.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
The Little Big Markets
TLBM is a thriving community hub on a Saturday. In this regular feature, we meet some enthusiastic local stallholders with an array of talents, from cooking to painting, that make the markets such a good time.
Mt Maunganui's TLBM is a thriving community hub. In this regular feature, we meet some enthusiastic local stallholders with an array of talents, from cooking to painting, that make the markets such a good time.
Ruapuke
At 8 months, Koa might just be the youngest (and most adorable!) stall holder at TLBM; she’s been coming since she was three weeks old.
Her parents Arnau Prades and Julia Oliver (below) moved from Barcelona to the Mount in 2019 — they fell in love with Aotearoa after a trip in 2015. “We always had New Zealand stuck in our minds so we decided to leave our jobs and everything we had in Spain to come back here and start from scratch.”
Julia stumbled upon the idea for Ruapuke when she was looking for a good-looking, thin, quick-drying beach towel, and soon realised there weren’t any. They started importing some to gauge demand... “And I can tell you, I would’ve never imagined arriving where we are here today,” says Julia.
Ruapuke towels are made of Turkish cotton and are sized in singles, roundies and big. “We love
using the big blanket as a family towel at the beach, and in winter, we use the same one to keep
cosy watching TV.”
Right now, the colourway includes lots of pretty pastels and neutrals, but standby for the spring collection as Julia promises some bold colours.
ruapuke.com @ruapuke_
Tui Pots
Ever had a problem finding cool pots for your plants? Graphic designer Helen Richards (below)
had the same problem, so she started painting them herself.
“I started painting pots as a hobby years ago. I love being creative, and painting definitely feeds
my soul.” During the first lockdown, she decided to turn it into a business, Tui Pots. “It reflects
what’s important to me: design and quality, being as eco-friendly as possible, and an opportunity
to give back — for every pot sold, I make a donation to the SPCA.”
The pots have bold designs and vibrant colours. There are smaller clay pots and a larger
lightweight Fibrestone range, all painted with exterior water-based paint (eco-friendly and made locally) so suitable for indoors or out. Plus, she offers accessories, such as bamboo stands and hangers made by husband Jason.
She now sells throughout Aotearoa, but The Little Big Markets are still key. “They helped launch
my business but also, since we moved here from Cape Town in 2019, they’ve helped us feel right
at home. The sense of community at the markets has really made us feel like we’re part of a big
crazy extended family.”
tuipots.co.nz tui_pots
Food Point’s ‘Delicious Dosa’
“Dosa in South India is like bread in New Zealand — everyone eats it, any time of the day, and
every house has dosa batter,” says Lakshmi Chanrasekaran.
Through Food Point, he’s introduced many of the TLBM regulars to his gourmet take on dosa.
Lakshmi is a classically trained chef from Chennai, so he’s brought his own refined touch to the dish, which is a crepe-like recipe made from stoneground lentil and rice (so gluten-free), which encases delicious masala fillings such as lamb or tandoori chicken, and served with slaw, coconut ginger chutney and lentil dip. He notes that Tauranga has no South Indian restaurants (it’s pretty much all North Indian food), so you’re unlikely to find other great dosa here.
Everything’s made from scratch (except the cheese and butter), and he buys all his spices whole. Food Point’s slow-cooked lamb, for example, has about 36 spices. “Nothing is processed.”
“I wanted to travel overseas and create something of my own,” Lakshmi says, about choosing to study as a chef in India. “Before culinary class, I didn’t even know how to boil water,” he laughs.
Sure enough, his cooking did take him around the world, including Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean,
on a Miami-based cruise liner, then eventually New Zealand.
Food Point started in March 2019 when he and his wife Uma bought a lunch bar in Macdonald St in the Mount, and soon after, he started bringing his dosa to markets under the ‘Delicious Dosa’ banner.
Lakshmi’s sights are set firmly on the whole country getting to know dosa — he’s currently working seven days a week at markets in Auckland, Rotorua, Hamilton and of course TLBM. “I want to reach everywhere and create the audience,” he says. “Just like like pizza or burgers have become global,
it’s my dream is to take South Indian food to everyone.
“At food courts, you see the menu and order, but at markets, people see the skill, see the food,
they get excited — it becomes a show!” he says. “Nobody knows what dosa is here, but I’m
gaining regulars!”
foodpointonline.co.nz
The Kiwi Artisan Co
You may have come across Dre Hart’s friendly face around Tauranga — he’s been a market regular for years, most recently as part of The Kiwi Artisan Co.
The company was one of those sharp lockdown ideas. Dave Thorn, who had returned from Australia to help his brother with his venison salami business in Southland, saw that other artisans were struggling, especially through lack of sales outlets. This sparked the idea for a company that could create products as well as champion other small-batch food businesses. When he met Dre, he’d
just made the first lot of their now-famous Manuka Smoked Olives.
Dre soon joined the company, operations moved to Mt Maunganui, and the Kiwi Artisan Co became dedicated TLBM regulars.
Dre says their most popular products are the aforementioned olives (perfect on a platter with some Gathered Game Wild Venison Salami) and their own Black Truffle Oil (very tasty on scrambled eggs, Dre advises). “We preserve the olives in olive oil rather than brine and people really love the flavour, which is less salty than supermarket olives,” he explains. “And we’ve partnered with a local truffière for the oil — people love the fact the truffles are grown right here. We’re really proud we can supply local restaurants with a premium Bay of Plenty truffle oil.”
You can order product on their site, including gift sets, and other artisan goodies — from Ocho chocolate and Harvest to Hand Hemp Seed Oil to Gathered Game Deer Sticks. You can also read small profiles on a range of Kiwi artisans they don’t currently stock. “Like the team at The Little Big Markets, we value community. We should celebrate and share what everyone is creating, and help each other find the right stakeholders, customers and ingredients,” says Dre.
The company now has grown to six full timers, retailing in 250 stores nationwide, and the guys have just entered the Australian market. “Through all of this growth, we’ve kept our regular stand at our favourite market in New Zealand — The Little Big Markets!”
