Producing 100,000 hot dogs a day and expansion into Australia and the Pacific is on the cards for Christchurch’s Golden Goose Foods as it completes a multi-million-dollar upgrade and moves into a new factory triple the size of its current facility.
Golden Goose makes Howler Hotdogs – a family-owned business reinventing the humble hotdog. Since 2021, its sales have doubled as demand for its premium hot dogs surged in supermarkets and the food service sector. Also catering for special dietary needs, its award-winning vegan hot dog has provided consumers with plant-based alternatives.
Howler’s gluten-free hot dogs have already attracted a following from Australian coeliacs despite not being available across the Tasman yet. Founder Jo Williamson says they hope to begin exporting in the second quarter of 2024.
“Our multi-million-dollar upgrade means increasing our capacity to meet local and international demand. We’re working with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to get ready to enter Australia, and we’re developing a good understanding of what the market requires and how to ‘show up’ there,” she says.
Williamson says they’ve been looking for a new factory for the past few years and their new space is triple the size of their current operation.
“Now, we can make up to 100,000 hot dogs a day on our new custom-designed production line, and we’ve also expanded our separate dedicated facility for our gluten-free hot dog production.
“A new value range will also be available before the end of 2023. The grocery sector has asked us to create an offering that gives consumers more choice and helps them balance their food budgets. We exited as we continue to expand our footprint across New Zealand supermarkets,” she says,
Howler Hotdogs’ Pacific expansion is planned for later in 2024.
