Neil Hodgson: Destination Mapua heats up
In recent weeks, the business area at Mapua has had a couple of power outages. I thought I would drop out to see how some of the small food businesses were getting on during the second power cut.
The first person I wanted to catch up with was Kirsten Ammann, who owns the Mapua Country Store with partner Tim Fitzgerald. We went down to Jelly Fish at the wharf to chat over a coffee and talk about what is happening in the area.
The first thing I noticed is that everyone is really positive about the redevelopments carried out by Tasman District Council at Mapua Wharf, which means the region now has a wonderful destination for visitors and locals alike.
Before I had coffee with Kirsten, I caught up with Pat Stowe from Rimu Wine Bar, who is also chairman of the Mapua District Business Association. He told me it is a fantastic place to have a business, but there are a few challenges.
‘‘Summer just goes off here, and during the winter weekends are OK but the rest of the week is a bit quiet, so we are looking at what we can do to change that.’’
Kirsten and Debbie Lavery from Jelly Fish are also members of the association’s committee, along with others from the wider district, so there is plenty of energy and positivity trying to make things better for businesses there.
Debbie says they recognise the need for collaborative thinking. ‘‘There is an interesting mix of people and attitudes in the area, and there are a few challenges to work through. A few locals don’t want more cars here, and to be fair, parking is a real issue at busy times.’’
Kirsten told me winter generally is a bit quiet, and some businesses close for a few weeks to have their annual holidays before it gets busy again. But there are still plenty of reasons to visit the area.
‘‘Alberta’s or Rimu Wine Bar are great places to catch up with people, the curry nights at Jelly Fish are packed with locals, the Sprig & Fern is really popular for roast meals on Sundays, and the locals are really supportive of local businesses.
‘‘During the six-week Christmas and New Year period, locals tend to stay away from the wharf area because it is packed with tourists. However, it is great to see it humming and busy.
‘‘It is exciting times – Mapua is really putting itself on the map, and there is still
‘‘Mapua is really putting itself on the map, and there is still room to grow.’’ Kirsten Ammann
room to grow. It is also exciting to see the growth in the area with subdivisions going in left, right and centre.’’
Debbie says the whole Mapua area is morphing into something special. ‘‘There are some fantastic businesses here, from clothes and homeware to ice cream, fish and chips, craft beers and fine dining. And the Great Taste Cycleway is really helping to make Mapua accessible to so many people.’’
The one real issue in the wharf area is car parking at busy times. Business owners still hear people saying they don’t go there because they can’t get a park.
So, what has changed since Kirsten and Tim opened the Mapua Country Store? ‘‘It has been a huge learning curve, especially about owning a retail business,’’ she says. ‘‘There has been plenty of trial and error, and while it seems to have been a long road, we are feeling quietly optimistic.
‘‘One of the biggest challenges has been learning about the fresh produce side of the business – it is a tough sector to be competitive in. Prices change daily because of seasonal influences and weather patterns, and we still need to be competitive, the little guy up against the big guys, but we have carved a little niche for ourselves.
‘‘We cannot compete with the supermarkets, so we just focus on great service . . . as well as stocking things large supermarkets don’t.’’
‘‘We have changed some of our stock to include more organics, but organic produce is difficult. Customers love the fact we use minimal plastic packaging but then they won’t buy some organic produce because it doesn’t look perfect.’’
Other small businesses are now sharing the space with Mapua Country Store. The Mapua Country Collective includes businesses Brook Street Lounge, which sells second-hand labelled clothing and accessories; Gee Marie Boutique Kids, which sells quality handmade baby and children’s wear along with lovely wooden toys and games; and ZEJA Botanicals, which has a range of natural and organic skin care products along with beautiful handmade candles and soaps.
With more small businesses coming on for spring, an exciting collective is taking shape.
Kirsten says there is a wonderful community feel in Mapua, with local businesses supporting each other and sending people to other shops within the community.
‘‘It is a place for people to enjoy and spend some time relaxing, and we see that every weekend when people leave the big smoke of Nelson and come out to our seaside village.’’