People’s Choice Winners at the 2025 Waikato Business Awards

On Friday night, we joined hundreds of local businesses at Claudelands for the 2025 Waikato Business Awards, hosted by the Waikato Chamber of Commerce. It was a full room, a big night, and – thanks to you –one we won’t forget.

We’re proud to share that Volare won the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Air New Zealand. It’s an honour we don’t take lightly. So much of our story over the past 16 years has been shaped by the people around us: staff, suppliers, wholesale partners, stockists, and customers. This award reflects that support more than anything else.

Volare was also a finalist in the Marketing Award (sponsored by Kiwibank) alongside Iconic Construction, Rabobank, and eventual winner Waikato Milking Systems. It was a tough category with strong operators all around. We didn’t take home the trophy, but we were genuinely proud to stand next to businesses doing exceptional work across the region.

In the end, People’s Choice felt like the right win for us. So much of our application highlighted how community has shaped our growth – from early farmers’ markets to new stores, from long-standing wholesale partners to the people who pick up a loaf every weekend. The support we’ve felt over the years has been steady, generous, and deeply local. It’s what keeps us grounded and what keeps us moving.

Here’s the short video that played during our finalist announcement on the night.

To everyone who voted for us: thank you. To everyone who has backed us – from day one or from last week – thank you. Volare has always been a Waikato story, and we’re proud to be part of this community.

More photos from the night are below.