What’s On

Richmond View School principal Dave Pauling with one of his handcrafted guitars.

Melody maker

WORDS: PAULA HULBURT PAULA HULBURT

The recycled Rimu is burnished bright, its coppery sheen a testament to the hours of careful care and hard work behind its creation.

Giving the guitar a last loving polish, Blenheim man Dave Pauling breathes a satisfied sigh as he admires the result, the latest work in a handcrafted collection.

The brains behind Solace Instruments, Dave builds his guitars from scratch. “I build instruments, predominantly electric and acoustic guitars from timbers sourced locally. Each piece, unique and handmade,” smiles Dave, ever humble about his craft.

In his Blenheim workshop, amidst a plethora of salvaged NZ rimu, matai and totora, magic is made. Motes of sawdust spiral in the woody air as Dave begins to tidy up. His latest creation is a guitar crafted from recycled rimu rescued from an old Marlborough villa. The one-of-a-kind instrument is up auction in a bid to help raise money for Richmond View School.

As principal, Dave hopes it will garner attention and help put money in the coffers to go towards the school’s new $75,000 courtyard. It is a labour of love he is happy to part with. “Working with hands is a family thing. Dad restored cars and while I had every opportunity, I’d rather work with wood than metal. “It’s very much a hobby, one where I can relax. “Hand shaping a piece of wood you find yourself is special. Knowing that rough piece of wood is going to have a beautiful patina that can’t be processed is very satisfying.” Each guitar includes a specially made insignia bearing the cursive logo Dave also designed. He is rightly proud of the newest addition, the Solace Marlburian. and hopes it goes to a good home. “Tonally, it has a great sound,” he says. From the quintessential kiwi offset guitar, the Southern Deluxe, the Solace Marlburian and ” a bespoke custom service, Dave’s guitars are also for sale in The Rock Shop in Blenheim. He also sells further afield through his own website.

“I’ve always played and this interest led me to building several bass guitars over time, first while I was in 5th Form at school, the second a good 15 years later. “Stomp boxes followed, then guitars, basses and a couple of hand-made amps. “Solace instruments started with two interests ‘colliding’, music and wood; the inspiration for building a guitar came via a love for music and a Stew Mac catalogue that was in a pile of guitar mags a friend gave me. “This was in 2009 and I haven’t looked back.”

Working with hands is a family thing. Dad restored “ cars and while I had every opportunity, I’d rather work with wood than metal.

Friendly New World café staff Chrissy Bean, Leanne Scott and manager Christine Farrer. Photo: Emily Marten.

NW Cafe: Catering to everyone

Away from the hustle and bustle of the CBD lies New World Blenheim’s latest addition - a brand-new café. Owner and operator Melanie Shore says they have put a lot of thought into creating a space that’s bright, light and welcoming.

“It used to be the place within the supermarket where the trolleys were kept but with its large windows we knew it had a lot of potential,” she says. The opening of the spacious, family-friendly café, along with a whole host of other store-wide refurbishments and developments, happened to coincide with the outbreak of COVID-19 last year. “It was a tricky time for everyone, but our customers have been really patient with all of the changes. It’s taken almost 14 months and it’s amazing to finally see it all completed now,” she says. These were the first major renovations carried out by owner Melanie and co-owner and husband Ashley who have been the owners and operators since 2013. Customers to the new café can expect to see the same great fresh, local produce and high level of customer service that they are used to in the supermarket. “We’re renowned for our wonderful staff in New World Blenheim, and customers will receive the same happy, smiley service as within the supermarket,” says Mel. The diverse food offering caters to a wide variety of appetites and dietary requirements, whether that’s a mum popping in for some hot chips with her child after school, a couple of friends meeting for morning tea after their shopping, or someone looking for somewhere quiet to work. “Everyone is welcome - we really aim to appeal to all with our delicious hot and cold food and drink options,” Mel says. “We have fresh smoothies and juices as well as great barista-made coffee.

“Many products are made fresh from our high quality in-store ingredients, such as our corn fritters, sandwiches, kumara rostis, Southland cheese rolls and more.

“Keep an eye out for new homemade soup coming this winter.” The café boasts long tables which can be booked in advance for business meetings and is open seven days a week, says Mel.

“There’s plenty of space for everyone. We offer free WiFi and plenty of USB chargers if somebody wants to bring a laptop to work here. Being such an open, light space it’s a great spot for it.” The decor is minimalist and modern with stylish black brick effect tiles behind the counter. Monstera plants line the raised seating area and provide a pop of refreshing greenery. “The prime location on the corner of Freswick Street makes the cafe the perfect place to watch the world go by with a bite to eat and a coffee, from the indoor or outdoor seating. “A big bonus about our location is that you’ll never be short of a parking space - and it’s free,” says Mel. Another new addition from the refurbishment are the bathroom facilities.

“During the renovation we built three brand-new, sparkling clean toilets for our customers to use,” she says.

Rewarding customer loyalty

New World Blenheim runs ongoing promotions which reward your spending in the supermarket with a little treat or discount in the café. “At the moment if you spend $100 instore you receive a half price coffee,” says Mel. “We advertise most of these promotions on Facebook so keep an eye on our page.” The café has its own loyalty scheme that offers customers their tenth coffee for free.

“The great thing about our loyalty card is that it’s linked to your New World Clubcard - so you don’t have to worry about forgetting it. Our customers really love how convenient this is.”

Sustainability and being environmentally conscious is at the heart of New World Blenheim’s ethos, and this isn’t overlooked in the café either.

“We offer free sparkling and still water to all of our customers to save unnecessary plastic bottle usage and wastage,” Mel says. “All of our takeaway coffee cups are compostable and customers can buy their own reusable cups here too. “Come and see it for yourself.” The NW café can be found in-store at 4 Freswick Street, Blenheim and is open seven days a week from 7am to 4.30pm. Follow New World Blenheim on Facebook and ‘newworld_blenheim’ on Instagram for the latest updates, special offers and more.

Freshly made food is available every day for customers looking to enjoy a meal, or a snack.

The bright and airy new space makes the perfect stopping off point.