Fitness Journal October 2016

Walking the talk
When Nick Moore was training for the Lake Taupo Cycle
Challenge, he had all the pedal power he needed, but struggled
to find the right fuel for his engine. Enter Kiwi ingenuity and a
business plan with his partner Wendy McGregor.
The couple joined forces to brainstorm
with the goal of creating
a range of nutritious pre-made
meals aimed at athletes. And
within a year they launched Plate Me,
an impressive collection of three meals
already finding fans in the sporting community.
The pair share a love of health and
wellbeing and with some expert nutritional
input have crafted their range of
easy meals, free of artificial colours and
preservatives.
As a keen cyclist, Nick was fed up with
some of the sawdust flavoured offerings
of sports snacks and meals, and determined
to do better.
The Cambridge-based pair enlisted the
help of leading sports nutritionist who
works closely with elite athletes. Then
came the task of sourcing quality ingredients
and the couple were thrilled to discover
Waikato-owned Chef Ready Meats
that could supply quality farm fresh beef,
lamb and chicken.
Having spent months developing
unique, delicious and nutritious premade
meals with an 18-month shelf life,
Plate Me was officially launched last
month and Wendy and Nick say they are
already blown away by early demand for
the meals.
“During our product validation phase,
we were contacted by high profile sportspeople
wanting to get their hands on bulk
meals,” says Nick.
“There were other products on the
market, but none that were shelf-stable
and nutritionally correct. We identified
a gap in the market for convenient and
healthy food for busy people,” he says.
“People often associate packet food with
being unhealthy, which is usually the
case, so we are so excited to offer an option
that is truly nutritionally clean.”
Rugby coach Wayne Smith is a supporter
of Plate Me Nutrition meals.
“I was really impressed at the quality
and taste,” he says. “I thought the portion
sizes were huge, and it seemed to be
good value for money. Nutritionally, it’s
spot on – lots of antioxidant rich foods,
with good farm fresh meat and healthy
vegetables – just what you need to fuel
your body so it can perform on the sports
field, out on a run or at the gym. The
Turkish lamb was my favourite, it had
really good flavour – the meat was moist
and the spices were just right. I’d definitely
recommend Plate Me to my players
and other athletes. It’s something convenient
you can take with you to training or
when travelling.”
The product is already attracting attention
from businesses nationwide wanting
to partner and stock the products in hotels,
travel vans, sporting stores and gyms.
It’s these markets that have Wendy
and Nick excited about the huge growth
potential and global reach.
“We are in the early stages and are
looking to grow market share in New
Zealand with a long-term strategy to
launch into countries such as Australia,
China and the UK,” says Wendy.
At their Cambridge base, they are surrounded
by sporting champions, including
elite cyclists and Olympic medal rowers.
“Our obvious target market is up-andcoming
athletes and corporate athletes
training for events.”
However, the product’s unique
18-month shelf life, and the fact that it
doesn’t require refrigeration, has widened
their market potential drastically.
“Tourists and campers are just a few
examples of people who we believe will
benefit from this healthy pre-made meal
option,” says Wendy.
The product range consists of three
meals designed by leading sports performance
nutritionists: Beef Superfood Casserole,
Bye Bye Chicken Thai, and Train to
Gain Turkish Lamb. Brown rice and chia
accompany each meal.
Plateme.co.nz •
Sporting background?
Nick has played many sports over
the years. His passions are rugby and
cycling and was actively playing rugby
until two years ago after injuring his
ACL.
Wendy has been a member of a gym
for many years. She enjoys walking her
dogs around the Cambridge lake and
also loves the Waikato River Trails near
Arapuni.
Both Wendy and Nick are going
through the accreditation coaching
process to be able to ride at the
velodrome in Cambridge.
What prompted you to take this from
a ‘dream’ to reality?
In 2015 Wendy decided to take
voluntary redundancy from her
corporate career and take the step in
getting their Plate Me dream off the
ground.
What was the greatest challenge?
The greatest challenge has been
getting the message out there that
our food is made with the best fresh
ingredients and retains it shelf life due
to the cooking process and NOT due
About Plate Me
to added preservatives or nasties. Also
finding great companies willing to
give start up business a go has been a
challenge.
What are you most proud of?
The product. We eat it ourselves and
love to see others enjoying our meals.
What three things would people be
surprised to know about you both?
- Nick is a trained commercial pilot and
Wendy is terrified of flying.
- Nick and Wendy are both Waikato
University graduates and have worked
together in the dairy industry for many
years.
- Wendy loves to design and make
custom cakes for friends and family and
Nick quite likes to eat them!
What are your future plans for the
business?
We have other recipes, including
vegetarian options, we are currently
working through and hoping to launch
in the next few months. We have many
other ideas around convenient nutrition
to explore as well - so watch this space.
Also as our food is export quality we
look forward to expanding into the
Australia and UK sports markets.
Cook up a feast
We love nothing more than exploring new taste
sensations and these latest book releases are
packed with flavour and inspiration.
Scrumptious,
by Chelsea Winter
Random House NZ, $50
Since becoming a favourite on MasterChef
NZ, Chelsea Winter has continued to attract a
massive following, particularly on social media.
Scrumptious is her fourth book (yes really) and
has been eagerly awaited by many. From her
tempting snickerdoodle recipe through to a
chapter on Christmas treats for those who like
to prepare early, her warm and down to earth
personality is shared through a series of family
photos dotted throughout. Treat yourself and your
family to a scrumptious treat.
IMA Cuisine
(An Israeli Mother’s Kitchen)
by Yael Shochat with David Cogen
Random House NZ,$55
The flavours, spices and ingredients which
represent a culture are brought to life within the
pages of IMA Cuisine. From the opening recipe of
Shakshuka as a spicy alternative to eggs benedict,
blintzes instead of pancakes, latkes instead of
hash browns; treat your palate to a taste explosion
and discover herb and spice combinations to
change the way you cook. From the childhood and
mind of Auckland restaurateur Yael Shochat, this
tasty book is packed with her favourite Israeli and
Middle Eastern recipes.
32 FITNESS JOURNAL OCTOBER 2016
www.fitnessjournal.co.nz