Meet the Maker: Marco and Tess Partridge and their practical ways.
Marco and Tess Partridge create practical products that have less impact on the earth
Recognising the large amounts of waste in the world prompted Marco and Tess Partridge to start their own business, Crafty Gatherer, to help people live more efficiently and sustainably in their homes and gardens. Among the items made by the creative pair, who live in an upcycled shipping container with their three sons Tahl, Jai and Odi in Te Puke, are the clever Forksta aerating tools, pulley laundry racks, recycled rimu bread knives and even a nifty fly swat. All their products are 100 percent New Zealandmade by them and a few other like-minded artisans using mostly natural materials – Marco, a qualified builder, particularly loves using native timbers but steel, leather and linen feature in the range too. New items are always under way in the workshop; at the moment they’re working on a wooden barbecue scraper, flat-pack compost toilets and, always in the background, a solar dryer. “We believe in living within the natural cycles of our planet, being connected to the seasons, our communities and the earth that sustains us – so most of our products are inspired by this,” Tess explains. “We are people of this earth who are in tune to gather and harvest from our lands.” The Partridges hope their message that simple everyday choices can make the biggest impact on the earth will soon become second nature for more people, “from the food we eat and how we connect with our neighbours to the clothes we wear and the businesses we buy from”.
Our favourite things: Our kids inspire us every day to be better, live lighter and to have fun (1). When we are in nature we feel grounded and are brought back to our purpose (2). The garden is our creative outlet and also provides for our daily meals (3). Second-hand, recycled goodies – the joy of providing for yourself with what is around you is deeply satisfying and we always aim to reuse materials (4). See craftygatherer.co.nz.