Ceres was founded by people with common interest in the work of Rudolf Steiner.

Our story began in 1982, when a biodynamic and organic fresh produce stand run by Juliet Lamont premiered at the Michael Park School fair in Auckland. As a mother, Juliet wanted to feed her two boys organic food, but it wasn’t readily available in stores at the time. So she took the initiative to find others wanting organic food and called on organic farmers she knew to supply what they produced. The stall was so successful that Juliet began a weekly organic co-op out of her garage in Mt. Wellington. This later became the first urban organic vegetable co-op in New Zealand and attracted dedicated members like Noel Josephson and Rodnie Whitlock.

By 1984, the tiny week-end co-op had transformed into a small shop in Ellerslie. It was the first organic food store in New Zealand and incorporated Rodnie’s anthroposophical books business. The store was named Ceres, after the Roman goddess of agriculture, and is today a landmark along the Ladies Mile strip. Soon, other organic shops and co-ops began to form and sought the products we had. This gave rise to our wholesale division.

A teacher at heart, Juliet returned to her first love in 1990, handing Ceres over to Noel and Rodnie as directors.

Determined to put Ceres at the forefront of the organic movement in New Zealand, Noel and Rodnie pushed for certification. In 2001, Ceres became the first BioGro certified organic warehouse and distributor of fresh organic produce in New Zealand.

From then on, other achievements followed – taking the company from strength to strength...

Work towards obtaining HACCP Food Safety certification followed in 2005 and the stamp of approval came in 2009.

In the same year, Ceres obtained the first EcoSocial certification in New Zealand, formalizing the ethical and socially responsible sourcing philosophy already practiced from the start of the company’s operation. EcoSocial is a fair trade system based on organic principles and social justice. The organization is headquartered in Brazil.

Today, Ceres is recognized as the premier certified organic distributor in New Zealand. Ceres Organics, our flagship brand, is deemed by our customers as the leader in organics. Our portfolio of products has grown to include organic and bio-dynamic foodlines - packaged retail goods, bulk ingredients and fresh produce; environmental cleaning and personal care products; health and beauty products; books and art materials. We distribute products to organic and healthfood stores, supermarkets, wholesalers, manufacturers and co-ops all across New Zealand.

100-man strong and growing, our story continues on in the new millennia. We are excited and challenged by the changing global community and are poised to make another leap into the future. Wherever the journey may take us, we are determined to remain true to our roots. Ceres is a Kiwi company with a global vision.