Forty Thieves is a New Zealand-based food brand specializing in nut butters and spreads. Founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Shyr and Brent Godfrey, the company has evolved from a small, handmade operation into an internationally distributed consumer brand. The company’s stated mission is “fuelling everyday and epic adventures.” 1

The brand positions itself within the Food & Beverage / FMCG sector, focusing on natural, nutritious, and adventure-oriented food products. Key attributes of its range include being vegan, palm-oil-free, additive-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Packaging predominantly utilizes recycled glass jars with FSC-certified paper labels.

The company reports producing more than 30,000 jars per week, having expanded significantly from its original four-product range.

Forty Thieves was established in 2016 by Shyr and Brent Godfrey. The founders’ interest in the business stemmed from their shared passion for fitness, healthy eating, and an active, outdoor lifestyle. Their goal was to create a nut butter that provided convenient, nutritious fuel while maintaining an indulgent taste profile.

Initially, the business operated on a very small scale. According to company records, the founders produced roughly one box of nut butter per day using a blender, personally filling and labelling jars, packing online orders from home, and attending local markets to introduce their products.

Following this initial phase, Forty Thieves moved into supermarkets and gradually increased its manufacturing capacity. The company eventually established a purpose-built factory on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast. By 2026, the brand reported that production had grown to more than 30,000 jars a week, a substantial increase compared to the limited range available at launch.

The name “Forty Thieves” draws inspiration from the traditional tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

The company’s branding reinterprets the story’s famous hidden treasure. Instead of gold and jewels, Forty Thieves describes the nutrients and natural goodness inside nuts and seeds as the “hidden treasure.” Consequently, the phrase “Open Sesame” became part of the brand’s identity, symbolizing the act of opening a jar to discover the nutritional value within. This concept is reflected throughout the company’s branding, packaging, and marketing language, including phrases such as “smuggling goodness into every jar.”

Forty Thieves is primarily known for its nut butters, with products based on peanuts, almonds, macadamias, cashews, and other nuts and seeds. The portfolio includes:

• Peanut butter — available in smooth, crunchy, and flavoured varieties.
• Almond butter — offered in smooth and crunchy styles.
• SuperFood Butter — combinations of nuts and seeds designed for a broader nutritional profile.
• Flavoured nut butters — including varieties such as Chocolate Fudge and Cinnamon Donut.
• Keto Butter — formulations positioned for lower-carbohydrate lifestyles.
• Macadamia-based spreads — including combinations with vanilla and maple.
• Kids’ nut butters — developed specifically for younger consumers.
• Other specialty and limited-edition spreads.

The product range has expanded considerably since the four initial products launched in 2016.

Specific examples include the Almond Butter, which the company states is made from whole almonds roasted and milled in New Zealand. The Chocolate SuperFood Butter combines almonds, peanuts, chia, pumpkin, linseeds, sunflower seeds, and dark chocolate.

A defining characteristic of Forty Thieves is that it manufactures its nut butters in New Zealand. The company’s factory is located on the Hibiscus Coast of Auckland. The production process involves several steps:

1. Batch roasting
2. Precision milling
3. Blending and mixing
4. Filling
5. Labelling
6. Capping

The company notes that nuts are roasted in batches under the supervision of a master roaster before being milled to achieve various textures, ranging from smooth to deliberately crunchy.

Ingredients are sourced internationally depending on the specific product. The company lists sources including New Zealand macadamias, Australian almonds, Argentinian peanuts, and Turkish hazelnuts, along with fair-trade and organic cocoa.

The manufacturing facility operates under New Zealand’s food-safety framework and maintains a fully plant-based production environment, ensuring no dairy or gluten is processed on-site. 3

Forty Thieves positions food as fuel for an active lifestyle, rather than simply as a grocery item. Its central philosophy is encapsulated by the phrase:

“Fuelling everyday and epic adventures.”

The company defines an “adventure” broadly, encompassing activities such as hiking, running, and surfing, as well as ordinary experiences like breakfast, picnics, cooking, or spending time outdoors. This approach creates a brand identity that combines three core ideas: Nutrition + Adventure + Enjoyment. Rather than presenting nut butter purely as a health product, Forty Thieves adopts a lifestyle-oriented identity.

Sustainability is a significant component of the brand’s positioning. Forty Thieves states that it uses glass jars containing up to 90% recycled glass, FSC-approved paper labels, and plastic-free online orders. The company also claims to offset its carbon emissions and contribute to native-forest restoration.

Other sustainability initiatives include:

• No palm oil
• Vegan products
• Non-GMO ingredients
• Plastic-free online packaging
• Recycled glass packaging
• Forest & Bird / Pest-Free Hibiscus Coast support
• Food-waste reduction through the donation of quality “seconds”

The company’s strategy extends beyond ingredients to include packaging, manufacturing processes, and community initiatives.

Forty Thieves has received recognition both within New Zealand and internationally. The company states it has been awarded more than 20 industry awards, including Great Taste Awards in the United Kingdom and Outstanding Food Producer Awards.

In 2025, the brand’s Peanut Butter Crunchy won the FMCG Business New Product Champion award at the Outstanding Food Producer Awards. 2

This recognition has helped establish Forty Thieves as a notable challenger brand in the nut-butter category.

Although originating in New Zealand, Forty Thieves has increasingly positioned itself as an export-oriented brand. Products are sold in New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Fiji, with Hong Kong also added to its international footprint.

Singapore is particularly relevant to the brand’s overseas expansion. Forty Thieves promotes its products through Singaporean retail channels, and its items are currently listed by NTUC FairPrice, including peanut butter, almond butter, SuperFood Butter, and Keto Butter varieties. 4

The brand’s activity in Singapore emphasizes its New Zealand origin, sustainability credentials, and the combination of health, taste, and adventure in its positioning.

Forty Thieves has built a distinctive visual identity around the “treasure” and “thieves” concept. Its packaging frequently incorporates language associated with:

• Treasure
• Smuggling
• Hidden nutritional gems
• Adventures
• “Open Sesame”
• The Forty Thieves characters/story

This approach gives what could otherwise be a conventional health-food product a playful personality. The use of glass jars serves a functional purpose by communicating a premium, reusable, and recyclable feel, reinforcing the company’s sustainability positioning.

Forty Thieves primarily appeals to consumers interested in:

• Healthy eating
• Fitness and exercise
• Outdoor activities
• Natural foods
• Plant-based foods
• High-protein or nutrient-dense snacks
• Premium nut butters
• Environmentally conscious consumption
• Family-friendly food

The marketing strategy deliberately avoids limiting the product to serious athletes. By defining “adventure” to include everyday activities, the brand aims to appeal to families and ordinary grocery shoppers alongside fitness and outdoor enthusiasts.

The development of Forty Thieves can be divided into several stages:

2016 — Foundation:
Small-scale production of handmade nut butters by Shyr and Brent Godfrey.

Early Growth — Farmers’ Markets:
The founders introduced products directly to consumers while managing production and order packing themselves.

Supermarket Expansion:
The brand transitioned from direct sales to mainstream grocery distribution in New Zealand.

Manufacturing Expansion:
A dedicated production facility was established on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast.

International Expansion:
Forty Thieves entered markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Fiji, later adding Hong Kong.

2026 — Ten-Year Milestone:
The company marked its tenth anniversary, reporting production exceeding 30,000 jars per week, alongside plans for further factory expansion, new products, and additional international markets.

From a branding perspective, Forty Thieves occupies a position between health food, premium grocery, and lifestyle branding. Its competitive proposition is summarized as:

Natural New Zealand-made nut butter packaged as fuel for an active, adventurous life.

Rather than competing solely on nutritional specifications, Forty Thieves combines taste, provenance, sustainability, and storytelling. The “Forty Thieves” narrative provides immediate recognizability, while the New Zealand manufacturing story offers authenticity. Sustainability reinforces the premium-natural positioning, and the adventure theme adds a lifestyle dimension.

Forty Thieves is representative of the modern New Zealand premium FMCG/export brand: a relatively small domestic producer utilizing local manufacturing, distinctive branding, and sustainability credentials to compete in an international category. Its growth from a highly manual, small-scale operation to a substantial manufacturing business, without abandoning its original positioning around natural ingredients and active living, is notable within the sector. 4

Forty Thieves is a New Zealand family-owned nut-butter brand founded in 2016 by Shyr and Brent Godfrey. Based on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast, it produces a range of peanut, almond, macadamia, cashew, seed, and specialty spreads. Its identity is inspired by Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, with the “treasure” metaphor representing the nutritional value hidden inside nuts and seeds. The company combines natural-food positioning with an adventurous lifestyle message, sustainability initiatives, and New Zealand manufacturing. Over its first decade, it grew from producing a single box of nut butter per day to more than 30,000 jars per week and expanded into several international markets, including Singapore. 1

Note:* There are other businesses and uses of the name “Forty Thieves,” including a U.S. clothing brand. This profile refers specifically to Forty Thieves Nut Butters*, the New Zealand food brand.

1. About | Forty Thieves Nut Butters
2. Meet Your Outstanding Maker – Forty Thieves — Outstanding Food Producer Awards
3. Forty Thieves Chocolate, Nuts & Seeds Super Food Butter 500g
4. Forty Thieves