OUR STORY
'The Kiwi Outdoor journey began at Pauanui Beach, Coromandel 2012 where some kiwi blokes decided they wanted a "fast heat up, top quality Pizza / Cooking Oven and Outdoor Fire". It was a group effort, plenty of whiskey - legendary at the beach,
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There were many options on the market, still are but none that does it all - well. It had to be NZ made, huge in size with the idea of commercial use and have the WOW factor. Two prototypes were built and extensively tested with off the chart temperatures and warped steel.
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Officially launched as The Kiwi Outdoor Oven Company in 2013, constant onsite promotion and pizza parties were how the ovens were originally sold. A promotional wood fired pizza caravan was started at Pauanui beach with queues of people lining up for the wood fired taste.
Key Highlight - featured on MKR2014 Season 1 Episode 25 in the Pizza Challenge.
In 2018 Waikato business Arstone Limited, Brendan and Naomi, purchased the business to take it on the next stage of it's journey, the best Kiwi Outdoor Oven / Fire on the market.
The product was tightened up, additional accessories were added as well as some outdoor kitchen products. The company has worked through COVID, recession and is still NZ Made, still high quality, still the best on the market for food and fire.
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In 2023 we sponsored a BBQ team, Barbecue B.O.I and in the very first year, they won Grand Champion, won a spot at the famous World Series of Barbecue in Kansas and their kit was shipped over, What an experience, up against the best of the best, punching well above their weight by winning NZs first ribbon (chicken). None of us will have a boring eulogy now.
Then there were appearances on Grand Designs, in multiple magazines, feature projects on Archipro and multiple commercial operations with exceptional food and incredible heat.​
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MADE LOCAL
Some days we consider making our product overseas - it might be cheaper.
But....there are too many advantages making it at home
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got a problem, we talk directly to the supplier
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95% of all purchases go into Kiwi hands - supporting local
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Kiwi suppliers tend to keep you humble, full of great ideas - they are a loyal bunch, always helping where they can
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We know our ovens, we built them, we finished them. We can just about look at any oven and remember its history, we know where most of them are and our owners keep their story alive by keeping us up to date. The Kiwi Outdoor represents connection, togetherness, food and fire, family and friends - can't do that if we lose the connection to home.
SUSTAINABLE
Quality is sustainability - built to last - legacy product. Sure it costs a bit more upfront but you won't be replacing it anytime soon.
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RECYCLE - REUSE - REDUCE
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We take sustainability seriously - always looking for new technology to improve our product, researching, testing and improving.
The ovens are focused on many things and reducing wood usage is one. We insulate them, and use genuine fire bricks, so the oven doesn't need to heat itself up, it just needs to radiate heat quickly. By being multi fuel and efficient less wood is required.
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We have a strong restoration business where 10 year old ovens are coming back in for a restore going back home looking like new. Its a honor to be able to check out an old oven and improve the product if necessary.
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BUILT TO LAST - CHEAPER IN THE LONG RUN
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