A farmer-owned food company's clever online appeal to tempt Virgin Australia to serve its meat in-flight has been successful.
The team at Hinterland Foods in Taihape created an inventive video showcasing the farm and rural New Zealand life.
Director of Hinterland Foods Tom Wells told The Country Early Edition's Rowena Duncum that the team are "thrilled," and he sees it as a win for New Zealand's rural communities.
"It's never been about just us. We've always wanted to involve the community and people we know that do a great job out there. That's what we're all about."
Listen below:
Keeping up with the community theme, Wells says when Virgin Australia executives came to visit the farm, the invite went out to family and friends who farm in the district.
"We put on a big lunch and [the] Virgin Australia executives came over and we did a farm tour, [they] met the dogs, met some stock. We did some mustering and showcased our farm and while lunch was being served one of the executives announced [the win] to the group, and it was a nice surprise to everyone."
"It's been a rollercoaster of emotions the last three weeks ... we never really thought we'd be in with a shot. We just gave it a good crack and it just shows it's a real win for the small businesses and rural communities I think."
There's no time to bask in the glory of the win though as Wells reveals, "it's non-stop work from now."