Royal hamper made in Karaka
Some things were kept private during Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s visit with the Queen, but now a Karaka business woman can let a royal secret out of the hamper.
Paddock to Pantry co-owner Melanie Kennerley, thought someone was playing a practical joke on her, when she was asked to make a personalised hamper for the Queen as a protocol gift for Ardern’s visit.
‘‘I had my head in the fridge and I was given the phone and it took me quite a bit to catch up with what this lady was saying - would I help make a food hamper for the Royal Family,’’ she said.
‘‘We started talking about what would go in it, but I was still wondering whether this was real or not. And then we were talking about olives and she said ‘oh it’s actually for the Queen, so I don’t know that olives would be quite the right thing,’ so that was next level.
Melanie had only taken over the Karaka business in October with her husband Wayne. Not even he believed her royal news.
‘‘I rang up Wayne and he was like ‘there is no way that is real, somebody is playing a practical joke on you.’ That was everybody’s first reaction,’’ she said.
Melanie had to make quick work of the royal hamper as she was only asked on the Wednesday leading into Easter.
The hamper featured an Anzac theme, which Melanie said happened by chance, when struggling to find a flower to put inside.
She eventually decided that a poppy nicely tied in some of the hamper pieces and had related back to New Zealand.
Continuing with the Anzac theme, Melanie added a Wellington Chocolate Factory ANZAC bar and some classic Totara Cottage Triple Chocolate ANZAC biscuits.
Other items in the Queen’s hamper included a Hogarth Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Log, a jar of Wild Appetite Merlot Wine Jelly and NoShortcuts Feijoa and Finger Jam.
Since making the Queen’s hamper, Paddock to Pantry has looked to continue to improve its services by expanding into floristry, just in time for Mother’s Day this weekend.
If you want a sneak peak into the life of royalty you can order the replicated Queen’s hamper from the Paddock to Pantry website paddocktopantry.co.nz.