MEET YOUR {OUTSTANDING} MAKER - TORA COLLECTIVE
Water champions for 2021 are Tora Collective, established by Troy and Claire of Tora Bay in spring of 2019. Their entry of pāua captivated the judges, eliciting this response: “there was nowhere judges could take marks off.”
The pair are passionate about supplying Kiwi’s with premium, fresh kaimoana and keeping our special produce in Aotearoa. They realised our country’s food identity was struggling - chefs were paying top dollar for low-quality fish from the export market and so the duo got to work, ensuring crayfish, pāua, kina and native seaweeds were available to New Zealanders. Kaimoana isn’t just delicious produce, it is steeped in history and thereby is a crucial element of our nation’s food story.
Tora Bay, in the South Wairarapa is where Troy and Claire live and work off of the land. Rain, wind or shine the pair are venturing out on their boat to pluck only the freshest produce from the waters below. Everything is caught by them and is then harvested, packed and on its way within the hour! Catching only species are in season is a huge part of protecting the species for the future, and whilst this is not a requirement in Aotearoa, Troy and Claire want to lead by example to encourage change within the industry. Being careful to restrict the level of handling of the produce and showing the utmost respect for the species’ is an ethos they live by. In addition, they only take from the ocean what they need to fill their orders, minimising the amount of waste.
During COVID-19, Tora Collective had to pivot their business model to meet the demands of lockdown. Selling wholesale to restaurants turned to selling online direct to the customer. Claire noted that it was essential for the produce to go from coast to door in the same day due to it being a live product, and so they had to create systems that allowed for this.
Being sustainable practitioners is vital to the pair, with Troy and Claire using their voices to generate conversation around the Quota Management System and emphasise the importance of truly sustainable fisheries. They also walk the walk when it comes to their packaging. Aware of the waste that can end back up in our beautiful waterways, Tora Collective uses home compostable ice packs (made here in Aotearoa), hand harvested seaweed that has washed up on the beach to wrap the kaimoana, and a blend of straight hemp and wool to insulate the recyclable boxes that house their top-end produce. What’s even better is that their packaging is all home compostable, meaning all Kiwis can do their part in protecting our environment.
The nutrient-rich saltwater of the South Wairarapa coast is home to Troy, Claire and the incredible kaimoana they pluck from the ocean to showcase to Kiwis, and the world, just how special our produce is.
Visit Tora Collective at www.toracollective.co.nz to place an order or get in contact with Troy and Claire.