The Chalmers Family Story
Explore our timeline to discover more about our wholesome journey.
Like a lot of good things, our story started close to home.
When Daniel Chalmers was a young child, he had severe eczema and constant glue ear. Around age four, a new GP suggested something simple – but quite radical at the time – that he should change his diet and try cutting out dairy.
The change was huge. Within a few months, his symptoms cleared.
For our family, that moment stuck. It was the beginning of a belief that's still at the heart of what we do today: the quality of the food we eat really matters.
Before long, one thing became clear — tofu was special.
Fresh tofu, made using authentic Japanese methods, was the perfect healthy alternative protein! So they thought: "why not make it ourselves?"
They brought in equipment from Japan and set up a small production space out the back of the shop.
And just like that, they were making the first fresh tofu in New Zealand. This was the birth of Harvest Soyfoods, the tofu manufacturing business. It was hands-on and very much a family effort — and people loved it. Demand just kept on growing.
The benefits of organic wholefoods kept showing up in different ways for our family.
Later in life, Granny Jean (Lippy's Mum) had her own health turnaround after embracing a more traditional wholefood Japanese diet. Inspired by her results, she started making miso at home.
It didn't stay "just at home" for long. Her miso became a bit of a local legend through the family shop – small batches, made with care, always in demand.
By 1999, it was time to take things to the next level.
The family made the call to sell out of retail and focus fully on a production/wholesale business. They sold the store and built a dedicated tofu facility.
That's when Chalmers Organics, and the TONZU brand, really came to life.
It was a big shift, but the heart of it stayed the same: make good whole food, properly.
Not long after, we were introduced to traditional Japanese food.
Uncle Greg came back from Japan with a real love for Japanese cuisine, especially tofu, miso and tamari – simple, nourishing, and naturally dairy-free.
It all just made sense. These foods weren't just interesting, they were healthy, nutritious and genuinely made a difference, especially for young Daniel.
What started as a search for better health slowly turned into a way of life.
Back in the early '80s, finding alternative or health foods in Auckland wasn't easy, so the family decided to do something about it.
Lippy and Stephen (aka mum and dad) opened Harvest Wholefoods in Grey Lynn – a small shop stocking products you just couldn't find locally elsewhere. The timing was right – there was a growing community of people also looking for alternative foods who quickly became loyal customers.
That little shop was the start of everything.
And just like that, they were making the first fresh tofu in New Zealand. This was the birth of Harvest Soyfoods, the tofu manufacturing business.
It was hands-on and very much a family effort — but people loved it. Demand just kept growing.
After selling Harvest Soyfoods, the journey didn't stop.
The family opened East West Organics out west, where they spent over a decade connecting with customers and learning more about what people really wanted from their food.
And sure enough, one request kept popping up — fresh tofu.
So… they got back into making it. Again, right there behind their second retail shop. A bit of history repeating!
These days, our team has grown a fair bit — but our core purpose hasn't changed. We are now:
• A team of around 65 people
• Producing a wide range of tofu, tempeh, plant-based sausages, yoghurt, cheese and more
• Processing over 12 tonnes of soybeans each week
• Based in our purpose-built TONZU facility in Swanson, Auckland
While we have expanded over the years, we are still guided by the same mission: to provide nutritious, organic wholefood products to our families, our communities and beyond.
Lippy Chalmers at Harvest Wholefoods
Granny Jean the Miso queen
Stephen Chalmers making Tofu
The Chalmers Family
The Chalmers Family Story
Explore our timeline to discover more about our wholesome journey.
Like a lot of good things, our story started close to home.
When Daniel Chalmers was a young child, he had severe eczema and constant glue ear. Around age four, a new GP suggested something simple – but quite radical at the time – that he should change his diet and try cutting out dairy.
The change was huge. Within a few months, his symptoms cleared.
For our family, that moment stuck. It was the beginning of a belief that's still at the heart of what we do today: the quality of the food we eat really matters.
Not long after, we were introduced to traditional Japanese food.
Uncle Greg came back from Japan with a real love for Japanese cuisine, especially tofu, miso and tamari – simple, nourishing, and naturally dairy-free.
It all just made sense. These foods weren't just interesting, they were healthy, nutritious and genuinely made a difference, especially for young Daniel.
What started as a search for better health slowly turned into a way of life.
Lippy Chalmers at Harvest Wholefoods
Before long, one thing became clear — tofu was special.
Fresh tofu, made using authentic Japanese methods, was the perfect healthy alternative protein! So they thought: "why not make it ourselves?"
They brought in equipment from Japan and set up a small production space out the back of the shop.
And just like that, they were making the first fresh tofu in New Zealand. This was the birth of Harvest Soyfoods, the tofu manufacturing business. It was hands-on and very much a family effort — and people loved it. Demand just kept on growing.
Back in the early '80s, finding alternative or health foods in Auckland wasn't easy, so the family decided to do something about it.
Lippy and Stephen (aka mum and dad) opened Harvest Wholefoods in Grey Lynn – a small shop stocking products you just couldn't find locally elsewhere. The timing was right – there was a growing community of people also looking for alternative foods who quickly became loyal customers.
That little shop was the start of everything.
Stephen Chalmers making Tofu
And just like that, they were making the first fresh tofu in New Zealand. This was the birth of Harvest Soyfoods, the tofu manufacturing business.
It was hands-on and very much a family effort — but people loved it. Demand just kept growing.
Granny Jean the Miso Queen
The benefits of organic wholefoods kept showing up in different ways for our family.
Later in life, Granny Jean (Lippy's Mum) had her own health turnaround after embracing a more traditional wholefood Japanese diet. Inspired by her results, she started making miso at home.
It didn't stay "just at home" for long. Her miso became a bit of a local legend through the family shop – small batches, made with care, always in demand.
The Chalmers Family
After selling Harvest Soyfoods, the journey didn't stop.
The family opened East West Organics out west, where they spent over a decade connecting with customers and learning more about what people really wanted from their food.
And sure enough, one request kept popping up — fresh tofu.
So… they got back into making it. Again, right there behind their second retail shop. A bit of history repeating!
By 1999, it was time to take things to the next level.
The family made the call to sell out of retail and focus fully on a production/wholesale business. They sold the store and built a dedicated tofu facility.
That's when Chalmers Organics, and the TONZU brand, really came to life.
It was a big shift, but the heart of it stayed the same: make good whole food, properly.
These days, our team has grown a fair bit — but our core purpose hasn't changed. We are now:
• A team of around 65 people
• Producing a wide range of tofu, tempeh, plant-based sausages, yoghurt, cheese and more
• Processing over 12 tonnes of soybeans each week
• Based in our purpose-built TONZU facility in Swanson, Auckland
While we have expanded over the years, we are still guided by the same mission: to provide nutritious, organic wholefood products to our families, our communities and beyond.