Business Beat: Chef caters to canines

FRANK NELSON

Thanks to Dina Humphreys, a dog’s life may not be so bad after all. The Blenheim chef began making treats for her dog Charlie about five years ago and has recently launched her commercial business, The Treat Dealer.

Now lucky dogs can sniff out those healthy treats – made entirely from locally sourced venison – at the Saturday Blenheim Rotary Bootsale Market and at Hitech Automotive, in Picton. Humphreys also sells the air-dried treats via Facebook, is eyeing Blenheim’s Sunday Farmers Market, and has plans for a website.

She trained as a chef at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT)  in Nelson and worked in a number of restaurants and hotels, including the Rutherford, before the stresses of the job sparked a career change; she spent 20 years as a disability support worker in Nelson.

She returned to Blenheim (having grown up in Picton and Blenheim) and began volunteering at the Crossroads community café, on Redwood Street, which rekindled her love of cooking and where she now runs the kitchen.

By about this time next month, Gina Botham hopes her Redwoodtown business, GMW Jewellery, will be moving from its present location in Weld Street to freshly renovated premises not far away on Cleghorn Street.

The remodelling is currently underway at the former Beyond the Fringe hair salon next to the Redwood Bakery where GMW will bask in 140 square metres of space, twice the size of its present site.

Botham started the business around 2009 and ran it from her home until eight years ago when she moved to Weld Street. With half a dozen busy staff, whose work includes on-site manufacturing, the need for more space has been growing.
Botham says there will even be room for the firm’s engraving machine, which is now kept at her house.

Minnie & Me, a new shop due to open on Maxwell Road next week, is promising everything needed for themed children’s parties along with a wide range of gifts, games, premium licenced toys and more.

Owner Shivam Yadav says the new business will also include a massive candy floss machine, while customers will be able to have their novelty helium balloons inflated on the spot.

The store features such favourites as Bluey, Barbie, Spiderman, Minions, Toy Story and Super Mario. And besides all the usual party supplies like invitations, banners, cups and plates, customers needing help with a cake can browse the baking section.

Yadav and his wife, Meera, are also co-owners of the nearby 2 Fantastic Variety Store, while he and business partner Jignesh Patel own Yum Yum Kebabs, also on Maxwell Road, and The Tamarind Indian Restaurant, on Scott Street.

The new owner of Blenheim’s Ritual Café is Harpreet Dhillon, who took over the Maxwell Road business from Julie McDonald earlier this month. Though this is her first venture into ownership, Dhillon brings plenty of hospitality experience to her new role.

She spent 10 years in the kitchen at Wairau Hospital, another four years at the Cornerstone Bar & Restaurant, in Blenheim, and also managed the canteen at NMIT.

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