Base at Your Place
Words Vicki Ravlich-Horan Images Ashlee Decaires A girls getaway in South Australia was just the motivation Amelia Lisignoli needed to turn an idea that had been simmering away for a few years into a reality. The idea began with a trip to Melbourne. Amelia was having a coffee in one of the many funky laneways […]
Designing Your Mood
Are you diving into a home renovation or building project, only to find yourself lost in a sea of design choices? With the plethora of options available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Perhaps you’ve scrolled through countless social media feeds or watched numerous DIY videos, sparking a flurry of ideas. But amidst this creative chaos, […]
Satisfying Seasonal Sustenance
Words Liz French, Images Brydie Thompson The black house in the green garden that is Clarke Road Kitchen has long been a popular fixture for a morning fix, a snack, a meal or a takeaway on a busy day. It is no mean feat to deliver consistently good sustenance and service over a long period. […]
Waipuna Hospice Charity Shop Te Puke Celebrates 10 Years!
Words and images by Brydie Thompson You’ll likely hear Catherine Sipson spontaneously singing before you see her bouncing down the shop aisles. Her enthusiasm and positivity are contagious, making Waipuna Hospice Charity Shop in Te Puke a fun place to work and visit. Catherine became retail manager of the store a decade ago, expanding into […]
La Cave – a touch of France in the Waikato
Words Denise Irvine, Images Ashlee DeCaires There’s a taste of France on offer at La Cave, a culinary treasure on Riverlea Road, Hillcrest, that’s flown a little bit under the radar for the past 20 years. Owner Brigid Sullivan says the regulars to her store – packed with imported comestibles – include local food-lovers, French […]
Those Simple Bare Necessities
Words by Megan Lyon, Images by Ashlee DeCaires BARE Refill Grocery Store (BARE) occupies the street frontage of the newly minted MADE urban precinct in Hamilton East, with an extensive inventory ranging from free-flow frozen dumplings to toothpaste on tap. Underpinning everything at BARE is owner Bridie McNarama’s ethos to reduce waste and packaging, and […]
Mr Goodfellow
Words by Denise Irvine Hamilton chef Brad Bakker became catering manager at Waikato Diocesan School for Girls in January 2020, just a couple of months ahead of the country’s first Covid pandemic lockdown. He and his kitchen team went from cooking for the school’s 140 boarders to overseeing an empty dining room as students quickly […]
Savouring South Australia
Words by Vicki Ravlich-Horan There is something special about South Australia. Get chatting to a local and they will inevitably point out that the state was settled (aka colonised) by free men. I am sure there were some women among there too, but how free they were may be debatable – but I digress. The […]
Waikato Wardrobes
“It’s ridiculous how exciting it is,” says Nadine Waterson, laughing, as we talk about the plans she has to add new storage systems in the house they recently purchased. “Having a designated place for everything through custom designed storage makes daily home organisation so much simpler.” First to get an overhaul was the wardrobes and […]
Office Perks
Words by Vicki Ravlich-Horan images by Ashlee DeCaires Workshop Manager at Fiasco, Luke Powell-Phelps says, “This place runs on coffee!” Often the first one in each morning, it’s Lukes’s job to put the coffee on, so when the team arrive there is hot coffee to be had. It’s a trusty percolator machine for the Fiasco […]