Garston Hops Takes Out Top Southland Export Prize
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Garston Hops, a family-owned hop-growing business operating near the southern limits of what's commercially viable on the planet, took the top prize at the 2026 DHL Export Southland Gala Dinner on Friday night.
More than 200 exporters, businesses and supporters gathered at Ascot Park Hotel for the biennial awards dinner, run by the Southland Business Chamber on behalf of the Export Southland Trust.
Garston Hops won the Rio Tinto | NZAS Innovation in Export Award, beating finalist Good Guise. The company has built an international customer base across Australia, North America, the United Kingdom and Europe. Judges highlighted its direct-to-brewery sales model, flexible supply arrangements, and a track record of converting overseas customers into advocates for both the business and the region.
Rakiura Distilling Co, a boutique gin distillery on Stewart Island, was awarded the DHL Southland Export Mentorship. The mentorship will help the company work through the practical mechanics of exporting — market selection, international freight, customs and excise, and getting importer and distributor relationships ready to go. Four businesses were in contention; the others were Auld Distillery, Back Country Foods, and Hit Kit.
Southland boatbuilder Huntercraft received the 2026 Export Southland Grant. The company has already shipped boats to Australia and will use the funding to fix a workshop and storage bottleneck that has been limiting how much it can build. The other finalists were āhei, Auld Distillery, and Backlanz Ltd.
The evening's most significant moment may have been the Graham Dick Memorial Award, presented to Lady Olive Hutchins. She and her husband Les bought the Manapouri-Doubtful Sound Tourist Company in 1954 — the seed of what eventually became RealNZ. The judges recognised her vision, her commitment to conservation, and a lifetime spent building a family-owned enterprise that has brought visitors from around the world to Southland's most remote corners. It is the kind of contribution that tends to get acknowledged too late. Not this time.
The Export Southland Gala runs every two years, alternating with the Southland Business Excellence Awards.