Leading questions: My Food Bag boss Kevin Bowler on why NZ needs to take climate change 'seriously'

Kevin Bowler. Photo / Supplied

My Food Bag chief executive Kevin Bowler reflects on the year past, looks ahead to what is to come for the subscription meal kit business and shares his thoughts on pressing issues affecting New Zealand.

How would you describe 2019 for your business?

It's been a year of successful innovation. We've launched the My Food Bag 'Made' ready-made range of meals helping Kiwis eat well at home when there's no time or we're simply lacking the energy to cook. It has also been the year that saw the switch from talking about plant-based and vegetarian diets turn into action, with nearly a third of My Food Bag customers going meat-free in the last quarter of the year.

What do you think 2020 will bring?

The big thing for us in 2020 will be choice. We'll be progressively introducing more ways for foodies to choose their favourite recipes and meal styles. This is a big change for My Food Bag and will mean, over the course of the year, many customers will have the option to customise their recipes every week if they choose to. We know that lots of people switch bags on a weekly basis to find the optimum combination of recipes to suit their family; well that'll change when we introduce our answer to 'choice' in the New Year.

Going into an election year, what are the biggest issues the Government needs to solve?

Economic growth fuels better long term quality of life outcomes. A government that believes in economic growth and how it generates jobs, better incomes, better education, better health, and better futures for Kiwi families will simply make better decisions. People gain motivation and personal value from being in paid employment and employers need confidence in the economy to add jobs.

Climate Change and Waste Reduction

We all need to take climate change and waste reduction seriously. It's a big, and sometimes overwhelming issue, but with prioritisation and clear intent, we could all do better.

Take kerb-side recycling as a single, stand-out example – current facilities to recycle vary greatly throughout New Zealand based on local government infrastructure; people are confused as to what can and can't be recycled, and there's a lack of national strategy to increase the availability of alternatives to landfill. A national strategy with budget allocated to increase alternatives to land-fill will not solve all our environmental challenges, but it would be a terrific and highly visible start.

At My Food Bag we're extremely conscious of ways we can reduce packaging and choose recyclable and biodegradable materials to protect and transport our food wherever we can. Among many improvements we made in 2019, we chose to replace frozen gel cool packs with frozen water, massively reducing our impact on landfill. We have more to do and are moving as quickly as we can to do our bit.

A nation-strategy for New Zealand

There has not been a more uncertain post-WW2 period for the New Zealand brand in the world since the UK joined the Common Market in 1973. Brexit and the consequential future of the EU, US protectionism, and US-China relations, dominate daily headlines.

As a small export-dependent nation, we desperately need a centrally coordinated and thoughtful way of standing out to make our living from the world. The New Zealand story, a marketing tool to help the world understand who we are and what we offer, is a strong start and does some great work but more effort and resources are needed to make a difference through what will be difficult and uncertain years.

What was your favourite corporate stoush of the year?

I'm not sure I have a favourite stoush, but one issue I think is vitally important to grapple with maturely is the future of the Auckland waterfront. There's no question that re-claiming all or some of the waterfront for Aucklanders is the right thing to achieve long term, but the alternative options for port operations are far from as certain. We can't let the debate run and run, at some point leadership is required to make a decision and start the long journey.

What should be un-invented in 2020?

I think it's time we were all done with the selfie. It was fun for a while, but enough is enough.

What do you want to fix in 2020?

I'd like to fix the so-called generation conflict. Millennials, Gen-Xers, Boomers, etc, if we tap into our collective skills and experience, by working together, we'll achieve much more than playing unhelpful blame games.

What was your first job?

My first real job was pumping gas at a neighbourhood garage and service station in Hamilton East. This job went a long way towards funding my university studies and gave me a taste of being in retail and dealing with the public. It was also a great place to get help keeping my '71 Falcon running.

What was your worst job?

Probably bagging potatoes as a student, being paid on a per kg rate, with a sack around my neck all day in the hot peaty Waikato soil. The good thing was it resulted in me being very focused on succeeding with my studies.

If you could change one thing about the workplace what would it be?

That's a hard one because at My Food Bag I think we have a pretty fantastic workplace. One thing that's still a work in progress for us is being more flexible with office hours to accommodate different lifestyles, family commitments and commuting challenges. We're moving towards putting less stock in '9-to-5', and more in results, and it's a journey we're committed to.