What We Like

A showcase of the hottest products and places that are the talk of the town.

English country house in NZ

When Peter Allen and Paul Smith bought Hawthorne House in July 2019, they joke that the real estate agents described it as ‘shabby chic’, but they struggled to find the chic. It took them three months to restore the elegant period home in landscaped gardens near Havelock North and reopened Hawthorne House as boutique accommodation. They love the history of it. “The house was built in 1906 in Hastings for a doctor who imported all the stained glass from the UK in 1904,” says Allen. “It was moved to the current site in the mid1960s from Hastings on a Bedford truck, and was a private home for 30-odd years.” Set on around five hectares, the property is an oasis of calm in Hawke’s Bay wine country, and the ideal getaway for those seeking rest and relaxation. The pair have a backgrounds in fashion, food and education here and in the UK and they’d spent the previous 20 years in Auckland running their own businesses. They moved to Hawke’s Bay in 2019 to pursue their passions for hospitality, gardening, art, and heritage. “We’re avid collectors of art – paintings, photography, glass, sculpture and ceramics,” says Smith. “We love the opportunity to display our collection and we’re happy to talk with guests about the works, many by some of Aotearoa’s most highly regarded contemporary artists.” www.hawthorne.co.nz

Homage to the gumdiggers

Boutique distillery Hastings Distillers has created a smoky, winebased sipping gin that tells the story of our pioneer gumdiggers. Founder Kate Galloway says the idea for Ignis Fatuus (IF) was sparked by a piece of kauri gum she found in the bush. It set her imagining what life was like for the Māori and Dalmation gumdiggers who worked side by side in the swamps. “I found the stories of our gum trade and heritage really interesting,” she says. “In really tough, damp conditions, they formed a strong bond as they toiled.” To make the gin, a base of Babich sauvignon blanc is triple-distilled and infused with kauri gum, juniper, kawakawa fruit and black cardamom. Galloway says every ingredient is organic, like all Hastings Distillers’ products. Galloway says she and her French partner, David Ramonteu, wanted to capture the sensory landscape of the swamp – dark, smoky, peaty. “Our hope is that is brings to mind the forest floor, the smoke of peat fires, resin, sandalwood, and that there is a vaguely numbing quality from the pungent and slightly medicinal kawakawa. “The sauvignon blanc is the perfect base, imprinting its personality on the final gin with notes of quince, pear, rose and citrus, which are all common flavours to be found in the desserts of the Dalmations.” Ignis Fatuus is available for NZ$265 for a 500ml bottle through the Hastings Distillers website. www.hastingsdistillers.com

A brighter idea

Let’s bring a little joy to everyday life. That’s the goal of Jeuneora beauty products, says its Kiwi founder, Monique Kaminski. “Our mission is to create beautiful products that simplify your selfcare routine.” Kaminski has a background in packaging and website design, and a passion for all things skincare. She says she saw a need for products that could be a healthy support to a busy lifestyle and the “go-to foundation for beauty”. Starting in 2016 with Jeuneora’s Renew+ Marine Collagen Powder, Kaminski innovated by expanding the marine collagen supplement range and launching a plant-based supplement range. In May, she expanded into skincare with the Essential Seven skincare range – and two additional skincare products have joined the line up since then. Early in the Jeuneora journey, Kaminski’s friend Meg Falconer became part of the team, and influencers Millie Elder-Holmes and Amber Peebles have since become shareholders. The team recently launched a capital raise via Snowball Effect to raise up to NZ$3 million to grow the business, take it international and expand its range of products. “The capital raise will help us fulfil that mission on a global scale,” says Kaminski. www.jeuneora.com