A unique plant milk made from New Zealand grown kabocha buttercup squash is now hitting supermarket shelves in Asia, thanks to an innovative partnership between a Hawke’s Bay company and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
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MPI contributed more than $95,000 through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures) to help boost Kabocha Milk Co’s efforts to formulate, manufacture, and market a shelf-stable kabocha milk recipe that would appeal to consumers in Japan, Korea, China, and beyond. This has been branded under the name Kabochamilk.
Kabochamilk is a collaboration between Shane Newman – one of New Zealand’s largest buttercup squash growers from the Hawke’s Bay, and Sachie Nomura – a Japanese celebrity chef and the brains behind avocadomilk, a world first, award winning plant milk. Kabochamilk is fully vegan, and free from artificial flavours and colours – and, according to Mr Newman, it ‘tastes outstanding’ too.
"Our Kabochamilk uses the un-exported tag-3 fruit, creating a high-value, sustainable and exportable product from produce that would otherwise go to waste," says Mr Newman. "It's immensely satisfying to have hit upon a new opportunity for New Zealand’s kabocha industry."
Mr Newman says kabocha is a staple and regular healthy part of the Japanese and East Asian diet.
"There are no other comparable kabocha milks in any of those markets, and it became a really exciting opportunity to fill that gap."
New Zealand is one of the largest exporters of kabocha to Japan and Korea. By tapping into the strong distribution and retail channels Mr Newman and his family have established from over 40 years of fresh horticultural and export business, Kabochamilk is able to gain access to a large distribution network of around 5000 Asian retailers, supermarkets, and convenience store chains.
The story of the kabocha being grown and produced in New Zealand is an important part of the branding. "New Zealand growers already have very high credibility among consumers, so we emphasise the product’s origin story in our marketing,†says Mr Newman.
Kabochamilk is positioned as an everyday 'milk alternative' product that can be consumed at any time of day as a simple, tasty way of introducing healthy nutrients into the family diet. ■