Filipino Food Scientist's Sarsarap Mushroom Gravy Wins Two Medals at 2026 NZ Food Awards
UmamiBee, the Glen Eden, Auckland sauce brand founded by Filipino food scientist Analiza Laurel-Badilles, won Silver in the Pantry Award and Bronze in the Technical Innovation Award for its Sarsarap fermented mushroom gravy at the 2026 New Zealand Food Awards.
UmamiBee's Sarsarap (Fermented Mushroom Gravy) received two medals at the 2026 New Zealand Food Awards: Silver in the Pantry Award and Bronze in the Technical Innovation Award, according to the winners list published by Massey University on 14 October 2026 and the New Zealand Food Awards website.
The awards were presented at a gala at Shed 10 on Auckland's waterfront on the night of 13 October, Massey University said. The awards, presented by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, marked 40 years this year, and a medal system was introduced in 2026 to recognise the quality of finalists. Massey's roundup listed sarsarap among the products whose makers were lauded at the event.
UmamiBee was founded by Analiza Laurel-Badilles, known online as MotherBee. The company's website describes her as a food scientist with more than 35 years of experience in food product development, food manufacturing and food safety, who grew up in a Filipino family of cooks and food vendors. The brand's site is run by MotherBee's Purple Heart Kitchen Ltd.
The medals follow earlier recognition for the brand. UmamiBee's website lists its Going Bananas Ketchup as a 2025 New Zealand Food Awards finalist in the technical innovation category, and Bronze medals for both Going Bananas Ketchup and Sarsarap Mushroom Sauce in the artisan sauces category of the 2025 NZ Artisan Awards.
UmamiBee sells its sauces and umami pastes, including Sarsarap, Dish Lifters and Going Bananas Ketchup, online through umamibee.co.nz and through stockists. The business is listed on Kislap at kislap.com/business/umamibee.
Key facts
- UmamiBee's Sarsarap (Fermented Mushroom Gravy) won Silver in the Pantry Award and Bronze in the Technical Innovation Award at the 2026 New Zealand Food Awards.
- The awards were presented at Shed 10 on Auckland's waterfront on 13 October 2026, Massey University said.
- UmamiBee founder Analiza Laurel-Badilles, known as MotherBee, is a food scientist with more than 35 years of industry experience, according to the company's website.
Official sources
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