We Love Local is a 2026 Wellington Gold Awards finalist in the Emerging Gold (Products) category.
We’ve been quietly getting on with things over here (and by “quietly” we mean frantically packing gift boxes during Mother’s Day week), so it feels good to share some news we’re genuinely proud of.
What the Gold Awards are about
The Wellington Gold Awards recognise businesses in the Wellington region that are building something meaningful. Being named a finalist alongside some seriously impressive local companies is a moment worth pausing for.
Our fellow finalists
We want to acknowledge the other finalists in our category who’ve worked just as hard to get where they are:
- Mufftech Ltd: Bluetooth earmuffs that let tradies listen to music on site while staying protected from hazardous noise, designed right here in Wellington.
- nil products: Eco-friendly homeware and cleaning products with a simple ethos of nil harm and nil waste.
- Rewa Rewa Station: A working hill farm in Tinui producing NZ wool and fibre products for crafters, from Romney yarn to naturally dyed fleeces.
- Wellumio: A portable MRI device for diagnosing strokes at the point of care, with the potential to save lives by cutting time to treatment.
- Wonderland Chocolate: Plant-based bean-to-bar cashew milk chocolate, handmade in Lyall Bay.
Bluetooth earmuffs, portable MRI devices, plant-based chocolate, eco homeware, and a wool farm in the Wairarapa. And then there’s us, with our wooden boxes full of local goodies. We fit right in.
How we got here
We started packing gift boxes in our garage leading up to Christmas 2018 with a handful of Kāpiti producers, delivered in an electric car (back then, Nissan Leaf drivers were still excitedly waving at each other). Since then, we’ve returned close to $4 million to over 200 artisan food and drink makers across Aotearoa. Every box is packed by hand in our Ōtaki warehouse, and every dollar stays in the New Zealand economy.
Writing that down in an awards entry form forces you to reflect on how far you’ve come. That process alone is worth the effort.
Thank you
A big thank you to Kāpiti Coast District Council for encouraging us to enter again this year. Having your local council actively back small businesses makes a real difference.
And thank you to our customers, our producers, and our small team. This recognition belongs to all of you.
The ceremony is on 2 July at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington. Fingers crossed, but just getting here feels pretty good.
