Companies Office records show the majority of Cowell’s Pavlova’s shareholding has been bought by Kirk Penney, a former Tall Black and inductee into the Basketball New Zealand Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame.
When the Otago Daily Times attempted to contact Cowell’s Pavlova yesterday, a representative declined to comment.
Cowell’s Pavlova was established in 1973 by Ron and Audrey Cowell, who sold franchises in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland in 1980.
In 1998, the Dunedin franchise bought the Christchurch franchise and started supplying the South Island. The business was returned to full Dunedin ownership in 2014 at a Frederick St kitchen run by Kirsty and Matthew Heaton and fellow director Evelyn Millar.
At the time, the ODT reported that ‘‘unofficially’’ Cowell’s had 70%-75% of the New Zealand pavlova market, supplying outlets of competing supermarket giants Foodstuffs and Progressive Enterprises, with annual turnover of more than $1million.
Attempts to reach Penney, 45, were unsuccessful.
Penney’s storied basketball career included representing New Zealand at the Sydney and Athens Olympics as well as being a key player for the side in the World Championships in Indianapolis in 2002, where they surprised the basketball world by finishing fourth.
In 2003, he became the second New Zealander after Sean Marks to play in the NBA, playing two games for the Miami Heat. He also won the 2011 ANBL championships as part of the New Zealand Breakers side.
After stints in Europe and then a return to the ANBL with the Breakers, he retired from professional basketball in 2018.
In November 2023, Penney joined the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team as special assistant to the head coach.
In April 2024, it was announced that Penney would continue in the special assistant role.
In September 2025, prior to the 2025-26 NCAA season, Penney resigned from the Wisconsin men’s basketball staff in order to return to New Zealand.
Penney and his wife, Audra, have four children.
