Blog Post

PURE Team Profile - Anna Howard

Brian Thomas • Jun 07, 2019

Anna Howard

PURE New Zealand Ice Cream, That Wanaka Tree

About Anna

Behind every great brand is a dedicated, creative professional. Anna Howard, Ice Cream Maker In-Chief and Head of PURE Production, is exactly that person.

Anna was born and raised in Akaroa on Banks Peninsula, Southeast of Christchurch. She grew up on a small family farm where at meal times, every morsel on the plate had usually been grown or raised on the property. "My parents and our land have instilled in me a life-long love of natural, quality food" , says Anna.

It's no surprise that most of Anna’s professional history has been rooted in the food, beverage and hospitality industry. Anna studied Hospitality and Management, going on to work in a collection of successful restaurants and resorts in Sydney, Cairns, London, France and around New Zealand.

On returning to New Zealand, now with husband, Ross, Anna and partners opened and operated a Coffee & Bagel business in Christchurch’s iconic Cathedral Square. Its prime location, innovative branding and business model made it an instant success with locals and visitors. Having established the business, a growing family meant Anna took a step back from hospitality whilst Ross explored farming opportunities in Canterbury.

However, the Christchurch earthquakes lead to the loss of the family home, so the Howards gathered themselves up and moved South in search of a fresh start.


Ice Cream Heritage

Lake Wanaka and the pristine Mount Aspiring National Park that we are privileged to call our backyard are responsible for inspiring many an artisan and it got Anna reminiscing.... Anna's Grandfather, William Joseph Kenny, a fitter and turner by trade, came to NZ from the post-war UK Midlands in the late 1950's. His son John, Anna's Uncle, had the Papanui Milk Bar in 1963 and decided to buy an ice cream churn. John discovered that virtually all churns were imported either from Italy or the USA and when they discovered the price, they decided to jolly well make their own.

William and John had started an engineering company, Kenfol Engineering. "We made a prototype and installed it on loan to a supermarket in Brighton, where it worked quite well and enquiries came in to purchase them. We built 6 more and they were all sold before we finished. So we made a further 12 which were also sold before completion" says John. They then set about building 27 machines (amounting to all the parts available at the time) and had a small assembly line in place, when a visitor to the factory announced that he wanted to buy 100 machines. He offered one third deposit, one third at the halfway build point and the final third before delivery. The deal was conditional on the pair selling them only to his company. The visitor turned out to be the manager of a new company being set up by General Foods (at the time, the biggest ice cream manufacture in NZ) and the company they were setting up was a certain 'Mr Whippy'.

Even back then, to use the term 'ice cream', the product had to have a milk fat content of at least 10%. Mr Whippy used a product made from a milk powder which had less than 10% milk fat, so they cleverly branded the product 'Snowfreeze'. Many stores also wanted to sell Snowfreeze - and now of course, General Foods had the sole agency for the churns. So they proceeded to install them all across NZ, with John holding the contract to install them. "Our agreement was never reduced to writing, only a handshake, which was honoured by all of us for quite a few years" says John.

With her ice cream heritage a matter of history, becoming involved in the industry seems to have been pre-ordained for Anna...

Nearly 60 years on from her Grandfather's and Uncle's pioneer exploits, Anna is now the brains and much of the elbow grease behind a busy, creative freezery nestled off the beaten track in the Lake Wanaka Township. Commercial neighbours and passers-by are mystified by the constant stream of supply trucks heading in and freezer trucks heading out, as there is no overt branding to give away what's going on at 78 Anderson Road, Wanaka.

Anna's focus is always twofold: to never deviate from and to continue to enhance PURE's philosophy of make truly outstanding ice cream, free of any artificial additives and full of goodness and flavour; and to make sure her PURE Team have fun making ice cream and are able to achieve growth and their personal objectives whilst at work.

If you want to talk to Anna about PURE New Zealand Ice Cream, or anything connected to genuinely good food and drink, feel free to call her on +64 3 443 7792 click here to message her.

By Juliette Richards 25 Mar, 2024
We are delighted to announce we have won a Silver medal at the Outstanding NZ Food Producers Awards 2024, this time for our delicious Kaffir Lime and Ginger Ice Cream.
Dark Belgian Choc Sorbet Gold Medal
By Brian Thomas 22 Aug, 2023
The 2023 results are out and we are delighted to announce that our Dark Belgian Chocolate Sorbet has won Gold! Overall at this year’s awards, we have picked up an impressive 11 medals in a highly competitive industry confirming that PURE New Zealand Ice Cream continues to create delicious, all-natural artisan ice creams the judges and our consumers love.
By Brian Thomas 17 Aug, 2023
PURE New Zealand Hokey Pokey Ice Cream is the perfect accompaniment to Bread and Cinnamon Butter Pudding. This lovely recipe by Outstanding Food Producers Judge Kathy Patterson is one not to be missed.
By Brian Thomas 18 May, 2023
Let’s face it – most of us feel like there’s nothing like a delicious bowl of ice cream. In fact, ice cream is the ultimate happiness. Whether you prefer a cup or a cone, from the first lick to the last mouthful, ice cream is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and add a spring in your step! It’s not just an old wives’ tale either – science has proven that ice cream can indeed have a positive effect on our mood.
Dairy-Free Champion
By Juliette Richards 24 Mar, 2023
The 2023 Outstanding NZ Food Producers Awards results are out and we are excited to announce our Mango and Coconut Gelato won Gold in the Free-From category. This on top of winning Gold and being named Category Champion in the 2022 NZ Ice Cream and Gelato Awards.
By Juliette Richards 13 Nov, 2022
At PURE New Zealand Ice Cream we are, naturally, big ice cream fans! And while our intensely delicious flavours are sensational by themselves, we love to find ways for PURE lovers to enjoy more. If you're looking for more ways to enjoy PURE, then take a look at some of these scrumptious ideas.
By Brian Thomas 12 Oct, 2022
Spring is finally here and what better time to enjoy cake and ice cream on a sunny afternoon. This stunning lemon cake relies on tart lemons to really show it off. Serve it with a good scoop of delicious, all-natural PURE New Zealand Lemon Curd Ice Cream to heighten the flavours and textures in the cake.
By Brian Thomas 22 Aug, 2022
The NZ Ice Cream and Gelato Awards results are out! And we are delighted to announce that we have achieved our biggest scoop ever - a Category Champion and a total of 12 medals! Read on to find out more.
By Juliette Richards 28 Jun, 2022
Afternoon tea on a cold day doesn’t get any better. Whether you’ve managed to hit the slopes or been out for a good bike or hike, coming home to cinnamon buns and delicious… ice cream is a real treat.
By Juliette Richards 28 Jun, 2022
Since 2018, Brian Thomas and Anna Howard have been the driving force behind PURE New Zealand Ice Cream and have seen the business go from strength to strength. Already familiar with the brand and established devotees of the product, Brian, his wife Linzi, and Anna didn’t hesitate to seal the deal when the company appeared on the market and became owners and stewards of the brand in Sept of that year. Brian and Anna, who run the business day to day, quickly identified PURE’s 3 brand pillars: Nothing artificial - ever; Intensely delicious flavours; and Leave only the lightest touch on the environment. The recipe seems to have worked! Read on to find out more about Brian and the success of PURE New Zealand Ice Cream.
Show More
Share by: