For the second year running Hastings table olives and oil producer Telegraph Hill has picked up a golden double at the prestigious Olive Japan International olive oil competition.
And it repeated its success of last year in winning a silver medal too, taking Telegraph Hill's total honours tally to just over 50 since it first won a silver at the 2004 Los Angeles County Fair. It's picked up something at New Zealand and overseas events every year since.
Telegraph Hill scored gold in Japan with its roast garlic infused olive oil and its lemongrass, kaffir lime and chilli infused oil, while picking up the silver for its thyme, sage and rosemary oil.
As Telegraph Hill owner Geoff Crawford said, it had all been going pretty well for a company which started out humbly in a small shed on the grove off Howard Rd back in 2001.
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Advertise with NZME.Mr Crawford was delighted with the latest success because, he said, it reflected well not only on his company but also across the whole New Zealand olive oil industry.
"It's not only good for Telegraph Hill and our export plans for Japan but is further endorsement of the quality of extra virgin olive oil produced in New Zealand."
He was equally delighted at having done so well amidst very strong global medal contenders.
"We may be niche in scale but we punch with the heavyweights in competition."
Mr Crawford said the pressure was now on to make it three golden years in a row as the company planned to enter again next year.
The win was a major boost for Telegraph Hill because it had targeted Japan as its sole export market at this stage.
"The awards are a great endorsement for us there," he said, adding that as a relatively small business the domestic market was the main focus, although there were plans to increase production.
There are also plans to introduce a new olive line - powdered dried olives blended with salt and herbs to create a flavouring condiment.
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Advertise with NZME.The company was now sourcing olives from other groves across the region because it had notched up a 16 per cent production and sales increase over the previous year.
Mr Crawford said Hawke's Bay possessed the largest number of olive trees because the terrain, and particularly the climate, suited the trees so well.
"We are in a great spot - one of the better spots in the country," he said, agreeing that like the Hawke's Bay wine industry the olive oil industry had made a strong international mark.
The country's reputation for quality table olives and their oils was reinforced by another recent international win for two Akaroa-based companies, Robinsons Bay and Old French Road, which won golds at the New York International Olive Oil Competition.
Telegraph Hill's success was notable in that this year's competition in Japan drew the largest number of entries in its six-year history. It received entries from 620 olive oil producers from 25 countries and is seen as the most quality-oriented competition of its kind in the world.
