They’re made with herbs grown in her personal backyard, her Nana’s carefully guarded recipes – and lots of love.
Josie Robinson was actually nervous about getting into her do-it-yourself merchandise within the Excellent New Zealand Meals Producers Awards – and she or he was much more nervous about opening the outcomes after they have been despatched to her by electronic mail.
“I used to be actually afraid of placing myself on the market and getting into. Individuals like what I create, however to place your self on the market to be judged is totally different,’’ Robinson stated.
Robyn Edie
Josie Robinson’s little artisan enterprise Robbies Pickles and Preserves, based mostly in Gore, has gained huge on the Excellent New Zealand Meals Producer Awards. Her black garlic sauce gained a gold medal and the balsamic pickled onions gained a bronze.
She didn’t should be scared – her Noir Garlik Black Garlic Sauce gained a gold medal and her Artisan Honey and Balsamic Pickled Onions picked up a bronze.
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She sourced black garlic from Blackball on the West Coast and located high-quality vinegar to make use of within the Noir Garlik Black Garlic Sauce so the garlic can be the hero, she stated.
The judges’ tasting notes stated: “Wow! An incredible ending sauce. So some ways it may very well be used so as to add depth and flavour.’’
It’s all a bit a lot for Robinson, who has spent years adapting recipes handed down from her Nana.
“For a sauce that I make, that’s made with my coronary heart, this simply actually overwhelming for us,’’ she stated.
“This has been actually life-changing for us, it’s opened lots of doorways. The cellphone simply doesn’t cease, and we’re going to fulfill high individuals within the meals trade.’’
However Robinson isn’t getting too far forward of herself simply but.
All of her pickled onion, chutneys, sauces, relishes, and pickles, marketed beneath the identify Robbies after husband Gus’ grandfather, are nonetheless made in her kitchen at residence in Gore, which is being renovated.
Among the recipes, together with the award-winning sauce, can take two days to ferment on her cooktop, earlier than being bottled and labelled within the storage and despatched out to a rising listing of stockists.
Robyn Edie
Josie Robinson and husband Gus of Robbies Pickles and Preserves prepare dinner and bottle all their Robbies merchandise from their residence in Gore.
“It means we will sustain the standard management as a result of I gained’t compromise on high quality. There’s no compromise, they’re precisely what they are saying,’’ she stated.
Robinson has all the time grown and cooked her personal meals, however she began taking it extra critically when her daughter was identified with ADHD.
“We stripped it proper again to fundamentals with nothing added. I’ve all the time experimented with flavours and I used to make issues and provides them away till individuals began telling me I must be promoting them.
“I’m actually proud to make meals that’s gluten free that tastes good, there must be no barrier to style for anybody.’’
Quick-forward seven years, and she or he’s offered 50 bottles of her now-famous sauce in two days and is off to Auckland for the awards gala dinner later this month.
“I believe that I gained’t slot in there, however I’ve been advised I must recover from that. Everybody there’ll love nice meals and flavour, so we’ll all have one thing in frequent.’’
Gold medals have been additionally gained by Invercargill’s Farm Contemporary South within the dairy part for its South Uncooked Milk and South Complete Pasteurised Milk, and Southland-based meat Processor Alliance Group for its Pure South Lamb and Pure South Handpicked Beef – 55 Day Aged.
