S2 Episode 5: Ross Milne — Leaft Foods🌱

S2 Episode 5: Ross Milne — Leaft Foods🌱

on 27 Jun 2025

The Bold Company Podcast, hosted by Business Canterbury’s Hannah Weeds and Ruffells' Tim McInnes, offers a compelling glimpse into the dynamic world of Canterbury’s business community. In each episode, they sit down with visionaries driving innovation, resilience, and success in the region.

Season 2 Episode 5

The Canterbury Plains are making waves in agritech innovation. 

This episode of the Bold Company Podcast features Ross Milne, CEO of Leaf Foods, and his story showcases Kiwi innovation at its finest 🌱

After working with major food companies in China and Europe, Ross returned to Canterbury to lead Leaf Foods, a company that's shaking up the food production system. Their goal? To get five times more protein per hectare compared to traditional dairy farming.

Leaf Foods is making serious waves in the alt-protein space, right here in Canterbury. They’ve cracked a century-old challenge, secured backing from major investors, and are collaborating with local farmers to transform the way we grow and consume food. From science lab to supermarket shelf, this is innovation worth hearing about.

Ross takes a no-nonsense approach to business: "We have to do three times more with the money that we have than any other company." This mindset keeps them agile and laser-focused on their mission to create sustainable food that people actually want to eat.

"If we can connect environmental impact with a strong impact on people's lives, that's pretty special."

 

🎧 Listen to Ross's full episode on the Bold Company podcast to learn more about how this local team is quietly revolutionising food production. 


 


 

The second season of the podcast is sponsored by Christchurch Airport – growing the engine room for Canterbury businesses and ChristchurchNZ, the city's economic development agency, shaping an economy where people and places thrive. And the lovely people at Ruffells, one of Christchurch’s leading creative studios, are helping us make this happen by recording and post-producing the series and bringing the good vibes.

 


You can find and subscribe to Bold Company on Spotify or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

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