Our Story
Proud to call Geraldine home
We’ve been filling pantries since 1969. Still made on the original family farm in Geraldine, New Zealand.
Not just jam.
Don't get us wrong. We do make incredible jam. The kind of fruit loaded spread that gleams like a jewel on hot buttered toast and tastes like summer. But jam isn't the only moment our good stuff hits your taste buds. Barker’s is sitting pretty in pantries all over Aotearoa – just waiting to make moments of goodness together.
Like impromptu picnics, or speedy midweek meal moments. Healthy bases to plant power your smoothie, drinks to turn ‘cheers’ into a party, or chutneys to transform a thrown together platter into a thing of beauty. There are meal sauces and marinades for cosy comfort food hankerings, plus fruit focused daily immune boosts. And of course, glorious toast toppings.
We’re here to help you make moments of goodness you want to share. Because shared food tastes better. Let’s eat.
Our history in a nutshell
From farming sheep and making wine, to running an orchard, and transforming ripe fruit and crisp veggies into tasty foods – Barker’s of Geraldine has had quite a journey. Yet we’re still right here on our original family farm.
It was 1969, and South Canterbury farmers Anthony and Gillian Barker discovered they were also pretty good at making fruit wine – joining friends and neighbours to pick berries on local riverbeds. The cellar door was always open. And our team always felt like extended whānau, sharing meals and yarns around the kitchen table.
We love giving things a crack – if it doesn’t work, we try something else. When a fire in 1976 devastated the Barker’s business (and destroyed our wine), our hive of industry was reborn with Kiwi ingenuity, and three generations of hard mahi. Ingenuity like using Vitamin C-rich blackcurrants grown on local family farms long before anyone else did. And sheer inventiveness, like patenting the iconic Kent wood burning stove that Anthony had designed out of an old oil drum, and soon seen in living rooms the length of New Zealand.
Becoming a household name
The 80s marked Michael Barker’s return from Uni to the family farm as general manager, marking a shift for the future of Barker’s. A new factory was built, and we branched out into fruit fillings for bakeries – the beginnings of our Foodservice brand, Barker’s Professional.
By the 90s, we were taking on imported specialty condiments, producing NZ-made jams, chutneys, sauces, and syrups. Anthony Barker Preserves launched and grew into the Barker’s of Geraldine you know and love today.
In 2018, the Andros family – of Bonne Maman fame – brought their French love of making food using the best ingredients, (which we’d been doing too, since 1969) to our corner of the world.
One thing hasn’t changed. Barker’s products are still made by us, from scratch, with heaps of our Geraldine generosity – to make life more tasty, adventurous, and easy.
Barker’s Foodstore & Eatery
Our flagship Barker’s Foodstore & Eatery is situated in the heart of picturesque Geraldine on the route through to the lakes and Queenstown. It’s the perfect place to stop on your backyard exploration and experience hospitality the Barker's way!
In 2022, we brought the Geraldine generosity to Australia and opened our second Foodstore in South Melbourne.
If you're looking for a unique cafe experience that combines great food and retail products, then come and visit us at Barker's Foodstore & Eatery. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing our love of good food and quality products with you.
For people, plants, and planet
Looking after each other and the land that grows our kai is baked into what we do and helps us make decisions that are better for the future. We’re on a journey to minimise waste and energy consumption, while conserving biodiversity and protecting the quality of our home’s precious water. We’re also taking significant steps to reduce food waste, and repurpose materials wherever we can.
Barker’s is made by South Island Kiwis (the people, not the birds) and we're investing in the future of our local community by expanding our Geraldine site and sourcing fresh produce locally wherever possible. And we love to give back too (from fundraisers to sports clubs) to support the local community who've supported us.
