The Little Big Markets

TLBM is a thriving community hub on a Saturday. This issue we meet a diverse range of local stallholders with an array of talents, from sourcing artisanal homewares and jewellery to whipping up excellent street food.

Wahine Silver

Since becoming a mother to an adorable, energetic little boy three years ago, Monique Marques (right) has been on a mission to inspire others to find their identity as women and as mothers. “I love making women feel empowered,” says Monique. In that spirit, a year and a half ago, she founded Tauranga-based Wahine Silver. Monique sells quality sterling silver 925 pieces made by artisans from her homeland of Brazil. She works closely with the makers, at times designing the pieces herself. Her range includes necklaces, chokers, bracelets, earrings and pendants. “It’s so important to be part of the community,” she says, which is why she loves being a vendor at TLBM. Monique’s a peopleperson; she thrives on engaging with customers and has impeccable taste when helping to select jewellery.

Monique feels that wāhine are often called to wear many hats in life, sometimes losing themselves in the process. But just like tarnished silver jewellery, sometimes it just takes a little TLC to bring out the shine once again. “When women wear my jewellery, it’s a reminder that they can shine and feel their inner glow and have the power to follow their dreams.” wahinesilver.com @wahinesilver

Kai Fusion

Dan Williams (left) went to culinary school in his hometown of Wellington, but always kept his passport handy. He worked in Australia, the UK and US as a chef, before returning to New Zealand and launching the Kai Fusion food truck with his wife Julianna in 2017.

Dan specialises in up-scale Asian street food and at TLBM, he’s best known for the pork bao buns and hawker rolls, but his time overseas allows him to cook French, Mediterranean, Mexican and more. “I’ve got a broad range of recipes, so I can cater for any type of food,” he says.

The idea for a food truck came from working in the States for a mobile catering company, seeing spontaneous food pop-ups on the streets of LA, as well as from his profession. “Being a chef you never really have time to sit down, so it’s awesome to be able to eat amazing food on the go,” Dan says.

The connections at the markets have helped Kai Fusion catapult into the world of catering weddings and other functions through word of mouth and private requests. “The markets help me brand and promote my business — without that platform, it would be like starting completely from scratch,” he says.

Green Tiger Interiors

Amber Miller is a multi-disciplinary talent — an interior designer, an artist and the founder of the homeware store, Green Tiger Interiors.

“It started off with a need and desire for colour,” she says. Having lived overseas for over a decade, in the UK, Kuwait and Qatar, her far-reaching experiences inspired a love of vibrant hues, travel and design, which are all channelled into her fair trade shop of handcrafted global goods.

While working as a nurse-turned-teacher in the Middle East, Amber was able to travel with her husband, prompting exotic trips to the ruins of Petra in Jordan, the rock formations of Cappadocia in Turkey and the peaks of Zhangjiajie, China. “We would fly into a country in Africa with nothing booked, not knowing where we were going next,” she recounts.

In 2013, she returned to New Zealand and to her roots in art and design, studying to be an interior designer. Five years later, with all these experiences in her metaphorical backpack, she tapped into her international contacts to launch Green Tiger Interiors, selling artisanal goods, including baskets, jewellery, throws and rugs, made by expertly-skilled craftspeople from around the world. In a time where many things are massproduced and poorly made, Green Tiger Interiors offers high-quality and durable products made by hand. “People are going back to appreciating the workmanship of the handmade, the environmental — and looking after and supporting communities.” This summer, Amber brought her online shop to life at TLBM. “I wanted to... meet other people and crafters in Tauranga,” she says. “I needed to get out in the community, and also use my interior design side.” Her services include colour consultancy house calls at an affordable flat rate. “I just love going to a person’s house to help them — that’s what feeds me...” Amber hopes to mitigate rising shipping costs by also selling some of her own artwork — canvases of colourful New Zealand landscapes that are painted with bright, playful strokes that match her shop’s colourful vibe. The next phase might involve bringing the community in — she dreams of one day opening up her home studio to showcase her offerings. greentigerinteriors.co.nz @greentigerinteriors

Umami Larder

For Colleen Harrington, eating good food made with care is more than a way of life, it’s her family heritage. “I come from the handmade, the homemade and the homegrown,” she says. The kitchen and garden of her parents and grandparents taught her to value the “slow journey to deliciousness” — a concept she passed onto her children and grandchildren.

Umami Larder was a natural progression for Colleen, after a lifetime of preparing homemade food that sparks joy and conversation. In 2021, Christmas gifts from her kitchen were so highly praised that they unexpectedly became the business’s first prototypes. “It started with our family and friends...” she says.

With the encouragement of her daughter Holly Johnston, a creative professional based in the UK, the two partnered up to launch an initial line of bar nuts, using Colleen’s culinary know-how and Holly’s skills on the e-commerce side. Just over a year later, they expanded to include nut dukkahs, buckwheat and seed crumbs, dry rubs and sauces.

Their artisanal, ready-to-use products can be tossed and sprinkled onto everyday meals or served as stand-alone snacks. In Umami Larder’s world, your morning porridge meets the floral and citrus goodness of a cardamom, rose and pistachio dukkah, while a toasted five seed scatter takes an omelette to the next level. “You can have a simple salad and top it with a blend that I’ve taken the slow journey to create,” Colleen says. With an ethos focusing on spray-free, organic and local, Umami Larder prioritises sustainable and ethical practices in ingredient sourcing, packaging and its supply chain. umamilarder.co.nz @umamilarder

Maintaining a sense of closeness, although the pair are a world apart, helps the business run smoothly. “Every single market mum has, I stay up — it’s my way of being there,” Holly says. If there’s a problem with the point-of-sales or website, Holly’s there, virtually.

They are grateful for the opportunity to connect and create community at TLBM. “We live in a fastpaced world — The Little Big Markets slows everything down,” Colleen says. “No one is in a hurry.” She gets the chance to share recipes, taste test, receive feedback, follow up with regular customers, as well as support other vendors, which is important to them both.

Fuelled by a love of good food and good people, the future promises product and wholesale growth, and dreams of women-centred events, homewares and community outreach. One thing’s for sure, even though Umami Larder is founded on the concept of slow food, it shows no signs of slowing down.