Artisan pasta-makers Monty and Jess Petrie of Monty & Sons.
Artisan pasta-makers Monty and Jess Petrie of Monty & Sons.
A South Wairarapa couple making slow, small-batch pasta from locally grown wheat has earned national recognition.
Monty and Jess Petrie, of Monty & Sons, were named the 2026 Leefield Station Supreme Champion for their radiatori pasta at the Outstanding Food Producer Awards.
The Petries received their award in front ofnearly 200 guests at the Champions Party in Auckland last night.
Head judge Peter Gordon said the choice was clear.
“It all came down to something simple – how it tasted," he said.
“Monty & Sons radiatori has a delicious nuttiness, is easily digested, and comes with a fantastic light ‘chew’.”
Founded by the Petries, Monty & Sons was born from Monty’s disillusion with large-scale industrial farming.
The couple launched an artisan pasta brand prioritising regenerative agriculture and soil health, motivated by a desire to provide honest food for their two sons.
They work with the Wairarapa Grains Collective, a group of farmers from the region who grow ancient durum wheat.
Gordon said judges noted this came through in the finished product.
“Most of the pasta’s character comes from the Wairarapa Grains Collective durum wheat, which is grown with regenerative farming practices.”
After starting as a boutique operation supplying subscription boxes and refilleries, Monty & Sons ticked up a gear at the beginning of this year, supplying Moore Wilsons, Farro and specialty retailers across New Zealand.
Their production process remains intentionally slow, using traditional bronze extruders to create a sauce-gripping pasta texture and air-drying the shapes for up to 24 hours.
