Hawke's Bay Boutique Shopping Tours

Dael and I hosted our first Bibby + Brady Boutique Shopping Tour recently, and it was a great success. We had an awesome group of ladies who really enjoyed meeting and spending the day with other like-minded people, as well as all the amazing shopping.

The day started at our tiny studio at 9.30am with coffee and food provided by F.G. Smith and an introduction to our work. We have a few bits and pieces for sale, and we also had a small collection of beautiful Mekka products available.

We then headed down the road to Aroha where owner Melaina Newport talked to us about their work, and let us have a sneak peek behind the scenes where artist and co-owner Rakai Karaitiana was hard at work.

Everyone piled into the mini van and we began our road trip heading up the hill to Homebase Collections. The Culy house is one of Napier's heritage homes and is absolutely beautiful. Billie Culy was there to greet us, as Leanne was away that day, and she was delightful, telling the girls all about the artwork and homewares on offer.

Martin and Megan Poppellwell kicked off Fizzy Friday for us in their cool gallery SPA_CE, with a glass of bubbly (sparkling water for me - the downside of being the driver!). Martin's artwork and pottery is so impressive, and Megan talked to us about all of his work as well collaborations, such as rugs and furniture he's worked on.

We then headed out of Napier and over to David Trubridge's studio. It always makes me smile, this amazing building nestled into the rural/industrial setting. David's business manager, Josh Lynch, gave us a really insightful talk about David's background and how the business grew from something small to an internationally renowned brand.

All this shopping makes a girl hungry, so there were much approval when we took everyone into the private conservatory at Birdwoods Gallery in Havelock North. The room was decorated with green palms, pink flamingo sculptures, and tiered plates filled with tiny sandwiches, savouries, and sweets. There was more bubbly to wash everything down, and the gallery and sweet shop provided more shopping opportunities.

The drive from Birdwoods to So Vintage in Te Awanga is such a lovely, scenic one. French-born owner, Mehdi Sanssar had just returned from France where he filled a container with more amazing vintage and antique pieces. He was able to talk to everyone about the pieces they had in-stock, their background, and what was due to arrive in their new shipment.

The tour ended back at the Bibby + Brady studio where last minute shopping and mingling was done. All in all a super fun day and we can't wait for the next one - check the website for upcoming tour dates. Each of our destinations provided something special, including some great discounts exclusive to our shoppers. Everyone felt very special (which is our aim) and each shopper leaves with a guide to "discovering your interior style" and styling tips, so they can put that into practice at home with all their new purchases. 

Why not get a few of your friends together and book one of our upcoming tours - you're guaranteed to have a blast, and a group booking discount applies.