Ice cream saga

But missing from the prestigious competition this year is Tip Top Ice Cream. Formerly owned by Fonterra and now owned by Froneri – a joint venture between PAI Partners and Nestle – Tip Top has been prominent on the winners’ list of past years.

With Tip Top not entering the awards this year, Milking It wonders if relationships in the NZ ice cream sector have either gone cold or frozen.

Meanwhile, an esteemed panel of 20 food judges, led by new chief judge Geoff Scott, had the arduous task of evaluating, aka tasting, 233 entries with meticulous attention to detail in late July. After careful deliberation, 169 medals were awarded. Among these, an impressive 60 Gold Medals, 66 Silver Medals, and 44 Bronze Medals were awarded.