{"id":622903,"date":"2026-10-07T03:44:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T03:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/622903\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T03:44:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T03:44:12","slug":"behind-the-pams-brand-theres-a-whole-lot-of-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/622903\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Pams brand, there\u2019s a whole lot of New Zealand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0 fssi:text-center\">Foodstuffs Own Brands Head of Product and Development Melissa Steffenson<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Shoppers may be surprised to know that more than 70% of Pams sales come from products made in or sourced from New Zealand, supporting over 180 Kiwi suppliers across the country. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Pams works with a range of local growers and food processors, manufacturers and family-owned businesses, to produce products for households around the country. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Value-focused supermarket brands are often assumed to be primarily imported, but by sales volume, more than 70% of Pams products are made in or sourced from New Zealand.* &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Pams is Foodstuffs\u2019 own brand and part of the 100% New Zealand-owned co-operatives behind New World, PAK\u2019nSAVE and Four Square. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">The brand has been around since 1937, when its first product was baking powder. Today, Pams is known as the most popular brand in the land, with more than 2,500 Pams products across stores nationwide, from butter, milk and bread to fresh produce, sauces and household essentials. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">\u201cWe work with over 180 Kiwi suppliers to develop, source and produce products our customers love to shop,\u201d says Lisa Oldershaw, Foodstuffs Own Brands General Manager.  &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">\u201cMany of these relationships have been built over years. They\u2019re partnerships that help us deliver great quality, good value and reliability our customers expect, while supporting businesses and communities across New Zealand.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Springbrook_Managing_Director_Jacob_Johnson.png\" alt=\"Springbrook_Managing_Director_Jacob_Johnson.png\" class=\"fssi:w-full\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0 fssi:text-center\">Springbrook Managing Director Jacob Johnson<\/p>\n<p>Local businesses behind the label &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">In Palmerston North, supplier Morgan Laurenson produces Pams salad bags and mixes, as well as potatoes, carrots and onions. The business works with growers around the country, with fresh produce arriving at its facility six days a week. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">The company credits its own brand business with much of its recent growth and was named Foodstuffs\u2019 Own Brands Supplier of the Year for 2026. Despite this, it still describes itself as a \u201clittle humble potato company.\u201d &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">In \u014ctaki, Dowco has been manufacturing cleaning products for Pams for almost 30 years. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">\u201cFoodstuffs was one of my first real customers,\u201d says Richard Downer, Managing Director of Dowco. \u201cThe relationship started when I went to visit them, just trying to sell my wares. It was good timing and a little bit of good luck.\u201d &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Today, Dowco produces Pams cleaning products and is exploring ways to incorporate recycled New Zealand kerbside plastic into its packaging. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Dowco_Managing_Director_Richard_Downer.png\" alt=\"Dowco_Managing_Director_Richard_Downer.png\" class=\"fssi:w-full\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0 fssi:text-center\">Dowco Managing Director Richard Downer<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">In Blenheim, family-owned Springbrook Foods makes around 20 Pams products, including simmer sauces and crushed garlic, ginger and chilli. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Managing Director Jacob Johnson says the business began as a family fruit and vegetable growing operation before moving into garlic processing and then condiments and simmer sauces. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">\u201cMaking sure the consumer gets a great product at a great price is a shared vision for both Foodstuffs and Springbrook,\u201d says Johnson.  &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">\u201cWhenever we can source locally, we do,\u201d Oldershaw says. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">For suppliers, working with an established own brand programme can provide access to a level of scale that would take years to build independently. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">That scale can support investment in equipment, increased production, new product development and sustainability initiatives. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">\u201cThe relationship works both ways,\u201d Oldershaw says. \u201cSuppliers bring local expertise and manufacturing capability, while the scale of the supermarket network can provide a more consistent market for their products.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/PAK_nSAVE_Palmerston_North_produce_manager_Rob_Sharland_Morgan_Laurenson_Managing_Director_Bill_Fost.png\" alt=\"PAK_nSAVE_Palmerston_North_produce_manager_Rob_Sharland_Morgan_Laurenson_Managing_Director_Bill_Foster.png\" class=\"fssi:w-full\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0 fssi:text-center\">PAK&#8217;nSAVE Palmerston North produce manager Rob Sharland + Morgan Laurenson Managing Director Bill Foster<\/p>\n<p>Local first, where it makes sense &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Not everything sold under the Pams brand is made in New Zealand. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Around 29% of Pams own brand sales come from overseas suppliers. Most of that, around 26%, is for products that can\u2019t be produced here, such as rice and pasta. The remaining 3% is sourced offshore where there is a better combination of value, quality, availability, and consistent supply volumes. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Some products aren\u2019t grown here, some are made more efficiently overseas, and others are best sourced from places with generations of expertise. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">The goal is to support New Zealand production wherever it makes sense, while giving shoppers access to quality products at a price they can afford. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">\u201cAs locally owned co-operatives, we have a strong connection to the communities our stores serve,\u201d says Oldershaw. \u201cBacking Kiwi growers, makers and manufacturers is part of that. Where we can support local production, we do.\u201d &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">The businesses behind Pams may not have their names on the front of the packet, but their products are being made in farms, factories and processing plants across New Zealand, and finding their way into Kiwi shopping trolleys every week. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Pams is more than a brand on the shelf. Behind it is a network of New Zealand businesses working together to deliver quality and value to Kiwi shoppers. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">That\u2019s the power of being local and backing local. &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">___________________________ &#13;<\/p>\n<p class=\"fssi:m-0 fssi:font-sans fssi:text-p2 fssi:font-normal fssi:my-16 fssi:first:mt-0 fssi:last:mb-0\">Data source: Foodstuffs Blender and\/or Regional SAP data as at April 2026 (prior 12-month sales). Figures rounded to the nearest whole number. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Foodstuffs Own Brands Head of Product and Development Melissa Steffenson Shoppers may be surprised to know that more&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":622904,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-622903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=622903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/622903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/622904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=622903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=622903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=622903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}