Paudin Knives Shine at the 2024 Auckland Food Show

Written by the Paudin team, July 31 2025 (Auckland)

New Zealand’s largest food and wine event returned to the Auckland Showgrounds from 25 to 28 July 2024, transforming the venue into a paradise for foodies. The Auckland Food Show stretches across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and invites visitors to wander aisles brimming with tantalising flavours, show‑stopping specials and home‑grown produce naumihotels.com. Live cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs inspire home cooks with hot recipes and insider tips naumihotels.com, making it an unmissable event for anyone who loves food naumihotels.com. According to 2020 statistics from organiser XPO Exhibitions, the show attracted over 25,682 visitors, hosted 242 standsand generated around NZ$ 5.8 million in consumer spend hub.xpo.co.nz—with more than 96 % of visitors purchasing products and 78 % planning to return hub.xpo.co.nz. That scale makes it an incredible platform for brands and a feast for visitors.

Joining Beef + Lamb Meat Street

For the 2024 Auckland edition we were thrilled to secure a space in the Beef + Lamb Meat Street zone. This special area celebrated carnivorous cravings with barbecues, bangers, ribs and rubs, featuring the finest meats alongside cooking techniques and demonstrations foodshow.co.nz. Our Paudin Knives stand (L30) shared the zone with other meat‑centric exhibitors such as BBQ, Butcher, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Harmony, Rum & Que, Taste Lab, Wild West Gourmet and Zaroa Meats foodshow.co.nz.

For readers who may not be familiar with our story, Paudin is a leading international knife brand on Amazon, and Trading Pieces holds the exclusive distribution agreement for the New Zealand market. That means Kiwi food lovers can only find the full Paudin range through Trading Pieces and its retail partners. The Food Show was therefore a rare chance for consumers to handle our knives in person and see why they’re loved by chefs and home cooks overseas.

One of the standout neighbours in Meat Street was BBQ Butcher, a small local business that sources Kilcoy products such as Carrara 640 Wagyu and Ebony Black Angus and supplies them exclusively in New Zealand. Carrara 640 Wagyu is an award‑winning beef that displays characteristic marbling, buttery texture and intense flavour thanks to grain feeding and first‑class genetics bbqbutcher.co.nz. BBQ Butcher’s butchery workshops and live demonstrations drew meat lovers all weekend, and their beef showcase illustrated why Wagyu is considered the Ferrari of steaks bbqbutcher.co.nz.

Being surrounded by such a vibrant lineup meant constant foot traffic and a steady stream of hungry and curious visitors. Our team demonstrated the sharpness and control of Paudin knives by slicing through steaks, vegetables and herbs with ease. Visitors commented on the comfortable, ergonomic handles and many appreciated the show‑only specials we offered. By the end of the weekend we had sold out of some popular models and recorded our best sales at a Food Show to date. We were delighted to see professional chefs, home cooks and families alike choosing our knives and sharing stories of how they’ll use them at home.

Exploring the Show: Standouts & Tasty Discoveries

One of the joys of exhibiting at the Food Show is exploring the diversity of other stands during quiet moments. This year’s event was billed as the ultimate destination for food lovers, showcasing gourmet delicacies, artisan treats, cutting‑edge kitchen gadgets and health‑conscious options supermarketnews.co.nz. Here are a few highlights that caught our eye:

• BBQ Butcher prioritised meat lovers with a showcase of premium Carrara 640 Wagyu and Ebony Angus. The local business supplies Kilcoy products exclusively in New Zealand and runs workshops that teach butchery and BBQ skills bbqbutcher.co.nz Their award‑winning Wagyu, known for its marbling and buttery flavour, drew huge crowds.

• Alliance Trading (Stand G32) kept visitors’ taste buds buzzing with Be Right coconut rolls (vegan and gluten‑free) and Well Naturally sugar‑free chocolate, plus BC Protein bars—perfect guilt‑free treatssupermarketnews.co.nz. They even handed out reusable bags for show purchasessupermarketnews.co.nz.

• Lewis Road Creamery showcased its luxurious New Zealand‑made butter, including award‑winning Garlic & Parsley and 10 Star salted butter, as well as its famous chocolate milksupermarketnews.co.nz. Their stand was packed with fans sampling the new Raspberry Lamington flavoured milksupermarketnews.co.nz.

• Macy & Tailor teased a range of new pressed‑pretzel products, giving attendees a sneak preview before their September releasesupermarketnews.co.nz.

• Nutritious Foods proudly introduced Sunny Hill Kumara Fries and Wedges, celebrating the kiwi kumara as one of the most nutritious vegetablessupermarketnews.co.nz.

• OH Bubbles promoted the ALLFIZZ sparkling drink maker, demonstrating how it can carbonate water, juice, wine or even cocktails and emphasising the company’s commitment to eco‑friendly practicessupermarketnews.co.nz.

• Rum & Que, our neighbours on Meat Street, offered beer‑inspired barbeque rubs. Their journey from hobbyists at the 2017 Meatstock competition to a family‑run business resonated with many visitorssupermarketnews.co.nz.

• Wild Chef shared chef‑quality convenience foods like hash browns and hash sticks, bringing their Wellington‑made products to home cookssupermarketnews.co.nz.

Walking through the show you could also sample coffee, artisanal cheeses, sauces, kombucha, plant‑based snacks and more. The Naumi Hotels guide described the Food Show as a culinary extravaganza where visitors explore aisles of flavours, watch live cooking demonstrations and discover home‑grown produce naumihotels.com, and that was exactly how it felt.

The Visitor Experience

What makes The Food Show such a great platform for a knife company is the way it brings together buyers who are there to taste, learn and shop. Past visitor surveys show that 96 % of attendees buy products at the show and that most are returning visitors hub.xpo.co.nz—so people arrive prepared to discover and purchase. There are also cooking theatres and masterclasses where celebrity chefs share tips, and areas like the Whirlpool Cooking Theatre invite guests to watch recipes demonstrated live skystadium.co.nz. The result is an engaged audience who appreciates quality tools.

Throughout the four‑day event we spoke with passionate home bakers, young couples equipping their first kitchens, seasoned pitmasters looking for a reliable slicing knife and even professional chefs. Many told us they’ve been attending the Food Show for years because it’s where they can meet producers face‑to‑face, sample new products and pick up show specials. We were humbled by their feedback and thrilled that so many chose Paudin to be part of their kitchen.

Looking Ahead

The 2024 Auckland Food Show reaffirmed why we love participating in this event. It combines the buzz of a market, the inspiration of a cooking school and the excitement of a trade show. Our team is grateful for the opportunity to showcase our knives alongside so many innovative Kiwi producers and to meet thousands of enthusiastic visitors. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand, shared a story or took a knife home—we can’t wait to see you again next year!

Keep an eye on Paudin.nz for more stories, recipes and upcoming events.