RWNZ national president Gill Naylor says the awards have cemented their place as a means of showcasing the excellent and innovative businesses owned and operated by regional and rural women.
The 2021 Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) business awards have attracted a record number of entrants showcasing the innovative businesses of regional and rural women.
RWNZ together with premier partner, NZI, have announced the winners across seven award categories in what RWNZ national president Gill Naylor says has been a challenging task.
“This year’s awards attracted our highest ever number of entrants and the calibre and diversity of the entrants made deciding on our winners very challenging,” Naylor said.
She says the awards have cemented their place as a means of showcasing the excellent and innovative businesses owned and operated by regional and rural women right across the country.
“It was particularly pleasing that there was an even split between entrants from the North and South Islands,” she said.
NZI executive manager commercial business underwriting Christina Chellew represented the key sponsor on the judges panel.
“It is a real privilege to be a judge for these awards and incredibly inspiring to learn about our entrants’ businesses,” Chellew said.
“It is always extremely difficult to select our category winners, but we were particularly impressed by the resilience of this year’s entrants and their commitment to the wellbeing of their rural communities.”
The creative arts category winner is Janyne Fletcher Photography from Ranfurly in Central Otago.
Fletcher has been photographing professionally since 2006 and specialises in high-quality fine art photography, which she prints, frames and sells from her Ranfurly workshop and gallery.
Her work, recognised nationally and internationally, is a creative and contemporary interpretation of the landscape that surrounds her as she captures its beauty to create unique mementos for visitors to the Otago Central Rail Trail and the new Central Otago Touring Route.
The emerging business section winner is Tammy Taylor with Fork and Spade.
Based in Lumsden, Taylor’s business supplies and implements environmental planting plans for farms in Southland.
Fork and Spade, once her “baby”, but now described as a robust toddler, has a dedicated client base throughout the region.
Taylor and her all-women team are passionate about seeing their jobs through from the initial farm consult to an established, thriving and well-maintained planting.
Claire Edwards’ Tora Collective took out the innovation category.
Based in South Wairarapa, Tora Collective’s mission is to keep kaimoana in Aotearoa and the goal is to supply the freshest and best-quality seafood, rather than it all being exported.
Edwards was inspired by the lack of crayfish and paua on menus across the country, so she and her partner took matters into their own hands and started Tora Collective to right this wrong and ensure that NZ’s iconic cuisine and culture were not lost to the export market.
Love of the Land winner Lucinda Maunsell runs Rahui Coastal Loop, a boutique catered bike adventure in Wairarapa.
The land that Maunsell lives and works on has been in her family for six generations, with her passion for the land and how much she values her heritage evident in the way she runs her business.
She is hands-on in every sense from greeting her guests, cooking for them, meeting them at the end of the loop and sending them handwritten thank you cards and complimentary tea bags after their stay.
Harriet Bremner with her business Gurt and Pops took out the rural champion category.
Based in Te Anau, Bremner writes children’s books for NZ’s rural families.
Her life was transformed after tragically losing her partner in a farming accident when she decided to follow her dreams of becoming an author and wrote her first book called Bob ‘n’ Pops in memory of her late partner.
Bremner is a passionate advocate for changing conversations around health, safety, wellbeing, grief and trauma, and works with a wide range of organisations and groups promoting safety and wellbeing on farms and in rural communities.
The bountiful table award winner is Sue Loder of Kaipaki with her Well and Truly artisan pantry that produces certified gluten-free gourmet granolas and pantry products.
No corners are cut in the production of the handcrafted, small batch goods, which feature produce from local growers and suppliers, with the brand identity perfectly capturing the wellness in mind.
Amber Forest of Wairoa leads the rural health and wellness excellence category, with her business Beauty Antix, the only full-time beauty therapy clinic in the region.
Forrest has built an award-winning business, which is immersed in the diversity of its clientele and community delivering a wide range of expert, professional treatments and providing a career path for young women, particularly Māori, through a nationally recognised beauty and wellness training facility.
Presentation of the awards to the category winners and the announcement of the overall supreme award winner will take place later in the year.
