Our Story
At Avohaven, we started with a simple mission: to bring the best of nature's flavours into your kitchen, beginning with our avocado oils and vinaigrettes. From our family-run avocado orchard in the picturesque hillside of Maungatapere, Northland, New Zealand, we crafted cold-pressed avocado oil that captured all the health benefits of this superfood. Our oil, made using a centrifusion process, was a true reflection of our passion for quality and flavour.
Unfortunately, due to the damage Cyclone Gabrielle caused to our orchard and the fact that the company producing oil from our avocados is no longer able to do so, we’ve had to pause production of those signature products. But our commitment to creating bold, authentic flavours has never wavered.
A personal note from Cameron
Growing up in the late 70s and early 80s, food was the thing that brought my family together each day. My mum was a firm believer that no matter how simple the ingredients, you could always make a meal delicious and she had a rule — no one missed dinner! Every evening, we gathered around the table, shared stories of our day, and enjoyed the meals she prepared. More importantly, she made sure that all three of her children could cook. "If you can feed yourself, you’ll never go hungry" was a motto that stuck with me.
Life is different today from my Gen X roots, but gathering for meals with family is still a tradition I cherish — whether it’s with my dad, siblings, children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews. Mum departed this earth far too soon, but she left me with a legacy: the importance of sharing good food with family and friends. I carry that with me in everything I create at Avohaven, from the salts and seasonings to the oils. It’s my way of sharing that love of food and togetherness with all of you.
today...
Today, we’re embracing a new era — one focused on artisan cooking and finishing salts and seasonings. Crafted with the same care and dedication that drove our original creations, these products offer the perfect blend of flavor and balance. Whether you're enhancing a hearty dish or adding a sprinkle to fresh avocado toast, our salts let the natural ingredients shine while the salt does the talking.
With years of experience in crafting salts and spice blends, I’ve always been fascinated by the way a pinch of seasoning can elevate an entire dish. It’s not just about adding salt; it’s about knowing how much, how little, and what flavours to pair it with. Our new salts reflect this balance. Each blend is carefully curated so you can use them every day without worrying about over-salting your food.
While we can’t wait to bring back our beloved avocado oil and vinaigrettes when production resumes, our salts are here to carry on our legacy of flavor in the meantime. Welcome to the next chapter of Avohaven — a place where simplicity meets flavor, and where the magic of salt enhances your culinary journey.
Pictures tell the story
At Avohaven, avocados have been in our blood since (almost) forever.
We started with a single avocado orchard. It was a retirement project for Dad until the neighbouring avocado orchard came up for sale so we dove in boots and all!
The new orchard doubled our avocado production so, along came Fiona (my sister) and her family (the Tribe) to give Dad (and now my brother Brian) a hand.
It became a true family operation.
Years later, living in Auckland and far from the orchard, I decided to combine my love of food with crafting an avocado oil that retained all the health benefits of the fruit.
After experimenting with various extraction methods, including an unsuccessful attempt using a neighbour's olive press, I partnered with one of New Zealand’s top avocado processors. Together, we developed AvoHaven, a premium cold-pressed avocado oil using a centrifusion process, made from avocados grown in our own orchards.
Our first three products were 100% pure avocado oil, along with garlic and chili garlic variants.
These were quickly followed by our successful avocado oil vinaigrettes. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a family to create great avocados and avocado products.
But the flavor creations didn’t stop there.
With a constant supply of avocados for avo toast from our orchard, I looked to food trends and introduced our own take on the famous bagel seasoning. This was followed by a range of salts, an Asian-inspired chili avocado oil, and a few classic spice blends based loosely on Mum's recipes and my past experiences in this area.
From farmers and growers' markets to lifestyle and homeshow expos, we took our products on the road, meeting and sharing our unique flavors with you all. The foundation of our business is built on the partnership of a brother and sister duo, Fiona and Cameron, whose bond has shaped Avohaven's journey. While we can't produce avocado oil at the moment, the story isn't over yet—our passion for quality and flavour continues, and we're excited for what’s to come.
"As a small family business, everything we create—whether it's our oils, vinaigrettes, salts, or seasonings—is made in small batches, hand blended, hand poured, and hand labeled with care"
the Orchard
Great taste starts with great products and for us it runs far deeper than this.
It’s about looking towards the future and ensuring that our resources are protected for future generations. Growing avocados can be hard on the environment in the form of high water consumption, fertilisers and chemical usage for pest and weed control.
At Avo Haven Orchards we focus on soil health. By using a natural sustainable New Zealand made seaweed product we are improving the soil biology and plant health which in turn has led to a higher production of great tasting avocados. We were recently featured in the Agrisea’s Hort News newsletter.
