It was a trip back to where it all started for Latesha (Tesh) Randall, the co-founder of Raglan Food Co.
On a recent visit by some of the Countdown HQ team, Tesh took them to The Raglan Old School Arts Centre kitchen where she and co-founder Seb Walter first began their foodie venture.
They also got to experience a small taste of what Whaingaroa has to offer with a gift of a Westcoast Stoneware keep cup followed by coffees from Raglan Surf Co as part of the walking tour.
“It was exciting to welcome the Countdown team to Raglan, as they’re now our biggest stockist partner in NZ – we are in all their stores nationwide – and it’s the first time they’ve made it down to see the factory and hear the story firsthand. They were impressed with how far we’ve come.”
One of Whaingaroa’s big foodie players, Raglan Food Co started life at the Old School in 2014 as Raglan Coconut Yoghurt.
“We’re really grateful that that option was there in the community because I don’t know how we would have done it otherwise. We originally started off at home and then a couple of weeks after that we ended up hiring the community kitchen. We were in there for nearly a year before moving into our own premises.”
Tesh says food businesses require food safety registration in order to operate and it is hard to get in a domestic kitchen. During their year at the Old School kitchen, they even took out the New Zealand Gourmet Food Award.
Other food businesses have also had their beginnings at the Old School kitchen, from pies and pickles to stroopwafels and falafels, and even the popular Ulos Kitchen found their foodie feet at the Old School.
by Janine Jackson
