The Little Big Markets

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Kai Fusion

Dan Williams (above) 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.

kaifusioncatering

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Wahine Silver

‍Since becoming a mother to an adorable, energetic little boy three years ago, Monique Marques (above and top) 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 people-person; 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

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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.

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 fast-paced 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.

umamilarder.co.nz umamilarder

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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 mass-produced 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

Words by Carla Bragagnini
Photography by ilk

Art direction by Millie Guest

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