Kaitāia College student Lennox Goodhue-Wikitera with the new watermelon-flavoured Juicies, which he helped to shoot some social media content for after being invited to visit the factory in the top of the South Island. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
A Kaitāia College student who made headlines selling Juicies - until the school board shut down his business - has teamed up with the manufacturers to help get other kids selling the ice blocks.
Tasman Bay Food Co - which makes Juicies - were so impressed with Lennox Goodhue-Wikitera's initiative that sales director Martyn Barlow said they flew him to the company's base in Nelson.
At the Brightwater factory where the frozen treats are made, Goodhue-Wikitera toured the factory, met staff, helped to create some content for social media and work on a fundraising model that can be rolled out across the country.
"It's amazing to think that the tens of thousands of Juicies I have sold have come across that conveyor belt, it's pretty mind blowing to be here and witness it all happening," he said.
Kaitāia College student Lennox Goodhue-Wikitera at Tasman Bay Food Co, where Juicies are made. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Goodhue-Wikitera was 15 years old when he started selling Juicies at Kaitāia College after the school tuckshop closed, two years ago.
"I came back to school in Year 11 and it was really hot and there was no tuckshop, so that meant no Juicies and I thought, 'I could really do with a Juicie' and then I had a lightbulb moment and I just started selling them and it just took off from there."
He bought chilly bins and cooler bags, and would buy boxes of Juicies from the nearby supermarket before school, even setting up a makeshift shop in a classroom to sell ice blocks from at lunch time.
"All the kids would be banging on the window, waiting for a Juicie at lunch and I had an Eftpos machine, it was all happening."
The busiest he has been was on Athletics Day where he sold 800 juicies, almost one for every school student. He's now known among his peers as the "Juicie man".
But the board of trustees had concerns about food health and safety, which Goodhue-Wikitera cleared up after a call to the Ministry of Education.
After that, they raised concerns that his entrepreneurial venture was for personal gain - so at their request he changed it to a fundraiser - raising $3000 for the school in the last year, while also paying himself a wage.
"I don't think they were quite happy with the fact that I kind of would make something out of it as well, so it was quite disappointing, they shut it down but that is all right, I just took that setback as an opportunity to tell my story, which has landed me here at the Juicies factory in Nelson."
Lennox Goodhue-Wikitera at the Juicies Factory in Brightwater, near Nelson. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
In a statement on Facebook - the Kaitāia College board of trustees said it was proud of Lennox and his success in young enterprise activities, business market days and fundraising.
Next year, it would create a fundraising calendar to give students an equitable opportunity to fund-raise. The board said it would like to see students given the opportunity create their own businesses through young enterprise events and market days.
Tasman Bay Food Co sales director Martyn Barlow invited Lennox Goodhue-Wikitera to Nelson - to see where Juicies were made and brainstorm some business ideas. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Meanwhile, Barlow said Lennox's endeavours were something to be celebrated.
"Kids like this that are doing stuff, they need to be treasured and valued because New Zealand needs more entrepreneurs and I was really inspired by Lennox and what he was doing."
The company has got plans to make it easier for kids across Aotearoa to sell the frozen pops while raising funds, which Goodhue-Wikitera is helping with.
"We've got a programme that we want to launch this summer where schools, classes, sports teams or clubs can do a Juicies fundraiser and so we are going to work with Lennox as the inspiration to other people around the country to do Juicies fundraising."
As for those at Kaitāia College? Goodhue-Wikitera said Juices will be back on the menu, this summer.