In 2016, Apollo Projects was proud to deliver a brand new, purpose-built processing facility for Ngāi Tahu Seafood in one of Aotearoa’s best-known kaimoana spots – Bluff.
The company needed to vacate their old facility and has built a strong relationship with Apollo Projects in recent years and knew it could depend on Apollo for a quality replacement.
Our brief was to design and build a seafood processing factory, complete with office space and staff amenities. On the surface, a project like this could look like a straightforward design and build: an exciting opportunity to use our proven expertise in food handling, efficient workflow processing, and cold storage construction. But an added layer of complexity came from the project’s remote and – at times, hostile - location.
Bluff weather can be unforgiving, with coastal winds battering the area on stormy days. Despite the challenge, we endeavoured to deliver this ambitious eight-month construction project, on time and to budget – even if it meant tying down our site shed to stop it from blowing away!
Ngāi Tahu Seafood needed a new facility to process lobster, paua, oysters, blue cod, and mussels for its domestic and international markets. The factory features a purpose-built oyster opening table that can accommodate up to 14 staff at a time. Services were installed in the ceiling to ensure a clean, food-safe environment, and we used stainless steel panel walls around the lobster swim room and the viewing windows between the public and processing areas. A special biofilter was also installed to create the right conditions for live paua and crayfish.
From handling all of the consents and compliance matters to managing sub-contractors, health and safety, and construction processes, we took care of the whole process for Ngāi Tahu Seafood. When the final touches had been made and the site blessed, we were very proud to hand over the keys to this exciting processing facility.
