Retail News CRM

Category: Food

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Food and Food & Beverage news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Japan revokes Vietnamese chili sauce for Safety Reasons

    Japan revokes Vietnamese chili sauce for Safety Reasons

    The Osaka Information Portal reported Tuesday that the bottles were imported from Vietnam to Japan by the Osaka-based Javis Co., Ltd last December, and sold to the Kobe-based ISC Industrial Co., Ltd. Javis Co., Ltd never mentioned that the imported chili sauce contained benzoic acid, which is banned from all chili sauce in Japan, before selling it to ISC Industrial Co., Ltd, the portal said.

    Japanese authorities determined that the bottles contained between 0.41 to 0.45 grams of benzoic acid per kilogram of chilli sauce, after suspicions arose that ISC Industrial Co., Ltd was violating the country’s laws on food safety and food labeling.

    The Masan Group, which produced the chili sauce under the brand name of Chin-su, said it never exported the chili sauce to either Javis Co,. Ltd or ISC Industrial Co. Ltd. It said it only exported the product to the United States, Australia, Russia, the Czech Republic, China and Taiwan.

    “As we have no chili sauce sample in hand right now, we have no official conclusion on the origins of the bottles. However, it is likely that they are either exclusive for the Vietnamese market, or their origins are unknown,” the group stated in a press release.

    Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has yet to receive any official statements from Japan about the Chin-su case, Tran Viet Nga, deputy head of the Food Safety Department, said Saturday. But it is taking steps to clarify the matter, she added.

    “Benzoic acid is allowed as a food preservative according to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), in which both Vietnam and Japan are members. In accordance to standards from the CAC, the levels of benzoic acid found in the chili sauce revoked by Japan were still within international standards,” she said.

    “Maybe Japan just has tougher requirements.”

    Japan bans benzoic acid in its chili sauce, but allows its presence in certain food products like syrup, margarine or soft drinks. Vietnam allows a maximum amount of one gram of benzoic acid per kilogram of chili sauce.

    The World Health Organization says a person can consume five milligrams of benzoic acid per kilogram of body weight daily without adverse health effects.

  • Cuckoo clock inspires Vietnam cafe

    Cuckoo clock inspires Vietnam cafe

    Design firm Tropical Space has built a coffee shop inspired by a cuckoo clock in Vietnamese seaside city Da Nang.

    The design, featured by Dezeen, features a brick structure with a house perched on top, with the coffee shop forming a single-storey base and the house extending out over the garden area. The local clay brick base is inset with vaulting arches surrounding a large courtyard and the glass-walled shop area.

    “Habits mean most people’s daily lives usually take place in functional spaces,” said the firm’s architects. “We have detached the walls that define these spaces to offer buffer space, urging people to leave their rooms and join together.”

    The house area, divided into three distinct blocks, feature spaces that can be closed off by small cuckoo clock-style wooden doors.

    The shells of perforated brickwork create cool, shaded spaces that admit natural light, and reflect other designs by the firm built in the region.

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  • Malaysian bakery Lavender Singapore Opens Its Doors

    Malaysian bakery Lavender Singapore Opens Its Doors

    Malaysian bakery Lavender is opening at Jewel Changi in Singapore this week.

    Set to open on Thursday (April 11), the store will sell Lavender’s buns, French-style choux cream puffs, and house-made pandan kaya.

    Located next to the 40m-high Rain Vortex waterfall, the outlet offers takeaway-only baked goods.

    “We try to stay competitive with prices so all our customers can enjoy our products and taste the difference in quality,” a Lavender bakery representative said.

    “Prices will definitely be different to Malaysia’s as overheads like rent, salaries and material costs will all be in Singapore dollars.”

    Malaysian bakery Lavender has six outlets in Kuala Lumpur and five in Johor Bahru, including a multi-storey flagship at Taman Pelangi.

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  • KFC Singapore debuts open-kitchen restaurant at Tampines Mall

    KFC Singapore debuts open-kitchen restaurant at Tampines Mall

    KFC Singapore has launched its first Southeast Asian open-kitchen restaurant at Tampines Mall, revealing how its chicken is prepared.

    The fast-food giant’s Open Kitchen program, also called ‘The Tank’, has already been rolled out in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Japan.

    “With the rollout of the ‘The Tank’ at KFC Tampines Mall and the KFC Open Kitchen program, I hope to proudly share KFC’s heritage and Colonel Sanders’ obsessive passion in cooking the best-tasting chicken,” said Lynette Lee, KFC Singapore GM.

    The chain also plans to host guests on ‘insider tours’ where visitors can watch staff perform Colonel Harlan Sanders’ “7-10-7” technique.

    Beginning today, guided 35-minute tour sessions of KFC kitchens at selected outlets, including Kallang, Waterway Point, Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Jurong Point and Northpoint City, will be available for booking online through KFC Singapore’s website.

    Tours cost $15, including a two-piece KFC chicken meal and a goodie bag. Visitors will get to see the kitchen’s storage area, the chicken breading and preparation stations, and the service counter area.

  • Khun Thai Tea appoints First Indonesian Franchise

    Khun Thai Tea appoints First Indonesian Franchise

    Entrepreneur Amelia Fransisca has been appointed master franchise holder for Khun Thai Tea Indonesia.

    Fransisca, who has a 10-year tenure in the foodservice industry, said she chose Khun Thai Tea for its novel, fresh taste despite its low sugar content compared to other competitors, amidst trending consumer demand in Indonesia for original tea and healthier beverage options.

    “This brand will be huge as an option for fresh tea and healthier choices,” said Fransisca. “I believe the brand will also become more recognizable to our people (especially among young people) because it is introduced and organized by a great team and a great plan.”

    Indonesia is already home to four Khun Thai Tea outlets – three in Jakarta and one in Bali. Fransisca plans to spur growth by focussing her efforts in Indonesia’s cities and suburban areas, with special care given to the Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi areas, where she says new outlets will help the brand gain more recognition.

    She has also chosen to open in these areas first due to local consumers’ strong buying power, range of food and beverage choices and exposure to product innovation. They are also well-positioned in terms of proximity, allowing closer supervision of procedures, services, and product quality.

    “The food and beverage business still has lots of room to develop and innovate nowadays, especially in Indonesia. That is why F&B is a good business,” she said. “Selling drinks is also simpler, and delivers good margins for comparatively average business costs … Compared to starting up a new business, it is also safer to choose a franchise.”

    “According to recent research conducted through social media in Indonesia, a glass of milk tea with boba is still the number-two most-wanted product on most Indonesians’ must-buy list, after famous chicken dishes called ‘Ayam Geprek’.”

    Khun Thai Tea is currently amongst the fastest-growing beverage store brands in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

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  • Zarraffa’s Coffee Open Two New Shops

    Zarraffa’s Coffee Open Two New Shops

    Coffee chain Zarraffa’s Coffee will open two new stores this month, one in Clarkson, WA, and the other in Bankstown, NSW.

    The chain’s Clarkson store, which will be the retailer’s first purpose-built location in the Perth area, will feature a comfortable in-store environment and a full-service drive through.

    Zarraffa’s new drive through brings the total to six in Western Australia, with the other five stores located in various suburbs across Perth, including Ellenbrook, Canning Vale, Currambine, Peppermint Grove and in Kalgoorlie.

    “The Clarkson store typifies what Zarraffa’s customers experience on the East Coast where the brand has been built steadily since 1996,” said founder and managing director Kenton Campbell.

    The Bankstown store will be the retailer’s fourth store under the NSW area developer arrangement, Zarraffa announced.

    The retailer said more stores have been proposed this year for the company.

    “We are not interested in growth for growth’s sake,” Campbell said.

    “Zarraffa’s has built its reputation on creating small business opportunities, through specialised training, operational consistency and great products and service – year on year.”

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  • Shakey’s to buy Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken chain

    Shakey’s to buy Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken chain

    Philippines restaurant chain operator Shakey’s Pizza Asia is buying the Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken brand.

    The firm filed details of the deal with Peri-Peri’s operator I-Foods at the Philippine Stock Exchange this week, although the transaction cost has not been released. A representative for the business said the price was not substantial relative to the firm’s market capitalisation, and that the acquisition will be financed by a combination of internally generated cash and debt, most likely to be completed by mid-year.

    The deal is expected to affect Shakey’s bottom line this year, but boost profits in the long run.

    Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken operates 23 outlets in metropolitan Manila, 40 per cent of which are run under franchise agreements.

    “The brand now has a strong following and recently gained even more traction,” said Shakey’s president and CEO Vicente Gregorio, “evident in its strong same-store sales growth last year amidst the more challenging macroeconomic environment, and the amount of interest in new stores from potential lessors and franchisees.”

    “We are excited by the potential of Peri to scale,” added  Shakey’s chairman Christopher Po. “We expect it to be an important future growth driver for our fast casual chain restaurant business.”

    The firm also has plans to expand its core offering – US brand Shakey’s Pizza, for which the firm has perpetual rights in several broad territories, including most of Asia. It plans to open 20 new branches this year, which will see it operating 248 locations by next year.

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  • Vive Cake Boutique Hops Into Easter With ‘Cutielicious’ Easter Bunny & Adorable Chicks

    Vive Cake Boutique Hops Into Easter With ‘Cutielicious’ Easter Bunny & Adorable Chicks

    Celebrity-loved Vive Cake Boutique is hopping into Easter with cutielicious Easter Bunnies and adorable Easter Chicks from 1-30 April at its Central flagship café-store in H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central and latest pop-up store in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui.

    Founder Vivien Lau’s new Insta-worthy dessert sensations are headlined by the most enchanting Easter Bunnie cake in town – ‘Bunny Luvs You’ – a showstopper which is an Easter dessert and table decoration all in one.

    Priced HK$680 for 1lb, this darling creation for the festive holiday is available in an assortment of flavours to suit all tastes: Pistachio Cake with Pistachio Buttercream, Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Fillings, Earl Grey Cake with Earl Grey Cream, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream and Crunchies, Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream filled with Yuzu Curd, Green Tea Cake with Green Tea Buttercream, Banana Cake with Chocolate Buttercream, and Hazelnut Cake with Hazelnut Buttercream.

    Two of the sweetest little treats imaginable are also on the endearing Easter menu. Baby Chick Macacreams (HK$68, available only at Central cafe-store) is confectionary queen Vivien Lau’s charming festive adaptation of her beloved melt-in-your-mouth macarons – styled after chicks hatching from Easter eggs and flavoured with yuzu ice-cream.

    Available at both stores, ‘Easter Meringues’ (HK$55) are the sweetest of treats styled in carrot and chick shapes especially for Easter Bunnies – adapted from a new line of meringues launched with the recent opening of Vive Cake Boutique’s Harbour City pop-up.

    Vive Cake Boutique has proved a roaring success story since being launched with online orders in 2014 by founder and creative director Vivien Lau, who discovered her passion and talent by chance, making her first cake for a friend’s birthday.

    Her signature ‘handmade with love’, cupcakes, macarons, cookies, confectioneries and tailor-made cakes for weddings and special occasions, are all made from scratch with less sugar and finest ingredients sourced from all over the world.

    VIVE’s widespread acclaim includes Time Out’s listing among the “crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s bespoke dessert makers” – with a massive celebrity and socialite following including Aaron Kwok, Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, Niki Chow, Sharon Chan, Miki Yeung, Ella Koon, Myolie Wu and more.

  • New Deliveroo Subscription Service gives Food Lovers Free Delivery

    New Deliveroo Subscription Service gives Food Lovers Free Delivery

    Deliveroo the leading food-delivery company is today launching Deliveroo Plus, a new subscription service available for food lovers across Hong Kong. The new service, priced at HK$98 a month, will enable customers to get unlimited free delivery. Customers will be able to benefit further by trialling Deliveroo Plus free for two weeks or more.

    Deliveroo Plus is being rolled out following a successful launch in the UK. During their first two months of signing up to the pilot, half of all customers saved nearly £25 (around HK$ 260) over the time period, whilst one in ten saved over £75 (around HK$ 770).

    Brian Lo, General Manager, Hong Kong at Deliveroo said, “At Deliveroo, we are continuously striving to innovate our offer as well as expand our delivery platform. Through the launch of Deliveroo Plus, Deliveroo aims at rewarding our users with a better value for money. This new subscription service provides a more affordable option to the frequent users while the earnings of riders is expected to rise with the increasing demand for food delivery.”

    Customers throughout Hong Kong wishing to subscribe to Deliveroo Plus will see the option to sign up to the service on their basket at checkout and in the ‘Account’ section of the app and website.

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  • Vinomofo partners with US wine Startup

    Vinomofo partners with US wine Startup

    Online wine retailer Vinomofo has partnered with US wine media mogul Gary Vaynerchuk to bring the inaugural wine from his label, Empathy Wines, to its customers in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

    The wine, which Vinomofo is launching this month, is available exclusively for pre-order from the online retailer.

    Vinomofo co-founder and CEO Justin Dry said the partnership was fitting, since Vaynerchuk’s approach to the industry aligns perfectly with Vinomofo’s mission to offer great wine at the right price.

    “The inclusion of Empathy Wines is an exciting one for us,” Dry said in a statement.

    “It strengthens our offering as well as supporting Californian winemakers who’ve been devastated by fires recently and cements our commitment to bringing really cool wines to our wine lovers.”

    This is just the first step in a bigger effort to introduce more wine from overseas to Vinomofo’s customers in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, Dry told. 

    “We’re currently buying for our second container – after filling the first one with Gary Vee’s Empathy Wines Rosé – so look out for some super cool wines by iconic US winemakers like André Hueston Mack hitting our shores in 2019,” he said.Adtech Ad

    But there is still no word on when Vinomofo will officially launch in the US market, which it had previously planned to do in 2018.

    “We have some very exciting things happening in the background at Vinomofo. We will share these with you as soon as we can,” Dry said.

    “In the meantime, we are super excited to be forming this partnership and can’t wait for what’s ahead.”

    Gary Vaynerchuk, also known as Gary Vee, took his parents’ liquor business in the US, Shopper’s Discount Liquors, online in 2006, and started Wine Library TV, a daily webcast covering wine.

    He later started a digital ad agency, which provided social media and strategy services to several Fortune 500 companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Mondelez and PepsiCo.

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  • RFG back to square one in asset sale process

    RFG back to square one in asset sale process

    Retail Food Group on Tuesday said sale talks with a potential buyer of its Donut King, Pizza Capers and Crust businesses have ended in disappointment, following months of negotiations.

    The deal fell through after the two parties failed to reach a formal binding agreement on terms that the board considered to be in the best interests of the company as a whole, RFG said in a statement.

    “Our Donut King and QSR brands [Pizza Capers and Crust] continue to provide solid earnings contributing to the company’s underlying profit,” Peter George, executive chairman of RFG, said.

    “The potential sale of any of these assets must be at a price not only acceptable to our board but in the best interests of our shareholders.”

    The franchisor, which operates Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Brumby’s Bakeries, Donut King, Michel’s Patisserie, Di Bella Coffee, The Coffee Guy, Café2U, Pizza Capers and Crust, had been pursuing an asset sale to help pay down its net debt of roughly $258.9 million, after restructuring costs and write-downs wiped out its declining profit in the first half of FY19.

    An RFG spokesperson said the failure to sell its Donut King and QSR brands will not impact the company’s recent agreement with NAB and Westpac to reset its financial covenants and waive a review of the business.

    The company continues to work closely with its lenders and maintains their support, the spokesperson said.

    The RFG board is investigating a range of other options to pay down its debt, including equity, other debt funding options and potential asset sales, and will update the market of any definitive option being reached.

    In response to a report that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission is “keeping an eye” on the franchisor, particularly around big announcements, the RFG board said it has not been made aware of any current investigations.

    A spokesperson for ASIC told that “ASIC supervises the market, so we monitor all share trading”.

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  • AlipayHK Collaborates with McDonald’s Hong Kong to Steer Digital Transformation

    AlipayHK Collaborates with McDonald’s Hong Kong to Steer Digital Transformation

    With ubiquitous popularity on cashless payment services, AlipayHK has partnered with a plethora of merchants to engage users to harness the convenience of mobile payment. Today AlipayHK has collaborated with McDonald’s Hong Kong to steer profound digital transformation in catering industry – of which AlipayHK users can use the e-wallets to order gourmet food and pay in McDonald’s App on smartphones. Along with enhanced mobile ordering features in McDonald’s App, AlipayHK users can tap and swipe to enjoy “Exclusive rewards on delicacies”. Be familiar with QR code-based payment system to reap incredible rewards!

    First e-wallet integrated in McDonald’s App for mobile ordering and grab delicious deals

    With the advent of mobile payment services and big data analytics, restaurants are going full steam on digitalization craze. It is a prominent trend for the food and beverage sector to pursue digital transformation to boost operational efficiency, delivering customers seamless shopping and dining experience. Over the past year, AlipayHK has partnered with numerous merchants and restaurants to offer customers electronic coupons and stamps endlessly and to go green by using digital coupons. With McDonald’s launch of self-service ordering kiosks and mobile ordering, customers have appreciated the novelty and convenience of ordering scrumptious foods anywhere.

    It is an unrivalled convenience and unparalleled experience for AlipayHK customers to use the e-wallets integrated in McDonald’s App for placing orders.AlipayHK has strived to foster brand new consuming trend by embracing mobile wallet services – powered by futuristic technology – in Hongkongers’ daily lives. It has co-operated with McDonald’s to roll out “Exclusive rewards on delicacies” in McDoanld’s restaurants citywide, fostering mobile ordering and checkout as well as forging mobile payment as most preferred payment tool in Hong Kong.

    Ms. Jennifer Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Alipay Payment Services (HK) Limited, said, “AlipayHK expects that mobile payment services are geared to extensive and in-depth applications and development through the latest co-operation with McDonald’s Hong Kong. Currently, Alipay customers can use the e-wallets to make payment in nearly 10,000 restaurants. In collaboration with McDonald’s Hong Kong, AlipayHK hopes the initiative will help spearhead and incentivize more restaurants to engage in digital transformation in food and beverage sector. It will surely let customers gain bespoke experience and amazing convenience on mobile ordering and payment, turning the concept of smart living a reality.”

    Ms. Randy Lai, Chief Executive Officer of McDonald’s Hong Kong, said, “We have been committed to expanding our electronic payment platform to give customers’ unparalleled experience with McDonald’s in recent years. Since our collaboration with AlipayHK last year, customers have greatly enjoyed various special and incredible offers. To enhance co-operation, AlipayHK e-wallet is available in McDonald’s App for mobile ordering and payment from today, along with paying with credit cards and cash. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to AlipayHK for giving full support to McDonald’s Hong Kong and a wide array of exclusive offers to our customers. We will be dedicated to bringing our customers the next generation of premium restaurant experience.”

    AlipayHK debuts virtual KOL AliSa and leads Hong Kong people to immerse in smart living

    AlipayHK officially debuted its first beloved virtual KOL “AliSa” to bring Hong Kong people close together to explore future living. The well-loved virtual character AliSa literally means “happiness” and “pleasure” in Hebrew language. The beloved and delightful AliSa has truly lived up to make your life hassle free with cheers and fun everyday.

  • Fortnum & Mason To Open Store and Restaurant in Hong Kong

    Fortnum & Mason To Open Store and Restaurant in Hong Kong

    Fortnum & Mason, the British retail and hospitality brand, is pleased to announce  the opening of a new site in K11 MUSEA, a unique retail destination situated in the heart of Hong Kong’s US$2.6billion Victoria Dockside redevelopment. The Fortnum’s shop and restaurant will open in September 2019.

    This opening represents a significant milestone for the business as the first Fortnum’s store and restaurant concept outside of the UK. Responding to the thriving international demand for Fortnum’s products, service and hospitality,  the shop and restaurant are set to complement its current retail partnerships across Asia including Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, Isetan Mitsukoshi in Japan and, most recently, Shinsegae in South Korea. It marks the continued development of the business and creates an opportunity to extend its best selling products to new and existing customers in Hong Kong, Mainland China and beyond.

    “Fortnum’s is a business which, for centuries, has thrived on delivering a sense of pleasure for our customers. Building on our 47 years of experience in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, our latest expansion in Asia is an important next step for us, as we extend our reach further across the world ” says Kate Hobhouse, Chairman of Fortnum & Mason. “We have seen significant appetite for the Fortnum’s brand and products in the region, with impressive year-on-year sales growth. We are therefore incredibly proud to continue our record of investment and growth by expanding our business into new markets, and reinforcing our support for amazing producers and suppliers  and creating new job opportunities.”

    “We are excited to establish our presence in Asia in such a pioneering development. K11 MUSEA, a unique retail destination in Hong Kong, speaks to the growing consumer demand for immersive experiences of art, culture and commerce,” says Ewan Venters, CEO of Fortnum’s. “As a business with creativity and innovation at its core, we believe that our partnership with K11 MUSEA is a natural fit for us.”

    The latest evolution in Fortnum’s 312-year history, this announcement marks the ongoing growth of the retailer following its most recent opening at the Royal Exchange in London. As with previous store and restaurant openings, Fortnum’s is proud its continued growth creates new job opportunities both at home and in the region, with c.90 new roles in Hong Kong. This also represents a significant opportunity for Fortnum’s British suppliers who produce 86% of the retailer’s products in the UK.

    The beautifully designed 7000 sq. ft. space will include a store, featuring an edit of Fortnum’s most cherished products, from Tea, Biscuits and Wine, to joy-giving gifts such as champagne and stunning teaware and of course people will be able to enjoy the award winning hospitality of Fortnum’s in the restaurant upstairs while taking in the stunning views across the iconic Hong Kong harbour.

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  • Soul Origin offers free toast

    Soul Origin offers free toast

    Cafe chain Soul Origin is giving away a free slice of Vegemite toast with any coffee purchase on Wednesday, after an imprompt national debate broke out yesterday over the correct amount of Vegemite on a slice of toast.

    The debate started when a customer took issue with the scant serving of Vegemite on their toast and posted an image to the Breakfast sub-Reddit page, calling the Soul Origin cafe in the Domestic Terminal of Sydney Airport that served it to them “un-Australian”.

    The image was widely shared across social media, where thousands of Vegemite fans and haters weighed in.

    “I’m fairly sure that’s illegal in Australia,” one Redditor commented on the original photo, while another noted, “I hate the stuff and even I know that isn’t quite enough.”

    On the other side of the fence, some pushed for the option to throw the toast in the bin and replace it with peanut butter instead.

    Soul Origin chief executive Chris Mavris took the frenzy in stride. He released a statement Tuesday afternoon announcing customers would receive a free slice of Vegemite toast with any coffee purchase on Wednesday, and encouraging customers to tell their local cafe exactly how they like it.

    “There’s nothing more Australian than Vegemite on toast but it’s no secret that everyone has their own personal way of enjoying this national delicacy,” Mavris said.

  • Subway strikes delivery deal with Uber Eats In New Zealand

    Subway strikes delivery deal with Uber Eats In New Zealand

    Subway has struck a deal with Uber Eats to offer delivery from more than 100 restaurants in select New Zealand cities. Chris Churchmichael, country director for Subway New Zealand, said the agreement would allow Subway restaurants to tap into the rapidly growing delivery market in New Zealand, at breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime in between.

    “We know Kiwis want freshly-made and nutritious delivery choices, however, having their favorite Subway foot long meal delivered hasn’t been an option until now,” Churchmichael said.

    Church Michael said all the Subway favorites like meatball and pork riblet will be available for delivery along with fresh new choices like spicy buffalo chicken with blue cheese dressing and smashed falafel with tsatziki.

    “Searches for ‘nutritious’ options in the app are increasing and Subway is the perfect partner to help us respond to this demand and provide a greater selection of delicious meals to eaters whether they are at work, home or even the park,” said Andy Bowie, Uber Eats country manager for New Zealand.

    Subway recently unveiled a brand refresh to modernize its offerings and a new website that highlights key supplier stories and educates customers about the chain’s fresh ingredients.

    According to Subway, its new “Real Fresh” website aims to give guests a look behind the scenes at some local growers and suppliers who support the business from all over New Zealand.

    Ben Miles, senior manager for brand marketing at Subway, said the sandwich chain is a strong supporter of Kiwi produce. Some of their supply partners include local business Yarrows, which has supplied Subway New Zealand with their dough for more than 20 years and NZ brand Tegel, which has partnered with Subway since the brand opened its first restaurant in the country in 1995 and now supplies restaurants with a range of chicken and turkey products.

    “We estimate we’re one of the largest national purchasers of fresh produce in New Zealand and we’re committed to supporting farmers, growers and producers around the nation,” Miles said.

    “We wanted to shine a light on the incredible work they do, bringing the fresh factor to our restaurants multiple times a week.”

    Miles said many of the company’s customers are unaware that their fresh vegetables are sliced and prepared in-restaurant before serving, so this information is also shared on the site.

    “We also know it’s important to our guests that each ingredient in their sub is of the highest quality – for both freshness and taste,” he said. “We’ve been making considerable changes to our menu and we’re committed to ensuring as many of our ingredients as possible are locally sourced.”

    The Real Fresh website was recently awarded a Gold Ava Digital Award, an international competition reorganizing excellence in website design and creative.