Rising supermarket prices have made the weekly grocery shop feel like a constant drain on household budgets. For decades, Kiwi households have largely relied on supermarkets for their everyday food purchases—driving to the local store, paying retail prices and searching for the best weekly specials.
But the way New Zealanders shop for food is changing.
As direct-to-consumer (DTC) shopping continues to grow, more Kiwi food producers are finding ways to sell directly to households. That creates an opportunity for consumers to discover great local products while accessing exclusive offers and buying directly from the businesses that make them.
One of the latest brands to join FoodVault is Verkerks, one of New Zealand's best-known family-owned smallgoods producers.
With more than six decades of history, Verkerks has built its reputation around traditional European-style smallgoods, quality ingredients and generations of family expertise.
FoodVault gives members another way to discover the Verkerks range, access an exclusive member offer and shop directly from the producer.
The Verkerks Legacy: More Than 60 Years of Master Butchery in New Zealand
Long before online grocery shopping became commonplace, Dutch master butcher Aalt Verkerk brought his European butchery expertise to New Zealand.
Having trained at the Alkmaar School of Butchery and Smallgoods in the Netherlands, Aalt brought with him traditional European recipes, preparation methods and smallgoods-making techniques that would become the foundation of the Verkerks business.
The Verkerks Journey
1950s — Arrival in New Zealand
Aalt Verkerk immigrated to New Zealand from Holland, bringing traditional European smallgoods recipes and butchery techniques to Christchurch.
1960s — The First Verkerks Butchery
Verkerks opened its iconic butchery at the corner of Armagh and Manchester Streets in Christchurch, quickly becoming a recognised local business.
1990s — Expansion Across New Zealand
The Verkerks range expanded into supermarket distribution, making its smallgoods available to households across both the North and South Islands.
Today — A New Generation and Direct-to-Consumer Shopping
Today, Verkerks continues to operate as a family-owned business from Papanui, Christchurch, with second and third generations involved in the business.
The company has also embraced direct-to-consumer shopping, giving customers another way to access its range without relying solely on traditional retail channels.
The philosophy remains much the same as it was when Aalt first started: bringing quality European-style cured meats and smallgoods to New Zealand households.
The Verkerks Product Range
Verkerks offers a broad range of smallgoods, from traditional sliced salami and whole salami sticks through to cooking products and convenient meat snacks.
Whether you're putting together an antipasto platter, making homemade pizza, cooking dinner or looking for an easy snack, there is plenty to choose from.
Traditional Sliced Salami
Pre-sliced salami makes it easy to add European-style smallgoods to everyday meals.
Pepperoni Salami
A seasoned salami with paprika and spices, making it particularly suited to pizzas, toasted sandwiches and home cooking.
Dutch Salami
A milder, finely textured salami inspired by Aalt Verkerk's Dutch heritage and traditional recipes.
Lean Italian Salami
Richly seasoned varieties featuring classic flavours such as garlic and cracked black pepper.
Milano Salami
A finely textured, delicate salami with a subtle garlic character.
Spanish Chorizo Salami
A bold, smoky salami featuring paprika for a distinctive Spanish-inspired flavour.
Salami Chubs & Whole Sticks
Prefer to slice your salami yourself?
Verkerks also offers larger formats that allow you to control the thickness and presentation of every slice.
Traditional Salami Chubs
Available in varieties such as Mild, Hot, Pepperoni and Garlic, with pack sizes typically ranging from approximately 200g to 400g.
Whole Aged Salami Sticks
Whole salami sticks are naturally dried and slow-cured, developing a deeper and more complex flavour over time.
They're ideal for entertaining, grazing boards or simply keeping on hand for when you want a quality smallgoods snack.
Cooking & Culinary Range
Smallgoods aren't just for sandwiches and platters.
Verkerks also produces products designed specifically for cooking, giving you an easy way to add depth and flavour to everyday meals.
Diced Salami & Chorizo Bites
Pre-diced pieces can be added directly to pasta, frittatas, pizzas, casseroles and other pan dishes.
They're a convenient way to add savoury flavour without needing to prepare the meat yourself.
Cooking Chorizo Sausages
Raw, seasoned chorizo sausages are designed for cooking and work particularly well in dishes such as paella, stews and other hearty meals.
Salami Bites, Beer Sticks & Snacks
Looking for something convenient?
Verkerks also produces smaller-format meat snacks that are easy to take with you.
Salami Bites & Beer Sticks
Portable meat snacks that work well for lunchboxes, road trips, hiking, entertaining or simply keeping in the fridge for a quick snack.
Ambient Salami Sticks
Shelf-stable salami options provide a convenient alternative when refrigeration isn't practical, making them particularly useful for travel and outdoor activities.
FoodVault is a Kiwi membership platform built around discovery, savings and shopping direct.
Rather than operating as another online marketplace, FoodVault helps consumers discover participating Kiwi brands and businesses, access exclusive member offers and then shop directly with the business.
FoodVault Isn't a Marketplace
This distinction is important.
When you discover a business through FoodVault, you don't purchase the product from FoodVault.
Instead:
You discover the brand or business on FoodVault.
You see the exclusive member offer.
You click through to the business's own website.
You purchase directly from the business.
The business handles payment, fulfilment and delivery.
The business keeps its existing website, checkout and customer relationship.
FoodVault simply provides another way for customers to discover it.
The FoodVault Win-Win Model
FoodVault is built around a simple idea: businesses shouldn't have to pay just to be discovered.
Free for Participating Kiwi Businesses
Businesses can join FoodVault without paying a listing fee.
For producers such as Verkerks, this creates an additional channel through which consumers can discover their products and visit their online store.
More Choice for Consumers
As more Kiwi businesses join FoodVault, members get access to a wider range of products and exclusive offers.
That could mean discovering a new smallgoods producer one week, a local coffee company the next, and a New Zealand-made household brand after that.
The more quality businesses that join, the more useful FoodVault becomes.
Discovery Beyond Discounts
FoodVault isn't designed simply to be a coupon website.
The aim is to tell the stories behind Kiwi businesses, showcase their products and help consumers discover brands they might never otherwise encounter.
The discount gives members a reason to try them.
The discovery gives them a reason to come back.
How to Shop Verkerks Direct Through FoodVault
Getting started is simple.
Step 1 — Visit FoodVault
Head to FoodVault and explore the available Kiwi brands and businesses.
Step 2 — Find Verkerks
Visit the Verkerks partner profile to explore the brand and its available products.
Step 3 — Access Your Member Offer
FoodVault members can access the exclusive offer available from Verkerks.
Step 4 — Shop Direct
Follow through to the Verkerks online store and complete your purchase directly with the business.
Your order, payment, fulfilment and delivery are handled by Verkerks.
Discover → Save → Shop Direct
For food producers, it creates another route to market.
For consumers, it creates another way to discover products and potentially save.
And for Kiwi businesses, it can help put their products directly in front of customers who may never have discovered them otherwise.
Discover Verkerks on FoodVault
After more than 60 years, Verkerks remains a distinctly Kiwi family business with its roots firmly planted in traditional European smallgoods.
Now, through direct-to-consumer shopping and FoodVault, there's another way for New Zealanders to discover the Verkerks range.
From salami and chorizo to cooking products and convenient meat snacks, Verkerks gives Kiwi households plenty of reasons to discover something new.
And that's ultimately what FoodVault is about:
Discover great Kiwi businesses. Save with exclusive member offers. Shop directly with the businesses themselves.
