Three Southland businesses are in the spotlight as finalists for the inaugural Local Food Champion Award, a new category in the 2025 Southland Business Excellence Awards.

Announced by Healthy Families Invercargill in partnership with the Southland Business Chamber, the award celebrates businesses leading the charge toward a stronger, more resilient local food system.

The finalists are:

• Hayz At The Anchorage
• KiwiHarvest Invercargill
• The Pantry

Healthy Families Invercargill General Manager Wendy Findlay said the calibre of nominations showed just how much momentum there is behind the region’s food movement.

“We were inspired by the local businesses stepping up to make good food more available, more accessible, and more sustainable."

"This award reflects the wider shift we are seeing – where businesses aren’t just feeding customers, they’re helping feed community wellbeing,” she said.

The award is underpinned by the Feeding Murihiku: Good Food Road Map, a community-led strategy to transform Southland’s food system through five key pou: Whakanui Murihiku (Celebrate Southland), Nā Tātou (Locally Led), Hei Oranga (Food that Nourishes), Kore Hiakai (Zero Hunger), and Pakari Tonu (Resilience).

The winner will be revealed at the Southland Business Excellence Awards Gala on Friday, 19 September 2025, at the Ascot Park Hotel.