The History of Ice Cream in New Zealand

By Chris Newey


1981 - 1990


Timeline: the 80s

1984 - New American Ice Cream launches the legendary Goody Goody Gum Drops ice cream flavour. Other favourite New American flavours from this period included Chocolate Mud and Fish & Chips.

1984 - Cheesemaker Ross McCallum established Kapiti Cheeses (later Kapiti Fine Foods) at the Lindale tourist complex, Paraparaumu, and began producing premium gourmet ice cream.

1985 - Supermodel Rachel Hunter appeared for the first time on television at 16 years of age in an advertisement for Tip Top Trumpet.

Tip Top Trumpet poster, ca., 1991.
- Grocer's Review.




Tip Top Trumpet "VW Beetle" TVC re-run, around 1991.
- Clip Burt - Youtube.

Legend: Tip Top Trumpet TV adverts

One of New Zealand's most famous TV commercials, the 1985 Tip Top Trumpet "VW Beetle" ad', helped launch the career of only just 16 year old Rachel Hunter, soon to become supermodel. It was shot around Matakana and Whangateau, north of Auckland. The "You can't beat a Trumpet" TVC became a Kiwi classic and was recycled by Tip Top several times over the following decades. Trumpet ad's have become a part of Kiwi culture over the years - from the original 1964 Four-in-One, ice cream fun, to Reverend Jones on the slide trombone, to the unforgettable Roger and Fay, to Togs or Undies? Read more about the evolution of the Trumpet ad's...

Rachel Hunter and friends in the famous "VW Beetle" ad.

Original Tip Top FruJu TV advert, 1980s.
- kaynecomms channel, YouTube.

1985 - the first New Zealand Natural Ice Cream premium ice cream parlour opens at Bondi Beach, Sydney.

1985 - 1986 - With the imminent arrival of Closer Economic Relations (CER) with Australia, the NZICA Technical committee became actively involved in the harmonising of NZ and Australian food regulations and standards, in particular to protect the New Zealand industry from the importation of Australian ice cream manufactured to standards that allowed higher overrun (more air) and lower milk solids.

1986 - A 2 litre plastic pack of Tip Top Vanilla Ice Cream was priced at $2.59.

1989 - Tip Top's Johnsonville (Wellington) factory is closed down.

New American Donald Duck wrapper, 1989.
- Steve Williams.

1989 - Extruded ice cream novelty technology arrived, allowing new shapes on sticks - one of the first was Donald Duck, produced by New American Ice Cream.

Cadbury Ice Cream Moro TV advert, 1990.
- DragoonClawNZ1 channel, YouTube.

1990 - Cadbury Ice Cream Moro was launched, produced by New American Ice Cream. This was New Zealand's first branded confectionery bar to be reproduced in ice cream form.

1990 - The first New Zealand Natural franchise ice cream parlour opened.

Legend: New Zealand Natural

New Zealand Natural began as a small ice cream business in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1984 that specialised in ice cream with no artificial colours or flavours. Rael Polivnick, a South African entrepreneur and Australian resident, met the owner on a plane shortly after it opened, and this chance meeting led to him purchasing the Australian rights to the brand, and opening the first New Zealand Natural premium ice cream parlour at Bondi Beach, Sydney in 1985. Polivnick settled on a franchising model as the best way of growing the business, and the first franchised store was opened in 1990. The business was purchased from Polivnick in July 2005 by New Zealand-based Emerald Foods, run by entrepreneur Diane Foreman. In April 2021, Emerald Foods was purchased by Hart family food business Walter & Wild. The Auckland factory produces almost all of the ice cream for the company's franchised network of over 700 branded outlets in 22 countries. Today the brand has diversified to include a range of ice-creams for retail, grocery and foodservice. The ice cream has always been made in New Zealand. " Our ice cream has always been proudly made in New Zealand, using the freshest and purest cream and ingredients." explains Shane Lamont, New Zealand Natural's Managing Director.

Early New Zealand Natural kiosk. - Emerald Foods Group. -