Fresh live clams from NZ to USA | Murray Lloyd Photography

murray lloyd February 19, 2014

Working every day of the year, the team at Dunedin's Southern Clams can have an average of 4.5 tonnes of clams ready for market in six hours. In winter the team in the water harvest by torchlight and even have waves crashing over them on occasions. Director Roger Belton started Southern Clams in the early 1980's after his French girlfriend took him to experience the French food culture. Eighty percent of the clams are exported, particulary to the east coast of the USA where the large Italian poplulation need them for Spagetti alle Vonglole. The remaining clams are sold domestically at restaurants, wholesalers and the New World and Pak n Save supermarkets.

Southern Clams take sustainability very seriously even investing in forestry in order to be carbon accountable. They have never harvested their full quota of clams and are contantly looking for new ways to reduce bycatch.

I was just thankful my waders didn't leak.

Clam shells being returned to seafloor from boat.

Portrait of Roger Belton, owner of Southern Clams, standing in sea.

Freshly harvested clams on barge at Blueskin Bay, New Zealand

Fully loaded barge of fresh clams at Blueskin Bay.

Roger Belton, Managing Director at Southern Clams on small outboard boat.

NZ Cuisine to the fore at TRENZ | Murray Lloyd Photography

murray lloyd June 12, 2011

What impressed me the most when I photographed TRENZ in Queenstown this year was the food and wine. Local caterer Flying Trestles was hired to feed 1100 exhibitors, media and buyers lunch and tea breaks throughout the four day international tourism showcase. Divine looking salad platters such as wild rice, fennel and hazelnut or tomato, bocconcini and eggplant were complemented by hot dishes of venison denver leg, kumara and lamb pies, blue cod, and more. All washed down by fine New Zealand wine (mostly from Central Otago). For dessert huge cake stands were festooned with tiny chocolate mousse cups, lemon tarts, lamingtons or miniature meringues. Lavish lunchboxes including Mediterranean salad, Turkish rolls, sushi, locally made Patagonia chocolates and Phoenix organic juice were provided one day when the vistors were taken on "famils" with the Queenstown tourism operators. Even the muffins at morning coffee provided a mouth full of excitement.

At a regular TRENZ social event the Regional Rendevous, the country's regional marketing agencies put their best foot forward presenting wines by Quartz Reef (including the fab Methode Traditionelle), Peregrine, Akarua, Astrolabe, Gibbston Valley, Mt Difficulty and Two Paddocks (complete with Sam Neil), Te Kairanga and Te Whau. Among the many pass-around foods were whitebait fritters from the West Coast and shavings from whole rounds of Balfour cheese from Gibbston Valley Cheese.

Gold medal Gibbston Valley cheese at TRENZ in Queenstown,NZ.

At tea breaks professional chefs from luxury operators put on cooking demonstrations for eager viewers who then got to sample the meals. The menus included Dale Gartlands' (Matakauri Lodge) Aoraki salmon, crayfish tortellini, scampi and chervil dressing and a Kiwiana intepretation of NZ by Sadie Richens (Millbrook) with the dessert called Hokey Pokey pavalova islands.

TRENZ visitors getting lunch in Queenstown

On the exhibition floor the Prime Minister and his entourage were handed out Roxborough dried apricots by the Central Otago operators. There was a new exhibit from Zealong Tea, the Waikato organic tea operation and a move to the national stage for Zest Food Tours now touring in Auckland as well as Wellington. Bon apetite New Zealand!

Organic fruit at Te Mata | Murray Lloyd Photography

murray lloyd April 17, 2011

Te Mata Wine, Te Mata Cheese, Te Mata Peak may all be names recognizable to Hawkes Bay visitors and residents but Te Mata Orchard less so. Only a stone's throw from the Te Mata Cheesery, the orchard is an organic operation growing apples, pears and plums. Ian Kiddle, who has hosted me on a couple of occasions exports produce and also supplies the Pure Fresh brand seen in New Zealand supermarkets. The domestic organic market in NZ is worth about $350 million (at last count) and more than half that value is exported. Evidence is mounting the world wants sustainable produce.

Prize winning cupcakes at NZ show | Murray Lloyd Photography

murray lloyd January 29, 2011

The highlight for me at the Levin A&P show last week was the Home Industry display. In amongst the Christmas puddings, fruitcakes and scones were two entries for cupcakes. I was told this was only the second year cupcakes had been accepted, perhaps reflecting the slow pace of change away from the city (where all the talk has now switched to macaroons).

Other highlights were the jams, and vegetable creations. Outside in the pens was the usual fluttering of ribbons amongst the winning pigs, chickens, sheep and cattle. However I noticed the prizewinning export lambs were not getting carried away by their win. For those technology buffs - I photographed the A&P show on an old Mamiya C330 Twin Lens Reflex camera using roll film.

Sign advertising home industries at Levin A&P show in New Zealand

Prize winning cupcakes at A&P Show in Levin, New Zealand.

Tendertips Asparagus Photos | Murray Lloyd Photography

murray lloyd October 17, 2010

Asparagus, one of the harbingers of spring, reminds me of the difference between living here in Wellington and in a city like London. Instead of year round supply we get proud announcements at Moore Wilson Fresh proclaiming the first arrivals from Tender Tips in Levin. The photographs here show some of the Tender Tips operation.