The Women Behind The Magic - Supportive and Empowering Women Behind New Zealand Gin, Food and Beverage Producers

The Women Behind The Magic - Supportive and Empowering Women Behind New Zealand Gin, Food and Beverage Producers

This Mother's Day, join us in appreciating the incredible women who have been instrumental in shaping the success of CLINK and the local businesses we support.

Our mission to champion New Zealand's gin, mixer, and food producers is built on a foundation of resilience and dedication, values deeply rooted in the stories of the inspiring women connected to these businesses.

David from Parched.co.nz & his Wife, Nicola. 



Without my wife, Nicola Vallance, Parched would not exist. In our marriage, we operate by a model of ‘equal but different’. We have a range of responsibilities we collectively need to get through for both work and home life, which is often a juggle. We try to play to our strengths, and still find a little time for each other every day.

In her own career, Nic is a force. She has paved a successful professional pathway and currently sits on the New Zealand ELT of a large global insurance company. She role models to our 5-year-old daughter that with a strong work ethic, commitment and attention to detail, girls can do anything.

Beyond her career, Nic is a wonderful friend, wife, and mum. She finds ways to be present for her family and friends, even when it means she must work late into the night to complete her work responsibilities. Nicola is witty, intelligent, and fun to be around.

As an entrepreneur, I have a wide range of functions that need to be delivered in startup and growth phases, so time is often limited. Nic has never complained when I’ve stayed late at the factory or worked through the night. She has always believed in me, even when things have been tough. She provides an objective ear when I am trying to work something, practical help whenever I ask, and her ideas make Parched better. She even came up with the name Parched.

Nic gives me the confidence to get out and take on the world, the stability to push forward with my ideas, and shares the rollercoaster of experiences, good and tough, with a kind heart and available ear.

They say that ‘behind every good man is a great woman’. In our case, we walk together, hand in hand, and are better for each other’s support, both in business and in life.
 

Mars & her Mum, Lovey Stubbs, NZ Gin Day & @Marseys_gin_Gram



My Mum has always been my inspiration and my motivation. She absolutely loved a refreshing G&T. I have lots of fond memories of Mum with her friends and family all laughing away together enjoying their G&T's. 

Mum passed away 2017 from cancer and she was my inspiration why I started marseys_gin_gram and not long after, I came up with the crazy fun idea that everyone should be celebrating New Zealand Gin!! It needs it's own official day and thus New Zealand Gin Day was created. It is celebrated the 4th Saturday in January every year, around the day of my Mum's birthday. Cool aye I know she loves it.

Enter Shaans for_the_love_of_cocktails another inspirational gin lovin gal, who never laughs at my crazy ideas and together every year, along with some talented New Zealand Gin Distillers, we release a limited edition collaboration gin and celebrate all things New Zealand Gin. 

Tupou, CEO at partner farm of Lemon Fresh, Ranadi Organics

 

Tupou has been a long-term member of staff at Ranadi, originally starting as a cleaner, Tupou has worked her way up to becoming the CEO of Ranadi Organics and is an absolute embodiment of an incredible human being that has made the women-impact work done by Ranadi possible.

Tupou is just one of the many reasons that Red Shoots is so incredibly proud of the special partnership that they have with Ranadi Organics, giving us a true purpose to everything that we do to create products that use their high-quality ingredients and drive scale for their work.

Lemon Fresh, together with other Red Shoots brands are proud to work with its partner farm, Ranadi Organics.

 

Jo & Rachel James, Juno Gin



Juno is a particularly female oriented gin/company – named for a Roman Goddess (Juno, goddess of marriage and domestic harmony), the owners are Dave & Jo James. We each bring a strength and passion to the business – for Jo it is for the love of gin and all things flavoursome! We are proud to be a family-owned NZ distillery, making world-class spirits. Our Vodka brand is named Vesta (Juno sister in the Roman pantheon – goddess of hearth and domestic fire).

Our oldest daughter now does most of the distilling, and youngest daughter has been running the bottling line. Our brand ambassador, Tessa, affectionately known as the Red Dragon, leads our cellar door and our cocktail scene. Along with Sophie, our Cellar Door Host, and Merrin & Emma, our Cellar Dwellers, it would be fair to say that the team is 80% women. And that’s not even considering Sue & Fran – Dave’s sisters who have been a tower of strength behind the scenes. Need bottling to happen – done! Need someone on a stand at a Food Show – done! Need lunch brought in for the team when you are all flat tack – done!

 

Steph & Her Mum, Marie, Clarity Distilling Company

My mum, Marie, has been and is the most inspirational role model of all the women I know. 

She welcomes every day with positivity, enthusiasm, kindness and love. Her determination, resilience and ability to overcome obstacles has been a huge inspiration to me throughout life.  She has always been right behind me every step of the way, words of encouragement when I needed them, an ear to listen to me, and an unwavering belief in my ability. 
Without her love and support I would not have been able to make my dream a reality.
 

Helen from CLINK and her Mum, Viv



My mum is the most remarkable person I know. She has always been there for me, no matter what, always ready with a kind word, a listening ear, or a warm hug. She is just the best. She's hardworking, always striving to do her best, and encouraging me to strive for excellence as well.

Her love for life and fun have taught me to appreciate every moment and to never take anything for granted. She is kind and compassionate to everyone she meets, and her values of respect, honesty, and generosity have shaped me into the person I am today. I can always count on her to be my rock, she’s always up for fun and adventure and I feel incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful, inspiring, and amazing Mum.

Katija from CLINK, and her Mum, Nola, and Nana, Matija

 

I'm super lucky to have two amazing women in my family - my Nana Matija and my Mum Nola. They've both done some pretty cool things in their lives. Nana got a Suffragette medal for doing great stuff in education, and Mum was the youngest woman in New Zealand to start her own law practice. How awesome is that?
Our family has Croatian roots, and we're all about hard work, bouncing back from tough times, and being able to take care of ourselves. I've seen how people in my family work hard to make life better for their kids, and I think that's really inspiring.
I'm so grateful to have Nana and Mum in my corner, cheering me on with all my business adventures. They've always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. I can't even tell you how lucky I feel to have them in my life.




There are so many stories like this within the gin, food and beverage industries in New Zealand.  And we are so grateful to be able to share just a few.

This Mother's Day, you can show your love and appreciation for the incredible women in your life with our specially curated Gifting Range, while supporting New Zealand's local gin, mixer, and food producers.

By choosing our Mother's Day Gifting Range, you're not only gifting an extraordinary collection of hand-picked products but also a memorable experience that celebrates the strength, perseverance, and love of the women who have made these businesses possible.

Each gift can be delivered directly to the doorstep of the special women in your life. Plus, you can add a personalised touch by including a written or video message, which will be sent to them via email on Mother's Day, letting them know how much they are appreciated.

Click to see the full Mother's Day range. 

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