I would like to say thank you to ALL the amazing small businesses who served us during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Whilst many businesses had no choice but to close (rest assured, many of us will be hunting you down as things re-open!), I am incredibly grateful for those who were able to trade and provide services when things felt so precarious.
So without further ado, here are a small sample of businesses who serviced me and my household during lockdown.
Samāori Coffee
Wow, what a find! Such is the joy after perusing a friend’s instagram feed. After the first week of lockdown, I was gasping for a delicious coffee I decided to order from Samāori. What struck me about their website is that it was so authentic and community focussed: Samāori is a brand that supports culture and sees value in giving back and generating income to families in Samoa by sourcing and creating signatures that enable to bring in local ingredients where possible. Creating pathways for our Pasifika/ Maori Youth to be empowered and have confidence is another core value.
The coffee beans are sourced in Samoa and processed in New Zealand. We ordered the regular and ‘Warrior” blend pods and the coffee was absolutely smooth. The coffee was accompanied by a hand-written note which left a lasting impression on me. Also, the brand and packaging is super funky too. Spread the word people!
Well Hung
With a name like that, how could you not take notice?! During lockdown, my partner and I were apprehensive about going into the supermarket to do our shopping, so trawling online for options became a daily event. We wanted to have a BBQ, so we came across these cheekily named website. With meat pack options and individual items, it easy to order and delivery was fast. The meat also came delivered in a re-usable bag. As for the meat? OMG, so juicy and delicious.
Massey Fruit & Vege
During lockdown it was a bit tricky to source fruit and vegetables in an easy and timely manner (unless going directly to the supermarket), so it was great to come across Massey Fruit & Vege on Facebook. The fruit and vege boxes were super fresh and came with a bottle of milk and loaf of bread. Yup, essentials were greatly needed! Ordering online was easy and they were able to deliver free within 8km radius. I also liked how they sent a text message after delivery to make sure it was received.
Gourmet Gannet
http://www.gourmetgannet.co.nz
With many bakers only serving local suburbs, it was bliss to find this local gem in Hobsonville. For some reason, I was desperately seeking Hot Cross Buns (absence makes the heart grow fonder methinks?) so I leapt at the opportunity to order them before Easter. my goodness, these were the best buns I’ve had in eons!
Union Tattoo
I got my tattoo done at Union Tattoo in Wellington a few years ago (Craigy Lee is amazing), so it was heart-breaking to read that they were unable to work during lockdown. Despite this. they still managed to put together some ‘loot bags’, including a t-shirt, colouring book, stickers, snacks etc. I love how businesses can still think outside the box during challenging times!
Fix and Fogg
I had never tried ‘Fix and Fogg’ peanut better until the lockdown, so it in the time of change, comes opportunity! With free delivery from Wellington, I happily chose an assortment of 6 different flavours including Dark Chocolate, Fruit Toast and Smoke and Fire (YUMMMM). Breakfast had never been so satisfying. My favourite combo was Dark Chocolate peanut butter with mashed banana on grainy toast.
SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT…
SOS Business (formerly SOS Cafe)
Kudos to David, Joyce and Naadei for creating this amazing website!
Like everyone, we felt shocked and a bit helpless when it was announced that NZ would go into level 4 lockdown, and thought about the hundreds of cafés, small businesses etc who would suffer. Our local businesses add so much colour and culture to our suburbs, it’s now our turn to give back.
We whipped up this website that will allow us to act as agents for businesses who don’t have the ability to take vouchers a way to do that, and to link to those that can. Many customers are loyal to their local coffee shop or restaurant / bar, and want to help. Now they can – if you used to buy a coffee and a muffin every day, then buy a voucher every day instead (or a whole lot!) and give these café’s a fighting chance.
Fortunately we were able to buy vouchers, so we can’t wait to return to many of our favourite cafes and restaurants!
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