Kombucha brewer’s new lease on life
In every aspect of her life, Toni Wikatene is a mother.
In her job as a stallholder at Christchurch’s Riverside Market, she’s been dubbed the ‘Riverside mum’ by her extended work wha¯ nau, checking in daily with other small business owners to offer a friendly face and a korero over a bottle of kombucha.
At home, she’s a single mother ‘‘trying to leave a legacy for the kids’’.
The Kombucha Girls owner said opening the stall last October had been terrifying, but her family’s belief in her goal to offer a healthier, locally-made version of the fermented tea drink to Christchurch foodies had solidified her mission, securing one of the first spots in the complex.
‘‘I’m here seven days a week, but I’m doing this for me and my family so it’s absolutely worth it. They support me 100 per cent, I couldn’t have done any of it without them.’’
Wikatene started brewing kombucha about four years ago, in search of an alternative treatment for her irritable bowel syndrome and to keep her off medication.
She drank it every morning, lost 40 kilograms thanks to a healthier diet and soon noticed her symptoms improving. She was so thrilled with the results, she started giving tasters away to as many friends and family members as she could, brewed from a scoby gifted from a friend studying rongoa [Ma¯ ori medicine]. ‘‘For me, spiritually, that was really nice. I knew I needed to make something of this when friends kept telling me they wanted to pay for it.’’
Wikatene, who previously worked in Ma¯ ori mental health, took a leap of faith, debuting her products at a hui alongside eight other Ma¯ ori business women. That led to a New Brighton Market stall with her fellow ‘‘Ma¯ ori Marketers’’, and inspired a permanent spot at Riverside Market.
Wikatene’s kombucha is brewed at
Woolston’s Three Boys Brewery and, because she sells out so quickly, doesn’t have any preservatives. When her supplies ran dry, she brought in products from Christchurch-based brewers Born and Raised.
Usually, there are four flavours on tap, which she swaps out regularly.
Her 12-year-old daughter and 20-year-old son often join her at the stall, with her sister responsible for managing the financial side.
‘‘This is a wha¯ nau, I know someone at almost every stall and I just check in on them and remind them ‘we’re all going to make it, we can get through this’.’’
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