Family run business
Goulter’s Vinegar Products is proud to say we are a family run business based in Nelson. The company is based around the expertise of the proprietor Tim Goulter who has 44 years’ experience as a wine and vinegar maker.
Tim established Goulter’s Vinegar Company in 1997. Charlie (Uncle Tim’s nephew) along with Trish his South African born wife joined the family business in 2014. It is safe to say that vinegar runs in the families veins! Together we are dedicated to producing sustainable & affordable vinegar products.
Our expertise as vinegar making specialists enables us to produce a range of vinegar based products. We have a diverse range of products which includes our WeedX Herbicide. We are the first company in New Zealand to produce a natural herbicide from vinegar.
Read about our other products here.
We pride ourselves on being an honest hardworking company producing great quality products for our customers so they will naturally choose to do business with us! We believe in the POWER OF VINEGAR hence our passion to use nature in the way she was intended!
Thriving + Innovative
A happy accident with a spilled barrel of vinegar was one link in a chain leading to the creation of the Goulter family’s all-natural bio-herbicide, WeedX.
In 2013, Charlie Goulter and his wife Trish were wanting a natural herbicide to use on their 10 acre block in Upper Moutere. Charlie – who comes from a long line of New Zealand farmers – discussed the idea of a natural weed control product with his uncle, Timmy Goulter, a vinegar and wine maker of 44 yrs. This prompted Timmy to remember the spilled barrel. “He noticed that the vinegar really took out the weeds,” recalls Trish.
Research quickly confirmed that the Goulter’s were onto something. “We found that vinegar’s been used for all kinds of things – weeds, cleaning, health,” says Trish. “Our forebears have been using it for centuries. We’re really excited to educate people about the natural way.”
An extensive period of research and development followed. The Goulter’s worked with a local scientist, John Lloyd, to formulate a natural and effective weed treatment. After 4 years of hard work and testing, they gained EPA approval for WeedX, the first product of its kind to be marketed in New Zealand.
Forward Thinking
We don’t just see our customers as people we want to sell our products to, we see them as people who care about their children and the environment, which is why we believe it is important to empower them by educating them on the importance of using non toxic herbicides – like WeedX.
We believe very much in being part of our local community which is why we donate time and products into local organisations who believe in us and what we do at Goulter’s Vinegar Products.
Our focus throughout this journey has been in developing a product that would be safe for people, animals and the environment. Because of this, we have had a great response from operators who are concerned about the potential toxicity of other herbicides – especially when spraying around children and animals. Their client base ranges from domestic users, market gardeners and tree nurseries, to a growing number of schools.
Goulter’s Vinegar Products is currently working on a way to make WeedX systemic, with the assistance of their Scientist John Lloyd. It will be the ultimate in natural, targeted weed control.
We are proud members of the Nelson Chamber of Commerce. We are working closely with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to grow our knowledge of the export market which will ensure not only the sustainable growth of our business but also our region.
Our Mission
To build an honest thriving sustainable business which produces natural authentic affordable products that lend themselves to the health and well being of the environment and all of human kind.
Our People
Trish – Marketing Manager & source of laughter
Trish is our marketing/advertising and sales co-ordinator. It is her job to ensure social media…
Charlie – CEO and fearless leader
2nd Generational vinegar maker Charlie Goulter oversees the overall smooth running of the factory and…
Uncle Tim – Vinegar Guru since the 1970’s
Meet Uncle Timmy Goulter – he is the man who got it all started. People…
Belinda – Logistics & helping things to run smoothly
Belinda has over 30 years’ experience working with both multinational corporations and small family businesses.…
Geoff – Factory Manager & brewer
With 26 years of expertise in the brewing industry Geoff's passion shows in the quality…
“We met Charlie from Goulters Vinegar at the Commercial Horticulture Trade Day at Lincoln. He kindly gave us a sample of WeedX to try and we are hooked! With careful application we are killing both Liverwort + weeds around trees and shrubs. Hopefully this is going to save many hours of weeding and cleaning at the dispatch bench.”
“I was so happy to discover your great product WeedX a couple of years ago and now use it around the Nursery during the spring and summer months and around our garden. I love that it is safe to use when customers are around and always tell them what I am spraying. The vinegary WeedX smell is part of summer in Dean’s Nursery now. Six weeks ago I sprayed our paddock with WeedX before cultivation for a large wild flower meadow, it worked so well. I highly recommend this safe and effective product for helping you. Enjoy controlling those tenacious weeds.”
“We have a lifestyle block at Tasman and are always looking for natural alternatives to rid those pesky weeds, rather than the chemical laden sprays that are everywhere, that we use because they work. WeedX was impressive, it indeed knocked the weeds, they were dead. We have used natural products before, however they tended to mildly suppress the weeds, Weedx killed them! This product does work, so watch for spray drift as you would with any herbicide. Another great product from Goulters Vinegar Products. Thank you!”
“I have used Goulter’s Vinegar Products since their inception and am so grateful to have the organic option as I don’t use chemicals in any way, personally, in the home or on the farm. The WEEDX is very successful in eliminating the weeds in my garden and orchard. It is also a great comfort to know that it is safe and won’t contaminate the soil or river systems where runoff occurs. With so much public outcry over chemical overuse I am grateful that I can avoid damage to my own health as well as that of my alpacas.”
“Wow, this stuff is amazingly effective, easy to use and it’s so nice to know it will not have downstream effects on my local environment. I have been using Goulter’s WeedX Herbicide around my property to decrease those pesky weeds that pop up repeatedly, like between flagstones, on borders and in flower garden areas. It works quickly and seems to be good at reducing the overall return of weeds. Thanks for developing such a fantastic product that has the potential to reduce toxins in our environment.”