liquor stores across the North Island in a 10-pack or, if you can’t decide on a flavour, Quite Good has you sorted with a mixed six-pack offering (RRP $19.99).
‘Pink-inspired’ flavoured products from Griffin’s
Kiwi snack maker, Griffin’s, has collaborated with top Kiwi artist, Hayley King, to make three of its iconic Kiwi brands really pop on shop shelves for a top cause.
As a proud corporate sponsor of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, Griffin’s has created three limited edition products – Griffin’s Raspberry MallowPuffs, Griffin’s Snax Pink Peppercorns and Eta Uppercuts’ Sweet Vinaigrette and Pink Shallots – all wrapped in bespoke, bright bold-pink FLOX designs. These striking designs are brightening retail shelves around the country for the next few weeks with 20-25c per packet being donated to BCFNZ.
FLOX artist, Hayley King, said her inspiration for the packaging was celebration.
“My bright and bold design certainly lends itself to celebration and what better cause is there to celebrate than what the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ does day in, day out and the inspiring survivor stories they help to create.”
To date, Griffin’s combined campaigns with BCFNZ have raised more than $840,000 over their four year partnership with them, which is fantastic news.
The savoury Snax Pink Peppercorns and Eta Uppercuts’ Sweet Vinaigrette and Pink Shallots were popular with our taste testers and everyone enjoyed a Raspberry Mallowpuff for tea (I mean, who doesn’t love a Mallowpuff?).
You’ll have to buy these three products soon – available from supermarkets nationwide – as they will only be available for a short time… and just think of all the good you’ll be doing by supporting BCFNZ.
Sourdough Bread by Lucy’s
Lucy Donaldson, a Raglan local and self-taught baker, was inspired to start baking bread when she noticed that one of her children had a sensitivity to wheat. Soon she became obsessed with trying to create a gluten-free bread that tasted like the real thing, without the compromise.
She spent two years undergoing trial and error, testing unfamiliar flours, and reached a point where she was baking bread better than anything she could buy. This led her to approach premium Waikato bakery Volare, who happened to be looking to produce a gluten free loaf themselves. It was a no-brainer for them to join forces and launch Lucy’s Gluten Free.
Currently, Lucy’s offers three different loaves. The Sourdough One is fermented for 18 hours, and made with sorghum, millet, brown rice and tapioca flours, potato starch and psyllium husk; The White One is Lucy’s take on classic white sandwich bread; and The Seedy One is made with sourdough culture, brown rice, millet, sorghum and tapioca flours, mixed seeds and psyllium husk.
Each loaf is made by hand and best eaten fresh. Only quality ingredients are used so they don’t have a long shelf-life – once opened, store the loaf in an airtight container in the fridge. They also freeze beautifully.
Dee: “My husband loves white bread so he naturally preferred The White One – so soft and lovely for sandwiches. My go-to was a slice of The Seedy One, toasted and eaten with only butter, butter and honey, or with smashed avo and a poached egg.”
Kseniia: “I got to try The Sourdough One. First of all, it’s already sliced, y’all!! How convenient is that? I also loved the packaging that kept the bread soft and fresh for several days. I expected a more vivd taste but it was actually super mild, so having just fresh bread with soup felt like it was lacking something. But toasted and with Nutella for breakfast… mmm, chef’s kiss!’
Lucy’s Gluten Free bread is available from a number of stockists and via their website and, by the way, their packaging is compostable!
New Low-Carb Options from Farrah’s
We just love Farrah’s Wraps – they are just about the most versatile food item ever and can be used in lunch boxes, snacks or for full-on meals. We were delighted to learn that they have introduced two new low-carb options to its range – a keto-friendly wrap and a low-carb tortilla – which, of course, gives consumers even more choice.
The Keto-friendly Wrap contains an ultra-low 2.5g of carbs per wrap and joins a line-up of three other Low Carb Wraps in Farrah’s existing range – Original, Plant-based Protein, and Supergrains – which have proven a hit with consumers. Farrah’s Low Carb Tortilla contains 45 percent less carbs with only 6g of carbs per tortilla, compared to its original tortillas.
This low-carb range is great for those people following specific diets or for anyone who wants a lighter meal without compromising on taste and quality.
All Farrah’s wraps and tortillas are made at their state-of-the-art factory in Upper Hutt, Wellington, with flour supplied from a local mill. The Keto-friendly Wrap comes in a pack of six, and the Low Carb Tortilla comes in a 10 pack. Hop onto the Farrah’s website to get some inspiration for yummy ideas. We loved the idea of using the wraps as an alternative to pasta for making lasagne or as an alternative to pastry for sausage rolls.
Would you like to win a fantastic gift pack from Farrah’s? The prize includes:
- 1x tortilla wrap bake tin
- 2x taco holders
- 1x Crispy Chicken Taco Kit
- 1x Enchilada Kit
- 1x pack of Smokey Chipotle Wraps
- 1x pack of Spinach Wraps
- 2x packs new Keto-friendly Wraps
- 1x packs of Burrito Tortilla
- 2x packs of Low Carb Tortilla
- 1x spice mix nacho
- 1x spice mix hickory BBQ
