James & Wells is the ‘Champion of Innovation’ in the food and beverage sector, so being involved in the New Zealand Food Awards is a natural fit. James & Wells is a specialised intellectual property firm with a wealth of experience in New Zealand and international intellectual property law. Internationally and locally recognised as leaders in its field, James & Wells has built a team of intellectual property experts who are also business strategists, scientists, engineers, accountants, lawyers and commercialisation specialists.
The James & Wells Business Innovation category will be looking for businesses who use intellectual property to leverage innovation, who can show that they are constantly adapting to what the market and their customers want, and who are working hard to retain the best people in the industry. The category will reward businesses which really think about what their point of difference in the market is, and how it has been used to grow their business
“As a consumer and a parent, I see increasing focus on nutrition, and on convenience,” said Dr John Mansell, Senior Associate and Member of James & Wells Food and Beverage Innovation Team. “High value foods and smart foods that provide improved nutrition and health benefits, have improved or novel taste or mouthfeel, and are of high quality, will continue to grow as a segment.”
“There is increasing demand for products that provide healthy alternatives, or include ingredients and natural extracts that are associated with healthy living or with New Zealand’s clean, green, image. Consumers are also targeting foods and packaging that provide improved convenience, for example smaller pack sizes, single servings, and resealable packages, to allow healthy snacking.”
