Apollo Foods

Apollo Foods is a New Zealand-based food and beverage manufacturing company located in Whakatu, Hawke's Bay. Founded with roots going back to 1982 when co-founder Ross Beaton began growing and exporting apples to 45 countries worldwide, the company formally emerged as a beverage manufacturer in 2013 when Beaton partnered with Sally Gallagher, Hawke's Bay's Food Innovation Specialist, to launch The Apple Press brand. Unable to find an existing facility with the capability to produce all-natural, varietal-led apple juice at scale, Beaton built a dedicated production facility on his land in Whakatu, equipping it with some of the most advanced beverage manufacturing technology available globally. Today, Apollo Foods operates this purpose-built factory and produces multiple beverage brands sold across New Zealand and internationally. The company's flagship export brand, The Apple Press, is a premium, all-natural, varietal-led apple juice made from Hawke's Bay apples, including fruit that would otherwise go to waste due to cosmetic imperfections rather than quality issues — a hallmark of the brand's origin story and ethos. The second brand, Picky, is a juice and smoothie range also originating from Hawke's Bay, marketed on the promise of real freshness and quality fruit sourcing. The third brand, Boring, is a New Zealand-made oat milk produced using locally sourced New Zealand oats, positioning the company within the fast-growing plant-based dairy alternative segment. Apollo Foods targets both domestic New Zealand retail consumers and international export markets, with a clear ambition to build globally recognized beverage brands. The company's production facility is capable of handling juice pressing, bottling, and plant-based milk manufacturing, reflecting a diverse and scalable manufacturing capability. Its portfolio spans multiple beverage categories including cold-pressed and fresh juices, fruit smoothies, and oat-based dairy alternatives. The company positions itself as a multi-brand beverage manufacturer with strong regional provenance, leveraging Hawke's Bay's reputation as a premier fruit-growing region in New Zealand.