Hey team! Tell us a bit about yourselves -
Our wonderful team is a collective unit based primarily in Wellington where our headquarters and factory processes reside. Comprised of a group of like minded nut butter lovers, we have nearly 30 staff in our headquarters working together to keep the F&F procedures running as smoothly (or crunchy if you prefer) as possible. We are a living wage accredited business as we firmly believe and understand the value of our team in making our company what it is. In addition to this we were recently the first New Zealand operated food manufacturers to be awarded ‘B Corp certification’; a rigorous and holistic assessment of sustainability and operation ethics which signifies our commitment to conscientious, caring practices across all stages of production.
Where did this all begin?
It all began when Andrea and Roman left behind the corporate lifestyle and started making hand crafted peanut butter. Initially selling through local farmers markets in Wellington back in 2013 right before the birth of their first child, the jars were a success and thus the nut butter lovin spread and took off into what we now know as ‘Fix and Fogg’. Andrea and Roman built F&F carried by their passion for sustainability and community; what better way to connect than through rad nut butters!
To those who have been living under a rock, how would you best describe what Fix and Fogg is?
‘Fix and Fogg’ is a Wellington based artisan nut butter manufacturing company with an eye for both simplicity and speciality. We offer an array of flavour combinations; some classic, others innovative; but something for everyone all the same.
Such a cool name! Where did this come from?
Our groovy name was drawn from the 1873 Adventure novel ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ by Jules Verne; particularly two characters known as Phileas Fogg and Detective Fix. In an ode to the adventures of Fix and Fogg, much like this intrepid pair, Andrea and Roman chose the name and endeavoured to make the company their own exciting journey.
What does quality + low waste mean to F & F?
A core part of our business is prioritising quality ingredients and sustainable practices. To us this means selecting the finest ingredients which simultaneously have a positive impact on the environment and its communities. Additionally we aim to minimise waste through initiatives like our charity ‘lucky dip’ butters; created using the butter remnants from the end of production and bottled up in refurbished jars returned by our lovely customers to our Wellington store.
Tell us about your process for coming up with new flavours -
Flavour experimentation is one of our favourite activities and we’re constantly trying to bring new things to the table for our devoted F&F fans. Similar to any eureka moment, our best creations have come about when we least expect them. For example our ‘Everything Butter’ was coined by our COO Thom when making his PB toast in the staff room. He’d always sprinkle loads of different seeds on top and one day exclaimed “I just wanna put everything on there!” It’s been our best seller ever since.
Getting into supermarkets is such an awesome achievement, how did that all come about?
In the very early days, jars in hand, Roman would visit Wellington supermarkets eager to pitch for shelf space. Initially close friends and family would buy up a storm to help secure F&F’s spot. Being so delicious it was only a matter of time before the peanut butter gained momentum of its own. We’ve come a long way and are now stoked to be widely available across NZ supermarkets.
You are distributing the most delicious Peanut Butters internationally, how has this gone? Has this up-scaled the business?
Venturing into the global market has been a challenging and exciting opportunity, especially as a Kiwi business. Over the past few years we have successfully navigated exporting to Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and now the United States. Just this year in Houston, Texas we opened a nut butter manufacturing site to replicate our recipes as well as a window, like our original Eva Street setup, where you can drop in and grab a slice of F&F off of Danny and Blake. Expanding internationally has had its hiccups but our reception from overseas markets has been more than encouraging! We are excited to see what the next chapters of our journey will look like.
Any new/ upcoming things to get excited about?
I'm glad you asked because we have quite a few new and exciting things on the go! We have just opened our first toast window in Newmarket, Auckland. The little hole in the wall is home to our delicious range of nut butters and toast creations. We also just released a brand new product, Granola Butter- a beautifully balanced butter made with toasted South Island oats, cashew nuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and peanuts. Basically, breakfast in a jar, and totes spoon-worthy!
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https://www.instagram.com/fixandfogg/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/fixandfogg
Website:
Edited by Kate Broadley:
kjmb-259@hotmail.com