Meet the Team - Ashley Te Ako Smith

Posted on Monday, 1 September 2025

Meet Ashley Te Ako Smith

Process Worker at ANZCO Foods Manawatū 

Ashley works in the boning room at Manawatū. He processes carcasses - he'll start cutting the front hind, and as the carcasses move down the chain he'll do the shoulder, ribcage, and other areas before finishing on the rear hind - so he's well versed in many different beef cuts. Then he moves back up the chain and begins processing another carcass.
He first started out at ANZCO in 2011, where he worked on the bandsaw - he says it's a bit different now to what it was back then - it didn't used to have any safety guards but now there are sensors to stop it if a worker's hand gets too close. He also worked in packing and bone trimming and briefly worked in neck boning.
He says the environment here is great, and the people are awesome, and he hasn't looked back since starting here 14 years ago. He previously worked in a shearing shed so is used to having quite a physical job, but he prefers ANZCO because he doesn't have to work in such a hot environment!
Outside of work, Ashley enjoys sports, especially rugby and basketball, and he also often goes diving. He ‘free dives’, meaning he doesn't have any equipment besides a mask, snorkel, and a spear gun which he attaches a rope to, to track how deep he is. He can hold his breath for more than a minute! His claim to fame is that he catches his own seafood - he'll often catch crayfish, but he's also speared a kingfish. He takes his children, a ten-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son, out diving and teaches them how to control their heart rate and equalise their ear pressure.
After a busy day at work, Ashley goes to the gym, spends time with his kids, plays video games (like Battlefield and Rugby League), and works on his te reo Māori course through Wananga Aotearoa.
Fun facts:
  • Marvel or DC?
    Marvel - his favourite superhero is Wolverine!
  • Pepsi or Coca-Cola?
    Coke Zero Sugar
  • Coffee or tea?
    Coffee
  • Favourite vegetable?
    Kumara
  • What's one thing you'd want on a deserted island?
    Spear gun to go diving
  • If you could instantly learn any language, what would it be?
    French
  • Favourite TV show of all time?
    Dragon Ball Z
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