Who we are

The King of Kiwi is a small but perfectly formed, family owned, boutique food business. Producing 100% natural Kiwi superblends. We are 100% juice, no added water, no added sugar and – heaven forbid! – definitely no preservatives. They do however contain loads of Vitamin C and E, dietary fibre and plenty of other good stuff. And they’re available in two incredible options, Kiwi Digestive and Kiwi Reviver … ENJOY !

 

What we stand for

 

The King of Kiwi has spent three years developing its unique and revolutionary recipes. This process was long and challenging and there were many opportunities to cut corners and cost. But in our opinion there is enough rubbish in the world already, so why add to it? So we didn’t. This attitude flows through everything we do – including our own bespoke bottle.    

 

This bottle was designed by a famous New Zealand designer (well, soon to be famous!) and our own equally brilliant nutritionist. So after a lot of tree hugging, testing and research, not only would the bottle be cool and ergonomically designed to fit your hand, but the size of the bottle was carefully calculated to provide the perfect measure of nutrients and fibre for a single serve… your Daily Kiwi – in a Bottle.    

 

We also opted for glass for its environmental and health benefits over the petroleum-based competition, as we believe our customers want to buy a healthy treat that’s good for them and good for the planet – not just the oil and gas guys. The Kiwi Digestive and the Kiwi Reviver are the best products we could create, we are proud of it and believe our products will contribute to the well being and happiness of the world.    

 

 

The story so far …

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2008 at the bottom of the world in NZ it was hot, we were hot. And we needed to drink a drink. Not just any drink, a healthy drink. A nice cold kiwifruit drink because we all know kiwifruit are nature’s nutritional powerhouse – our very own superfruit.

Sounds easy right? Or so you might think since here in New Zealand we invented Kiwifruit!

The truth is though that back in the mists of time..(2008 to be exact) there was not a decent Kiwi drink to be had anywhere. So we decided then and there to create the worlds’ best Kiwi Juice.

The mission was to create the perfect healthy hit of nutrients, fibre and vitamins in one bottle.. your Daily Kiwi in a Bottle. How hard can that be right? Oh and I would also make my own bottle since the rest of them looked boring.

 

 
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Quickly realizing we needed some way smarter people to help get the healthiest and best tasting (just because something is “healthy” doesn’t mean it can’t taste great as well) Kiwi drink. First up we enlisted the support of Grant the best Food Tech in the WORLD I reckon. Grant has spent his whole life in the beverage business producing, testing, sampling and is a bona fide expert !

Grant set about creating a Kiwiblend with no preservatives, no added sugar, no anything apart from fruit and natural goodness.

THREE YEARS later …. Yes THREE YEARS of testing different fruit mixtures in order to get it just right..we had finally created the perfect daily Health Hit in a Bottle… ELLIOTTS King of Kiwi.

So it wasn’t as easy as I thought, in fact it was damn hard – but it was worth it because we had completely revolutionised the Kiwi Juice world.. nobody had anything like this.

 
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All of a sudden this Kiwiblend was personal, King of Kiwi is a family business and so it had better be good! This is the final piece of awesomeness… with our name on it we really take responsibility for it, and for you, our customers. So go forth and try a bottle. We sincerely believe you will love it as much as we do.

PS I know everybody says their “whatever” is the best in town so were sorry that we did too, but we couldn’t help it. We really do love KING OF KIWI Kiwiblend and I’m so proud of what we’ve done. Everybody that chooses KING OF KIWI is obviously brilliant and has excellent taste. So go on grab a bottle, feel the goodness running through your veins.. hold your head up high and kick all the boring negative nay-sayers out of your life!

Remember what Ice Cube says “We don’t hear NO ..We’re too busy saying YEAH”!!!

Thanks for listening to me.

Glenn Elliott
King of Kiwi

 

 

Born to bottle

 

 

Our bottling plant is another way of showing who we are and what we believe in. It is a small and focussed place.. hushed conversations involving micro-bacterial measurements .. capping torques and sterilisation techniques are the order of the day. Our Juice is pasteurised slowly by a belt system.

 

 

 

What this means is instead of heating the juice to the pasteurising temperature in a giant holding tank and cooking it to death before it is bottled, we bottle cold and then, via a belt system the King of Kiwi slowly moves through a series of rising heat zones to the correct temperature to kill the nasties. It is then quickly cooled so keeping as much of the vital goodies (nutrients and vitamins ) in the bottle.

This dedication has lead to the bottling plant winning over 200 awards in the Beverage Bottling and Brewing Worlds.. 200 awards !

 

 

 

Tom the Top Juicer has just completed his Science degree (BSC) so we are in safe hands there and if that isn’t enough the plant has these Food Safety Ratings:

  • NZFSA -New Zealand Food Safety Qualification
  • IFOAM
  • Bio-Gro
  • NZJBA – New Zealand Juice and Beverage Association

They may not be the biggest guys in town but they are the best !

 

 

Purity of processing

Following the Grant theme, our dedicated fruit processor is another Grant, a man who is completely environ – mental. A man whose mission is to have his production facilities at the highest level of quality and food safety, but also aiming for zero waste!    

 

So what this means is that all the seeds and skin from the Kiwis after we have pureed them are used.

 
The seeds are separated out and used in other products. The skins for new pharmaceutical products and any remaining waste will eventually be used and converted to energy with the aim to power part of the operation… how cool is that?!. Grant and his team built a brand new factory in 2009 and they put the plant basically in the middle of the kiwifruit vines. Why? – So that when the fruit is harvested it isn’t transported long distances and left in a truck, suffering in the sun, instead its picked and processed in the same area ensuring that all the goodness is Kept in Kiwi.    

 

Because they designed his new plant from the ground up, this means that the plant is as perfect as possible.

 
We can take samples of our fruit at any stage of the puree process .. (and we do multiple times) to ensure absolute purity of puree!    

 

This combination of having the highest level of food integrity combined with a genuine passion to be respectful for the environment fits perfectly with ELLIOTTS. We know and you know that this is the right thing to do.

 

 

MEET THE FRUIT.
Where KING OF KIWI gets the best Kiwifruit in the World

 

The Kiwifruit Capital of the World, Te Puke is part of the brilliantly named Bay of Plenty region and conveniently located very close to some fine beaches. This is where New Zealand’s booming kiwifruit industry had its beginnings. Hundreds of local growers produce millions of trays of the traditional ‘Green’ and the luscious ‘Gold’ kiwifruit that are shipped out worldwide.. however that isn’t all Te Puke is famous for…

 
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It is also home to the Te Puke rugby team… a team feared far and wide, well as far as Tauranga anywayThings just grow well here, deep in the Rural heartland of New Zealand, with lovely summers, mild winters, wonderful rich soil and Te Puke has a thriving farming sector based on dairying, cattle, deer and sheep. It is also known for honey and bee-related health products such as propolis.

 
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The town has four white-sand beaches within 10 to 20 minutes drive. So after a hard day tending to the Kiwifruit vines our hardworking heartlanders often nip off for a couple of quick rounds of Beach Volleyball at the Mount.

And if that wasn’t enough they have a live volcano, White Island with its spectacular sulphurous vents and regular eruptions keeping the town on its toes..

 

 

Te Puke – Enjoy the Experience

 

So back to the fruit – A combination of the climate and soil in the area has always made Te Puke a popular area for horticulture. From the 1880s tobacco was grown commercially but this petered out in the late 1930s.

 
Trial plantings of hops, and later rice, were also tried. Viticulture was also tried and found to be successful but for various reasons also died out. The settlers had established home orchards when finance permitted and it was found that pip and citrus fruits flourished.    

 

From this, the first commercial orchard in Te Puke was planted in 1915. Commercial plantings were of apples, pears, oranges, lemons and grapefruit. After World War Two, returned servicemen settled on the No 3 Road as orchardists. Followed by others with their own finance, most of No 3 Road was in orchards by 1960.

 
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By 1966, 80 owners owned about 1500 acres of land of which 900 acres was in citrus and the balance was in sub-tropical fruit including tamarillos (tree tomatoes) and feijoas.(yay for feijoa)

 

 

In 1934..

Jim MacLoughlin had bought a 7-acre lemon and passionfruit orchard in No 3 Road. His neighbour Vic Bayliss had 2 Chinese Gooseberry plants and he had sold the fruit for five pounds! Spurred on by this Jim planted 1/2 acre of Chinese gooseberries in 1937.    

 

During World War Two, American servicemen in New Zealand were introduced to the Chinese Gooseberry and enjoyed it so much that this spurred further plantings.

 
In 1952 the first exports were made, and in 1959 the name “Kiwifruit” was introduced.    

 

Since then many more plantings have been made with Hayward (green) being the most popular. In 1998 “Zespri Gold” kiwifruit were introduced to the market and experiments are being carried out on new varieties including a peelable kiwifruit.

 
The next big moment in Te Puke’s colourful history was in 2009 with the creation of the Kiwi Digestive and Reviver by the King of Kiwi. The clean healthy and vibrant taste of this World Champion Kiwiblend quickly took Te Puke by storm and lead to the townsfolk presenting a proposal to build a large statue of the President Mr Glenn Elliott in the centre of Te Puke… so fingers crossed for this!
 

 

Hayward

split_green_kiwifruitWelcome to the Hayward (technical name of the fruit ) or in a master of understatement the Green Kiwi. I wonder if the genius who came up with this name was a descendant of the bloke who came up with the inspiring names North Island and South Island ..    

 

Anyway I digress. What to say – This is one fruit that could only be loved by its mother. Ugly, hairy on the outside but however packed full of goodness on the inside. So much goodness in fact the Kiwi is known as a SuperFruit.

 

Now welcome to the serious part. There is just so much research showing the amazing health properties of these nuggety little fellows..and we only get one body so we’ve got to take care of it. Please read the health information below carefully. Take your time and digest it slowly (pun intended) as you will be tested at the end of this website.

Good for you Inside Out..

Cleansing your system is important to reduce the risks of illnesses such as cancer.

Drinking lots of water and eating foods rich in dietary fibre are great ways to cleanse your digestive system. In a recent study carried out by Rutgers University in the US, researchers found that a Kiwifruit not only has lots of dietary fibre, it also contains a mystery substance with excellent properties for cleaning out your insides.. say no more.

City Life – Rescue Remedy

In a high pressured world, Kiwifruit helps us cope. Its low sodium, high potassium ratio encourages a healthy fluid and electrolyte balance in the brain.

 

This wonderful fruit is a good source of Vitamin E and magnesium. Magnesium, often hard to find in Western diets, helps in neurotransmission and is also important for a healthy heart.

Healthy Hit – Natural Energy Drink.

So you’ve got a full schedule of work, work-outs and a good social life.

Where do you find the energy to live life to the full?

There are plenty of stimulants such as caffeine you could take. But how can you get a natural healthy energy hit?

Blood sugar levels tend to drop overnight so instead of missing breakfast, grab a GREEN Kiwifruit in the morning to restore healthy blood sugar levels without the fat. GREEN Kiwifruit can also easily be included in meal plans for those with diabetes.

GREEN Kiwifruit is perfect for the whole family, any time of the day.

But hey don’t just take our word for it, please read through this Health Fact Sheet.

 

 

Goldie

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Ladies and Gentlemen .. introducing Goldie .. the Nu Skool Kiwfruit. Slightly more attractive, but let’s be real – I’m sure Roy Orbison wasn’t thinking of her when he recorded Pretty Woman.    

 

Goldie is richer and softer than her cousin and is definitely easier to dig out with a spoon but just like Mr Green she is packed full of genuine nutrients, vitamins and fibre… She really is natures nutritional powerhouse.

 
So let me put this question to you.. would you like to reduce the time you are sick with a cold from nearly 5 days down to less than 1 day? then you need to read this NZ Herald article (and have a couple of Goldies on hand)    

 

This brilliant article is also showing that pre-school children had a lower incidence of colds and flu-like illnesses during the gold kiwifruit phases of that study. As well as having lower rates of three upper respiratory infection symptoms: cough, headache and “feeling unwell”.

However, we all know how difficult it is to get kids to eat fruit so giving them KING OF KIWI Gold can help.. Nutrition by Stealth we call it !

 

Snack Attack

Snacks are often loaded with fat, calories and sugar to give a quick fix.

Can you think of a guilt free, healthy snack that’s easy to eat on the run and also tastes great?

Have a Goldie mid morning or mid afternoon. Easy to peel and eat or cut and scoop, and deliciously juicy too. It can help ward off low blood sugar levels and satisfy a sweet tooth. It is low in fat, has no cholesterol and contains fibre. That’s great because then you won’t feel the need for high fat or sugar-loaded treats. Better still, you’ll be giving yourself an injection of nutrients like vitamins, (including B’s, C and E), minerals and carbohydrates.

Research, headed up by Dr Paul LaChance of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, shows Kiwifruit to be a “nutritional powerhouse” for people with high energy lifestyles.
Get into it !

 

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The facts in a nutshell:

– 70% of your immune strength comes from your digestion    

 

– Increase your fiber intake by 10% a day and you will live longer (NHS UK)

– Drinking lots of water and eating foods rich in dietary fibre are great ways to cleanse your digestive system. Kiwifruit not only has lots of dietary fibre, it also contains a mystery substance with excellent properties for cleaning out your insides.. say no more. (Rutgers University, New Brunswick)

 
– Kiwifruit’s low sodium, high potassium ratio encourages a healthy fluid and electrolyte balance in the brain.    

 

– Good source of Vitamin E and magnesium. Magnesium, often hard to find in Western diets, helps in neurotransmission and is also important for a healthy heart.

 
– Restores healthy blood sugar levels without the fat. Can easily be included in meal plans for those with diabetes.    

 

Reduce the time you are sick with a cold from nearly 5 days down to less than 1 day

– A “nutritional powerhouse” for people with high energy lifestyles. (Rutgers University, New Brunswick)

– More nutritional info on our Health Fact Sheet.