An insight into being a consumer judge

This blog is a personal reflection from Amanda Dupas De Matos, Senior Research Officer from the Food Experience and Sensory Testing (Feast) Lab, who was one of the consumer judges for the 2025 New Zealand Food Awards.

Amanda Dupas De Matos spent a day as a consumer judge for the New Zealand Food Awards.

This year, I had the pleasure of joining the judging panel for the New Zealand Food Awards as a consumer judge - a unique experience that brought together my professional expertise and personal passion for food and beverages. With a background in sensory consumer science, I approach food with a slightly different lens. I’m trained to notice how appearance, aroma, flavour and texture (and even sound) contribute to the overall eating experience. It was exciting to see how these scientific insights played out in real time. 

During judging my focus was on the excellence – which was defined as the forefront of science and technology, exceptional food safety, outstanding customer experience and a reflection of reaching the pinnacle of the industry.

The consumer judging panel represents different personas in the market to ensure all consumer needs are catered for.

My persona characteristics were ‘must be a shopper for one person only’ and ‘shopping with no budget in mind’. By adopting this lens, I was able to evaluate entries with a unique perspective that highlighted my expectations as a solo shopper in my food choices.

The extent and creativity of this year’s entries reflected Aotearoa New Zealand’s vibrant food and beverage landscape. From nostalgic classics with a twist to bold new ideas, the judging table experience was a blast!

Being part of the New Zealand Food Awards reminded me once again why I love this field. Food definitely connects, surprises and tells stories, and when consumers are included in the judging process, it ensures those stories truly resonate. I really enjoyed my time as a judge and hope to take part in 2026 again.