Interview
The Interview
PIC So Pic, where are you from? I was born in Wellington, and we moved to Auckland when I was about 10. I grew up in Pakuranga, went to St Kentigern College, and then to Auckland University for a while. What was Wellington like? We lived in Khandallah, right above the port. It was a beautiful view, and my grandparents were just up the top of the street. I went to primary school up the road with my sisters. Had lots of relatives and stuff around the place. What were your parents like? My dad was working with his father in a grocery wholesale business in Wellington that they’d established and it had really taken off during the war. It was nationalised and then they sort of bought it back. So my dad was a grocer and he used to work in the warehouse. Then his uncle started Progressive Enterprises in 22
Pic recounts his adventures as a bagmaker, furniture craftsman, giftware manufacturer, reluctant restaurateur, sailing school pioneer and peanut butter mogul. By Jack Martin
Auckland, which was the first supermarket in New Zealand, and Dad went up and joined them shortly before they opened their second store. I think my grandfather put money into the company. Is your family still involved in Progressive? No, they’re all out. Dad’s 89. Did you think you would get involved in the food game? No, I grew up thinking groceries was the most boring thing in the world and I wanted nothing to do with it. I worked in the supermarkets as holiday jobs – checkout guy and carrying bags – and then I worked in the warehouse a little bit. I studied architecture. My maternal grandfather had been an architect in Australia and I thought I’d be an architect. I did a year of intermediate architecture, failed everything, had a great time, and then went back again to do it again and I started going to sleep in lectures and I thought, “This is a waste of time”.