Double success for Mt Cook Alpine Salmon’s Aoraki brand at the 2025 NZ Food Awards

Following the announcement of the 2025 NZ Food Awards winners, Mt Cook Alpine Salmon is celebrating a standout result – earning two category wins for its Aoraki brand, with the innovative Blackcurrant with Kāmahi Honey Cold Smoked Salmon and the new Zesty Salmon Spread.

It was the only company recognised for two different products at this year’s Awards – a rare achievement that highlights the innovation and craftsmanship behind the Aoraki range.

The Blackcurrant with Kāmahi Honey – Cold Smoked Salmon took out the Primary Product Sector Award, while the Zesty Salmon Spread – Yuzu & NZ Lemon won the Chilled/Frozen (Coolchain) category.

NZ Food Awards Judging Convenor Nikki Middleditch said the two award-winning products “demonstrate Aoraki’s rare combination of scientific precision, creativity and respect for both their raw material and the environment. They are an outstanding example of New Zealand food innovation at its best.”

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Chief Executive David Cole says the win caps off an excellent year for the company with record revenues and record earnings.

“I’m incredibly proud of what our innovation team has produced. The Blackcurrant with Kāmahi Honey – Cold Smoked Salmon is the first of its kind, and the way Kiwi consumers have taken to it has completely taken us by surprise. We introduced it as a limited edition for summer a year ago, and what we thought would last the entire summer – sold out in just two months!” says Cole.

The pairing of blackcurrant with cold-smoked salmon in a ready-to-eat format is believed to be a first in New Zealand.The ingredients are sourced locally from the South Island – organic blackcurrants are grown by Viberi in South Canterbury, and Kāmahi honey from Forage & Gold in Central Otago.

According to the judging panel, Aoraki’s “superb product is the result of a bespoke curing process that balances infusion and safety without heat treatment, expanding the boundaries of cold smoking science”. The judges commended its “novel use of blackcurrants” and its partnerships with Viberi and Forage & Gold, describing the salmon as “elegant, intriguing and globally unique – a true first in its category”.

Winner of the Chilled/Frozen (Coolchain) category, the Zesty Salmon Spread – Yuzu & NZ Lemon, was praised by Judges as “delicious, with a creamy fresh flavour”, and a “brilliant example of circular thinking in food production – transforming what might once have been waste into a premium, flavour-forward product”.

David Galbraith who heads the NPD programme says both products were the result of extensive teamwork.

“Introducing these two products to market has been a huge team effort – from our hard-working farm staff in Twizel, the processing teams who prepare salmon in Timaru, through to our smokehouse and food technologists in Christchurch. There have been many hours spent trialling different woods for the smoking process, testing different concentrations of flavour, and developing different techniques to ensure the best results,” says Galbraith.

Both the award-winning Blackcurrant with Kāmahi Honey – Cold Smoked Salmon and Zesty Salmon Spread – Yuzu & NZ Lemon are now available year-round at supermarkets and premium retail outlets nationwide.

Please read the NZ Food Awards media release here.