Food innovation key to Hawkins Watts’ evolution
Founded in 1992 by Peter Hawkins, Hawkins Watts began with a simple idea to provide specialty ingredients, backed by technical experts who “truly understand how to use them”. Hawkins also knew that his team needed the right tools, so he invested in a well-equipped in-house laboratory from day one.
“For over 30 years, Hawkins Watts has helped shape some of Australia and New Zealand’s most successful food, beverage, and nutrition products,” says sales manager, Stuart Jones.
He says that with deep technical expertise, a collaborative mindset, and a people-first culture, the company has become a trusted partner to many of the region’s top manufacturers.
“As customer needs evolved, so did the business. It became clear that many ingredient solutions involved clever blends, customised to solve specific processing or formulation challenges. To support this, Hawkins Watts launched value-added manufacturing in 2007,” says Jones.
Jones says this gave customers easy access to custom blends, developed and produced under one roof. The model also laid the foundation for expansion into Australia in the early 2000s.
Today, Hawkins Watts operates across both countries, with offices and laboratories in Auckland and Melbourne. More than half of the team has a technical background, including a chef, baker, along with health and nutrition specialists. “The collaborative approach helps customers streamline processes, solve problems, and bring new ideas to life.”
The company’s expertise spans flavour, texture, colour, and health and nutrition. The latter has become a key focus in recent years, due to the growing demand for solutions targeting gut health, immunity, women’s health, mental wellbeing, and mobility.
Customers are regularly invited to collaborate with the Hawkins Watts research and development team in the company laboratories – equipped with advanced tools like pilot UHT plants, texture analysers, and UV-Vis spectrophotometers.
Custom blends remain a core strength for Hawkins Watts, helping to simplify day-to-day processes for manufacturers. In New Zealand, custom blends are produced at its Brand, Reputation, Compliance Global Standard (BRCGS) certified facility. Recent upgrades to warehousing and manufacturing infrastructure have further improved efficiency and scalability. With warehouses in Auckland, Christchurch, Melbourne, and Brisbane, the company offers flexible logistics and reduced lead times.
“Customers also benefit from access to global market research and insights. The Hawkins Watts team regularly creates bespoke trend reports, concept prototypes, and presentations that help customers stay ahead of consumer expectations and category shifts,” explains Jones.
Quality and food safety are non-negotiables. Hawkins Watts New Zealand currently holds an AA grade Brand, Reputation, Compliance Global Standard (BRCGS) certification, while the Australian unit is HACCP certified. The business endeavours to work with suppliers that are certified to the Global Food Safety Institute (GFSI). Where this is not available, Hawkins Watts applies risk assessment and auditing to the GFSI standards, in order to comply with the BRCGS Certification.
Beyond ingredients, the company also supports food factory sanitation through AWS Group, offering sustainable solutions like Envirolyte electrolysed water technology.
“Despite our growth, Hawkins Watts remains grounded in its people-first culture. It’s our commitment to curiosity, collaboration, and good humour that continues to drive our success – quietly powering innovation across the food and nutrition landscape.”
Sponsored content: For more information phone +64 9 622 2720, email sales@hawkinswatts.com or visit www.hawkinswatts.com.
