On The Up: Mandys Horseradish - artisan success with award-winning flavour in Canterbury

Mandy Steel, of Mandys Horseradish, in Canterbury.

NZME has launched On The Up – a national campaign showcasing amazing stories of inspiration, success, courage and possibilities. Here, Kem Ormond follows the progress of Mandy Steel, the owner of Mandys Horseradish.

Mandy Steel, of Mandys Horseradish, peels, on average, 80kg of horseradish a week, processing it four days a week with a hand peeler.

In fact, she wears out eight quality peelers per year.

She has tried various tumblers, scrubbers, and peeling contraptions to peel her horseradish, but has found that hand peeling gives her the best results.

Even with high-powered fans to extract the fumes and, at one point, wearing goggles, Steel nowadays just gets stuck into the task, tears and all.

Horseradish is classed as a herb, and it looks much like a thin, gnarly parsnip, but oh so much more pungent.

It is 100 times more pungent than the humble brown onion.

Growing horseradish since 2005, there used to be two people (both called Mandy), but now it is down to Mandy Steel with help from her family.

When it comes to producing a true artisan product, this horseradish product is pretty close to hands-on through the entire process.

Three acres of horseradish have been planted near Oxford, Canterbury, where there is good soil, crisp winter frosts and even snow that acts like a natural fertiliser.

Preparing the horseradish is a labour intensive process for Mandy.

The colder the weather, the better.

Plus, balance it with some sizzling summer days and sufficient rainfall, and that is a recipe that horseradish thrives on.

Horseradish takes 12 to 18 months to grow, and then, as it is needed, the leaves are mown and then, using an adapted potato harvester, the tubers are dug and brought to the surface.

For 10 years, Steel grew her own horseradish, but as the business expanded, she now contracts out this process.

Once a week, it is harvested, and once the 20kg has been peeled, it is added to the base sauce and then into jars.

The product is chilled overnight and sent out fresh the next day to the retailer.

In November and December Steel processes seven days a week.

On a busy day, 200 jars will be filled, and on a slower day, 120 jars.

This unaltered traditional process promotes a delicious heat and real flavour, just how horseradish should taste.

This year Mandys Horseradish won the Farro Earth Champion Award at the Outstanding Food Producer Awards 2025, the judges saying: “This product is exactly what it says it is. Hot, sweet, tangy, and textural.”

Mandy’s Horseradish is in selected food stores and butchers in the North and South Island, as well as certain New World supermarkets.

Why not try some on the next roast beef you cook, mix it with some crème fraiche and dollop over some smoked salmon.

Delicious!