Judi Ashby and her business partner Jean are the picklers behind Pa Hill Produce – a range of New Zealand chutneys, jams, sauces and peanut butters.
A selection of chutneys from Pa Hill Produce Photo: Pa Hill Produce
Judi, Jean and Jean's husband Clive live on a lifestyle block on the Firth of Thames.
Apart from Argentinian peanuts, everything that goes into their products is grown in New Zealand, including berries from Gisbourne and cherries from Cromwell.
Pa Hill Produce began with a golden kiwi fruit chutney Judi and Jean made to accompany steak.
Then the pair started scouring old recipe books for other classics.
Now every day for two and a half years they've been preparing and boiling up fruit.
Pa Hill's rich tamarillo chutney is very popular, Judi says, and good with meats or on a cheese platter
The capsicum sauce – time-consuming to make because of all the grilling and peeling – is so tasty Judi has it on her morning toast.
Of their peanut butter range, the cajun peanut butter – made with spices from a small business in Tauranga – is probably the most popular, Judi says.
She also uses this in a batter for fried chicken.
To spread the word, Judi and Jean take Pa Hill products to every farmer's market and food show the can get to.
"We have to be out there for people to taste it and it seems to be successful," Judi says.
She's "not into supermarkets much" and would rather we all support small businesses directly.
"I like to be out there showing people that you don't have to go to the supermarket to find something nice to eat."
