Born in the heart of Aotearoa New Zealand’s South Island, Meadow Fresh was founded with the purpose to create healthy and delicious dairy products for Kiwi families – and it has for over six decades.
Now an iconic household brand, Meadow Fresh has a team of 400 employees across two main dairy sites in Longburn and Christchurch, producing over 190 million litres of milk per year. Grown under manufacturer Goodman Fielder New Zealand, the business has bold sustainability ambitions, including a commitment to zero emissions by 2040.
“For us, it’s always been about quality, consistency and our love for dairy, combined with caring for the land that helps to create our products,” says Hamish Conway, Head of Research and Development of Goodman Fielder New Zealand.
“None of that has changed in the past 60 years and that’s how we’ve remained a leading brand in New Zealand. We’re passionate about making great dairy products and being custodians for what makes our country’s milk so great – our green pastures, clean air and soil.”
Beyond its domestic operations, Meadow Fresh is expanding its presence offshore, with a focus on cementing its reputation in Asian markets as part of Goodman Fielder’s export strategy.
One of the top products driving exports is UHT long-life milk, sold under the Meadow Fresh brand, which has experienced up to 25 percent growth per year for the past five years.
Being a FernMark Licensee supports Meadow Fresh to build on this success, by strengthening its country-of-origin roots and unique ‘New Zealand’ brand position across its licensed products, which include Full Cream, Low Fat, Skimmed UHT milk and Whipping cream.
Conway says “New Zealand’s dairy industry has a fantastic reputation across key Asian markets. As one of the symbols most affiliated with New Zealand, the FernMark helps to build stronger confidence with consumers in the provenance and quality of Meadow Fresh products.”
“We believe Meadow Fresh is an international ambassador for the exciting, innovative dairy industry that we have here in New Zealand; the FernMark enhances our official connection with New Zealand and the quality products which our country stands for.”
When entering or expanding its global presence, Goodman Fielder taps into Meadow Fresh’s long history as a trusted brand in New Zealand.
“Meadow Fresh is well-known in New Zealand – the FernMark supports us to amplify its success to Asian consumers, while also reflecting our care for the land, custodianship and kaitiakitanga. We make sure to communicate beautiful New Zealand as the locals see it, while also showcasing Kiwi ingenuity through our innovative production processes, the technology in our factories as well as the passionate dairy experts behind all of our products.”
Looking forward, Meadow Fresh has sustainability ambitions to make all packaging recyclable and use 100% renewable electricity in its factories.
“It’s no question that we have one of the best natural environments in the world and very favourable conditions for producing milk, and we know it’s also our responsibility to protect and nurture these conditions,” Conway says.
He says, “the FernMark embodies New Zealand at its best – and as a brand with high quality dairy products, we want to be a part of New Zealand’s best”.
“As a business, the FernMark is an opportunity for us to stand together with a collective of high-quality, trustworthy New Zealand products while telling the New Zealand story with our strong domestic heritage.”