Back Country Foods Export forum BA5 November Tuesday 23rd 2004
The Southland Export Forum co-hosted November’s Business After 5
with Back Country Foods on Tuesday 23 November, 2004. Thirty
members made the most of the opportunity to see first hand what
goes on behind the grey, corrugated iron walls of the Freeze-Dri
factory, on the corner of Rockdale Road and Onslow Streets.
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Arthur and Shirley Ballantyne first began Back Country Foods in
July 1998 after Alliance Freezing Works decided to drop their
freeze -dri operation and both Arthur and Shirley were made
redundant. Seizing the opportunity to be self-employed and
believing in the potential of future development of the product,
they, along with the help of Invest South, began the business of
making a ‘business’ from the Freeze Dri concept.
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In the freeze drying process, crystals of frozen ice in the food
are sublimed (evaporated) to water vapour in a vacuum chamber. The
result is a completely dry product that does not shrink during the
drying process. When prepared for eating, (just add boiling water
and stand for 10 minutes) the water quickly gets into the pores
left by the ice crystals to give a juicy, tender food product. The
food is then packed and heat-sealed into foil pouches from which
all air has been removed and replaced with nitrogen gas. This keeps
the food safe and flavoursome for at least three years without the
need for preservatives.
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Back-Country Cuisine have a product range that includes; Beef
and Pasta Hotpot, Beef Teriyaki, Classic Beef Curry, Spaghetti
Bolognaise, Babotjie, Roast Lamb and Vegetables, Sweet and Sour
Lamb, Fish Pie, Honey Soy Chicken.....the list goes on and on. In
fact, if you were planning to go bush for two weeks, you could have
a different meal each day of the week. The range also offers
breakfasts, desserts and meal compliments such as instant rice,
potatoes, vegetables etc. Arthur prepared for the guests a pot of
‘Thai Chicken Curry’. The meal was extremely delicious and not at
all like the old style dehydrated food remembered from years back.
The Thai Chicken Curry still retained the colours, flavours and
also essential vitamins and minerals of a meal prepared fresh. The
Thai certainly proved to be popular with the guests present and it
wasn’t long before the pot was empty.
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