Find culture, cuisine, and craft every Sunday at the Whakatāne Market
When the Whakatāne Market first popped up its tents in 2014, Naomi Biddle was a regular customer. She never thought she’d one day run her own stall - let alone the entire market. But just a few short years later, that’s exactly what happened.
Soon after buying a 90-acre block of kawakawa-covered land in Tāneatua, Naomi felt pulled onto a different path. So she made the big call to leave her hectic operations-manager job in Tauranga, and launch her own natural soap and skincare range; Nomi’s Kawakawa.
Made with kawakawa oil from the trees in Naomi’s backyard, using water from a waterfall on the property, Nomi’s Kawakawa is a labour of the land - and a labour of love. The range of moisturising bars, shampoo bars and soaps are all crafted and packaged by hand. Right down to the labels, which Naomi makes herself.
"In life there are these certain paths you get put on, and it pays not to fight it. Now I really love what I do. I’m just living the dream." - Naomi
Naomi started selling Nomi’s Kawakawa at the Whakatāne Market three years ago, and she quickly spotted the market’s potential. So when the market’s previous owners asked if she was interested in taking the reins - just two weeks before New Zealand shifted into COVID-19 Alert Level 2 - the ideas started flowing. “I thought hard about the name Whakatāne, its history, and what it means to the people who live in this town,” says Naomi. “I wanted the market to live up to that name. To really represent the town, and be a place that its people can feel proud of.”
Naomi said yes to the gig, and she and her business partner hit the ground running. After just five weeks at the helm, they grew the number of market stalls from 12 to an incredible 23. “Foot traffic has grown, and our stallholders’ sales are up around 20-30% on last year,” says Naomi. “Given what’s happening around the world, that’s just huge, and in summer we think it’ll get even bigger.”
"For us, it’s about locals supporting locals. We love promoting Whakatāne’s small businesses, and helping young entrepreneurs get off the ground." - Naomi
From Cook Island comfort food to authentic Turkish cuisine, organically-grown local produce to award-winning olive oils, the Whakatāne Market is home to a world of hidden gems. Homemade knitwear, delicious coffee, fresh popcorn, and pickles and jams are all firm favourites with locals and visitors alike. “Robin’s manuka-smoked cheese is amazing too,” adds Naomi. “It takes your plain old mac and cheese to a new level of wowness!”
At the market, culture is around every corner, which Naomi sees as a natural reflection of Whakatāne’s strong Māori population. A local greenstone carver has had a stall since the market’s earliest days, and a weaver who crafts beautiful flax-work pieces has recently joined the line-up. “Being Māori myself, I’m always on the lookout for locally made Māori arts and crafts,” says Naomi. “I love finding people who are great at making things, and giving them the support they need to start selling them.”
Rain or shine, the market is up and buzzing behind the Whakatāne War Memorial every Sunday from 8am to 1pm. “Just as you come down the hill from Ōhope, you’ll spot the stalls,” says Naomi. “You can’t miss us.” And by the looks of it, you won’t want to.
