Pierogi Joint

Pierogi Joint

Project 2018-12-09 12:41:40 +1300

Who we are

The Pierogi Joint produces pierogi, Canadian sweets and Eastern European comfort foods in Christchurch.

We’ve newly leased a commercial kitchen space and our pierogi machine is on route from overseas. We’re signing up with Ubereats for delivery service to Christchurch. Our website is live for orders, catering and soon to be back at the markets. We should be up and running in this new capacity by end of August.

It’s all happening! 

But the big, hairy goal is to get our pierogi to all of NZ. Here’s Hows...

Our mission

2021 is the year of Pierogi in New Zealand. With so many Canadians, Americans and Eastern European’s living in the Land of the Long White Cloud, it’s almost ridiculous that you can’t get your hands on these delicious morsels on the regular.

Currently, pierogi are available in Christchurch only and the rest of the South and North Island are missing out. Courier of just one order is expensive because frozen pierogi are heavy. We need to look at a more sustanible route to market.

Get on the right side of pierogi history and help bring pierogi mainstream in NZ.

Essentially, Help Me, Help You! 

Our #PierogiPromise is to get pierogi throughout the South and North Island. This will take time, resources and brand awareness. To distribute frozen pierogi throughout NZ on a large scale to be retailed in your local grocery store.Imagine walking into Countdown or Pak n Save, Four Squares or New World and spotting Pierogi Joint in the frozen section.  

Reaching Our Goals / How we are going to do it

Automation/ A pierogi machine 

• A very expensive piece of technology available abroad is coming by ship to the Lyttelton Port! That’s right, we ordered a pierogi machine. It produces pierogi at an alarming speed using our dough and filling. Isn’t automation great?!?! 

• Producing a single product from scratch is extremely labour intensive and we forecast the ability to sell our product for a reduced retail price because of the economies of scale and the immense savings in the actual production/ pinching aspects. Amazing right! Making pierogi more affordable and accessible to all.

Branding, Packaging & Marketing/ Advertising 

• It’s time to invest in both our brand name and packaging to help entice New Zealanders and foodies alike to try our dumpling

• Educaticating our future customers on how incredibly versatile the pierogi is, its health benefits and ease of preparing and cooking for essentially breakfast, lunch or dinner. We need to shout it from the rooftops, but modern day advertising will work just fine while reaching our core demographic. Think Neat Places. 

The Administration side of things... 

• Registering with Ministry of Primary Industries to sell frozen pierogi 

• Food Testing our product lines with a food scientists to receive nutritional info and food allergies 

• Registering with GS1 which creates a universal product identifier/ barcode and supports food recalls of required with large food distributors

Our History 

A short stroll down memory lane for those of you who are new to the Pierogi Joint..

The Pierogi Joint started out from humble beginnings at our first market back in 2014 followed by a quaint shared café & kitchen at 245 Colombo Street, Sydenham with the Sausage Sisters. This was a period in Chch post earthquake where farmers markets and activating 'unused' spaces was above all valued by the community as a place to come together. It was there we first met many of our long term customers to date. 

/insert a little break to start our family, welcome Max to the Pierogi family in 2015/ 

In 2018 we re-emerged with a commercial kitchen in Hillsborough offering catering services, ready to eat and wholesale orders as well as hitting up our favorite festivals and events. Not to mention the first annual Pierogi Eating Competition hosted by Two Thumbs Brewery. 

We’ve attended: Christchurch Wine & Food Festival, The Great Kiwi Beer Festival, Dunedin Craft Beer & Food Festival, Nostalgia, Electric Avenue, and Twisted Frequency. Countless Christmas markets and farmers markets, with the Deans Bush at Riccarton House holding a special place in our hearts.

 Connecting with our pierogi peeps is what it's all about while supporting the music, arts,  craft beer and wine growers of Christchurch.

Due to rather unfortunate circumstances, we lost the sublease on the Middleton location commercial kitchen just before Christmas 2020 which forced us to close the GIMME food delivery service and close the ready to eat takeaway meals along with a postponement from attending the Dean's Bush Riccarton Markets. 

Little did we know, this was just before Covid19 struck. So, we registered our home kitchen and have been there ever since. 

We kept our website (www.pierogijoint.co.nz) going during this whole roller-coaster ride and have continued to serve pierogi to you fine folk. 

And now the journey continues. #PierogiPromise. 

With Love,

Kate Grater, Director/ Pierogi Pincher

**All Rewards all to be redeemed in Christchurch only, no courier to other locations at this time...hence the mission/goal**
**If you have any questions about the specifics of rewards, just emai us through the website**
**We cater to Gluten free and Vegan dietary requirements. Of course, the dish may be modified. Please get in touch if you have questions first**

Comments