People

In just three years, Mia Zhao and Andy Shiau have managed to bring the city Eightgrains, Sushi Soldier, TOM, Ramen Ria, Midnight Shanghai, Dose Diner, Gelato and Tea and more. While the list of their accomplishments is long, the pair are as humble as ever. Each establishment they’ve opened has been special to them in a different way and is the end result of careful planning and a hands on approach to hospitality. We caught up with them to learn more about how they keep it all together, and thriving.

In 1993 Stella Fraser Milne launched Whisky Galore with her partner, Michael. Since then this emporium to the drink has become a Christchurch institution where whisky fans both old and new can taste, learn and simply have a good time.

Nicole Zou, chef and businesswoman behind Miss Peppercorn, has been on a full circle journey when it comes to Sichuan Chinese cuisine. Growing up, she didn’t pay the realm that was her mother’s kitchen much mind. Since then, however, quite a lot has changed.

Tom Newfield cut his hospitality teeth here in Christchurch but brings years of experience working in Australia, Dubai and beyond to Welles Street and Earl - two of the city’s most well loved spots for eating and drinking.

Rachel Easting and Anjali Burnett know a thing or two about fashion, after all they have been running their company and brand Twenty-Seven Names since 2006.

Mount Eden-based designer Rachel Mills has made a name for herself as the go-to pattern maker for the likes of Trelise Cooper, Stolen Girlfriends Club, Karen Walker and others.

Meet Jayden Klinac, the face behind For The Better Good, a New Zealand company producing non-toxic, compostable beverage bottles made from plants, not oil.

Holiday Records is breathing new life into the analogue music scene with their stunning retail space in Auckland’s CBD.

Step inside the historic Boys’ High building in central Christchurch and you’ll find your way upstairs to Indigo & Provisions, a stunning retail space with a focus on quality and a great brand story for the curated fashion and homeware items that adorn the shelves. We caught up with owner/operator Dominic Ellett to hear more about the brand, his ethos and inspiration for the store.

Alan Deare has made his mark on the cultural sector and publishing, picking up a swag of awards along the way. A decade on from establishing Area Design, Alan shares his thoughts on contemporary culture, music and the brand identity of some of those neat places he’s had a hand in creating.

In the context of Robyn Guyton’s work, “local vigor” refers to how well prepared a seed is to thrive in its planting environment. Put simply, a seed produced in Southland will grow best in Southland as it has specifically adapted to the region’s soils and temperatures. Robyn has plenty ‘local vigor’ of her own which she uses to leverage and care for the lush landscapes and friendly people of Southland everyday.

James Burt is a self-proclaimed coffee geek who detoxes on Saturdays.

Aaron Hogg likes to build "punk rock trails". Find him and his crew in the thick of it on dig days at the Christchurch Adventure Park.

Well-known about town thanks to his development of some of Hamilton’s new favourite nooks and crannies, Matt Stark tells us about packing away his tool belt and swapping it for folders full of plans.

An architecture graduate, teacher and mum of two, Esther Vreede is no stranger to hard work. But a dark time with depression caused her to rethink and slow down her life, and in time brought forth the creation of something very very good.

A composer and music maker first and foremost, Dr. Jeremy Mayall also has plenty of experience when it comes to collaborating with other artists, because as he tells us, it’s much more fun to create that way.

It’s not often you’d think to send a postcard while travelling to someone at a retail shop back home, but for visitors to Colin’s store, that feels like exactly the right thing to do.

Finalists in the latest SheEO awards, Mônica Senna Salerno and Jenny Oldham are no strangers to building a successful business. We take a moment to hear more about goat’s cheese and what links science to cooking.

We sit down with Emma Mettrick – co-owner of much-loved Christchurch restaurant, Twenty Seven Steps to find out what makes her tick.

Flip Grater is switching up the lunchbox scene with her delivery service, Yumbo.

We chat to designer and maker Keva Rands about the why, the what and the who of her company, Papa Clothing.

Elisha Watson’s business Nisa is simultaneously providing work for refugee women in Wellington while making “kick-ass” undies.

Cook, ceramicist, pop-up professional – there's very little that Ruby White AKA Miss Changy can't do. We sat down with her to have a chat about some of her current projects in the world of food and art.

We sit down with Adrien Taylor to talk textile waste, the fashion industry and personal mentors.

Sally and Sam Hooper are the couple behind some of Christchurch’s coolest fusion restaurants, Pot Sticker Dumpling Bar and Sister Kong Bao Bar.

A chance meeting and a set of two dreams combined led Desiree and Ash to the creation of Cardrona Distillery. The first of its kind in the area, the copious amounts of work the duo have put in is starting to pay off in a very big way.

If sweet treats are your thing, and you fancy them freshly made with local ingredients by a couple of people that have years of experience in the art of patisserie, then Pembroke Pâtisserie should be your first port of call.

If you have a wedding, hen-do, birthday party or any other kind of outdoor celebration planned in Wanaka, you should contact Anna Begg and get your name down quick smart to hire The Caravan, a mobile bar complete with vintage design and smiley staff.

What started as a way to fundraise for a school trip as a 14-year-old, has grown into two roaming ice cream carts, two ice cream shops and a cult status brand for Jed Joyce.

We grabbed a moment with Rick Rudd, aka ‘the teapot man’, to talk creativity and challenges when it comes to owning your very own museum.

We get Catherine to dust off her hands for a moment and tell us what makes Wellington Sourdough a rising star in the baking world.

The clever artist behind ceramic company Wundaire tells us how her successful business started off with YouTube clips and simple repetition.

At the helm of one of New Zealand’s fastest growing fashion brands sits Kathryn Wilson; enigmatic and very easy going, we sat down with her to chat about design and life.

We chatted with the green-fingered entrepreneur Natalie Rose Rutherford of Flowerhead to discuss posies, best work practices and what it takes to run a floristry business.

Let’s be honest, there’s no denying that Rachel Savage clearly has a bit of a thing for food.

If one thing is evident when talking with Sam Ellis of Grizzly Baked Goods, it’s his absolute passion for baking bread and for preserving the time honoured process within today’s instantaneous society.

Taking the humble sandwich to a whole new level, Ruth and partner Jeremy have taken things

It’s not uncommon for James Hay to look around a restaurant and see who’s drinking beer. That’s because as the sole owner/operator of B’Effect brewing company, it’s important to know what’s filling the glasses of local drinkers.

A passionate maker of chocolate ever since she was taught the craft by a man in Ecuador, Liz now supplies stockists up and down the country, with each bar privy to the ethos that means it can be traced right back to the very farmer co-operative where it started its life as a cocoa bean.

The creative force in the Madam Woo kitchen, Josh Emett has impressed eaters up and down the country.

We have a quick chat with Jordan Rondel from The Caker to find out what’s behind the magic in the kitchen that’s got sweet treat lovers excited all over the globe.

Got queries on how bread can be wholesome and healthy? Well, it would be best to direct your questions to Yeshe Dawa, AKA The Midnight Baker.

It would be easy to mistake the impulses that lead Alex Davies as ambition, but it is more like restlessness – a deep, nearly primal desire to keep moving forward as a person and chef, evolving, improving. It’s as if he is allergic to stasis.