About Us

Company

Piako Gourmet Yoghurt is proudly Kiwi and family owned, with a simple goal; to provide the best gourmet yoghurt products for you.

Just like any real kiwi business Piako was launched from home in Mums kitchen. After littering the kitchen with yoghurt and an overwhelming increase in business the time came to give Mum back her space. Now Piako Gourmet Yoghurt resides in an export standard premise in Mt Wellington/Sylvia Park. Since its launch in 2008 things have gone from strength to strength at Piako, new flavors have been added, new products, new customers and tons of new retailers.

The name Piako, originates from the Piako River, which runs through Ngatea, a small farming community in the North Island where founders, bros Shaun and Logan along with friend Hamish spent their formative years on neighbouring farms.

People

Shaun + Kathryn + William + Manfred (the puppy)

As employee #1 Shaun kinda thinks he runs the show - the reality is Kathryn (wife) William (16 weeks old) and Manfred (the puppy) run him.

Shaun came from humble beginnings on the Hauraki Plains where he used to watch Hamish and his brother fight in the bike shed, was schooled at Sacred Heart in Auckland and moved on to the bright lights of Otago uni where he meet his wife -at one of seedier night spots. It was not until he moved to Queensland that he found his true calling - doing nothing. However Kathryns' desire to move home and have little Shaun's squashed that. So one Sunday afternoon, after a few G&T's the Queensland yoghurt guys were phoned and the rest is history. Day to day Shaun's role consists of rolling in last, walking around with various bits of paper and muttering and leaving early to beat the traffic the 3km to home. Kathryn takes care of making sure William is feed and happy, William takes care of smiling at his daddy when he gets home and Manfred takes care having some one to blame any strange smells on. So it's a functional family unit.

Christine (Mum)

Being of an age when one is expected to take life more leisurely and ease into blissful retirement it is a rude awakening to find that instead of an empty nest hers has now expanded to 17. Not that she is complaining. My bird's eye view and obvious seniority has many advantages, as does the fact that I work with my 2 sons. My role proves females can multitask. She starts by taking orders, preparing paperwork for dispatch, managing staff and freighting of product. On top of this she also mediates. However, if she needs a "nana nap" the family takes over.

Hamish

Hamish is the man working in the background getting the yoghurt to consistent quality batch after batch. He has been with us from the beginning setting up the factory and food safety plans, Hamish and Shaun grew up on neighbouring farms in Ngatea and went to boarding school together in Auckland. Hamish also slept in Shaun's attic for a while in his flat at Uni as he had not got a flat organised for himself.

Hamish was an account rep at NZ post and looking at making cheese on the family farm, when Shaun came to him with the yoghurt idea, so in the NZ sprit of near enough's good enough we got in to yoghurt instead.

Hamish's work schedule does not allow for a huge social life- so feel free to email ladies Hamish@piakoyoghurt.co.nz if any one is looking of a mans man with a sensitive side who likes fine food fine wine and MMA fighting.

Logan

Logan enjoys making good yoghurt and does a bit of exercise to compensate for his love of food. The job has been great for his taste buds but has ruined his waistline, as our product is sooo good. Logan exists in a dual role as troublemaker and troubleshooter and is able to see how problems should not be caused, and if caused how they can be fixed.

Susan & Jeanne Marie

Susan and JM have pretty much made themselves indispensable - for different reasons. Susan is the best book keeper in business and is a large part of our success - with out her Piako would not exist (or Shaun would be in jail). JM is a recent addition and from South Africa, lured here by the promise of free yoghurt. She is responsible for making sure the office runs smoothly. So the South African no nonsense attitude is perfect.

The Crew

Piako is so lucky that as we have grown we have had effectively 0 staff turn over, a lot of this is down to the good judgment of Leone who has been with us from the days where we making orders on the kitchen bench. Most of the crew are extended family of one sort or another and there is not a harder working, happier bunch of people to be involved with in Auckland. It is a rare thing for some one to be able to say their work environment is closer to a family than a work. But that's what we get here, complete even with the odd domestic tiff - where relations have to work in different areas until they stop sulking.