Our Story
In 2003, our family moved to Waitaki Orchards in the Waitaki Valley, North Otago, NZ. Using fruit that we have grown, the ten of us have worked together to craft a range of fruit products, made in our onsite kitchen. We hope you enjoy our creations and come back for seconds. (and thirds!)
- A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J & J Watt
- A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J & J Watt
The story above can be found on the packaging of most of our product range, but it is only a brief summary. Our family has worked together to create an outlet aimed to reduce fruit waste.
If fruit is marked or soft, it is rejected from supermarkets as a fresh product. This means that weather events such as rain, hail, or wind are detrimental to a fruit crop. Apricots are particularly susceptible to these weather extremes. Our crop can become severely damaged in minutes.
Rather than contribute to the large amount of food wastage, our family wanted to do something with the fruit we could not sell.
Why not turn it into desserts?
We love desserts, especially fruit ones. Growing up, family birthdays would involve at least four different kinds of desserts. This introduced us to one of life’s greatest pleasures: dessert for breakfast.
Our initial product research involved purchasing and sampling every fruit-based dessert available in the supermarkets. Once we had woken up from our sugar-coma, we set to work establishing a commercial kitchen on our orchard. No-one will ever forget the day we poured the concrete for the freezer floor, finishing up at 2:30am on Christmas morning.
With the renovations complete, and our kitchen kitted out with second-hand equipment from up and down the country (Thank you, Trademe), we froze damaged fruit in the summer to turn into desserts during the cold winter months.
Then came the fun stuff: product testing.
More specifically, taste testing.
Our final recipes are updated versions of our childhood favourites. Packed full of fruit and uncompromising on taste, we have created a range of homestyle desserts big enough to feed a family (or anyone keen on decent helpings). Our desserts are made with real butter, and the kind of ingredients that you’ll find in your own pantry at home.
Waitaki Orchards: Bringing you the taste of summerfruit all year round. We hope you enjoy our products as much as we do.
If fruit is marked or soft, it is rejected from supermarkets as a fresh product. This means that weather events such as rain, hail, or wind are detrimental to a fruit crop. Apricots are particularly susceptible to these weather extremes. Our crop can become severely damaged in minutes.
Rather than contribute to the large amount of food wastage, our family wanted to do something with the fruit we could not sell.
Why not turn it into desserts?
We love desserts, especially fruit ones. Growing up, family birthdays would involve at least four different kinds of desserts. This introduced us to one of life’s greatest pleasures: dessert for breakfast.
Our initial product research involved purchasing and sampling every fruit-based dessert available in the supermarkets. Once we had woken up from our sugar-coma, we set to work establishing a commercial kitchen on our orchard. No-one will ever forget the day we poured the concrete for the freezer floor, finishing up at 2:30am on Christmas morning.
With the renovations complete, and our kitchen kitted out with second-hand equipment from up and down the country (Thank you, Trademe), we froze damaged fruit in the summer to turn into desserts during the cold winter months.
Then came the fun stuff: product testing.
More specifically, taste testing.
Our final recipes are updated versions of our childhood favourites. Packed full of fruit and uncompromising on taste, we have created a range of homestyle desserts big enough to feed a family (or anyone keen on decent helpings). Our desserts are made with real butter, and the kind of ingredients that you’ll find in your own pantry at home.
Waitaki Orchards: Bringing you the taste of summerfruit all year round. We hope you enjoy our products as much as we do.
Road Side Stall Opening Hours
Our roadside stall is closed for the winter.
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
Closed
Friday
Closed
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
5221 Kurow-Duntroon Road
Visit us on Facebook! Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with what's happening on the orchard and in the bakery.
