FROM THE HEART

During the first nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, Sarah Reed thought up The Grumpy Merino.

Like many at the time, Sarah reflected and looked for things to do to fulfil her. With an existing business and farm that exported merino wool, the complications during Covid with a Norway-based retailer saw an opportunity present itself.

“While the borders were shut, it made us rethink how our business could evolve,” Sarah says.

This evolution came as an additional business when Sarah saw the opportunity to create a 100 per cent New Zealand product without the need to export, supporting the local wool industry, especially merino wool.

The Grumpy Merino makes heirloom pieces. This was inspired by Sarah’s late grandmother, who had given hand-knitted blankets to Sarah’s children.

Now in 2023, The Grumpy Merino is a thriving ‘grassroots’ business. The range now boasts three colour ways of knitting yarn, four sizes in a blanket range, and continuing tradition; they make a small range of hand-knitted baby beanies and headbands, which are knitted by local grannies in North Canterbury.

On top of keeping the business’s carbon footprint low by having the whole process take place in New Zealand, the overall importance of sustainability is not something lost on Sarah.

“[Our sustainability] is a way to give back to the land and our planet. We have thought about this a lot within our brand. Wool is a natural resource; we have recyclable postage bags, each blanket is sold with a bag which can be reused time and time again and most importantly, the wool can be given back to the earth to be broken down when no longer needed.”

Ensuring each piece is up to Sarah’s standards means the pieces take time, but this attention to detail makes the products luxurious, and each means a little something to her and the team.

“All our range is super special to us. It takes around 22 months to produce a blanket, an unreal amount of time, sweat, and tears. Each item in our store holds a special place in our hearts.” thegrumpymerino.co.nz