Firm friends

ILLUSTRATIONS BY RACHEL SALAZAR

When a partner in crime becomes a partner in business, wonderful things can happen. Sharing the highs and the lows, understanding creative processes and temperaments, and bringing some fun to the stressful times – working with your pals makes sense. Sophie Carter looks at eight buddy-run businesses and their origins.

Exhibit Gallery

Lucy Jackson and Allen Maher

Meeting at a mutual friend’s birthday party Lucy and Allen quickly discovered their shared love for art. Several years later Allen received a text from Lucy asking: “Do you think that the old barber shop in Hataitai would make a good art gallery?” Both of them knew it would and the next day the lease was theirs.

Upstock

Matt Watson, Philip Fierlinger, and Duncan Ritchie

Fed up with receiving muddled stock orders, Foxton

Fizz owner Matt Watson created hospitality ordering app Upstock in 2019. As the business grew, Matt needed help so he called on his pal Philip (Xero co-founder), who brought in Duncan. The trio are now Upstock’s co-CEOs.

Garage Project

Pete and Ian Gillespie, and Jos Ruffell

When he was babysitting his younger brother Ian (and Ian’s best friend Jos), Pete didn’t imagine that one day the three of them would create a brewery together. In 2011 professional brewer Pete floated his idea and craft beer lovers Jos and Ian jumped on board. “The brewery has allowed us to travel the globe together and we've had some magic moments over the years,” says Jos.

WELLfed

Kim Murray and Rebecca Morahan

Porirua mums Kim and Rebecca noticed that some people in their community lacked the cooking knowledge to produce healthy meals. Together they set up adult education programme WELLfed, teaching participants to prepare healthy meals on a budget. After seven years Rebecca has just stepped down as co-CEO, but will continue on as a board trustee.

Good Fortune Coffee

Matt Wilson and Freya Atkinson

Caffeine fiends from the get-go, Freya and Matt met while they were both working in cafes. “Freya used to visit Deluxe for the same coffee she drinks today… 20 years of soy lattes,” says Matt. The pair teamed up to open Seashore Cabaret (since sold) and Good Fortune Coffee roastery. Good Fortune Coffee quickly outgrew the café, and now has new digs in Petone.

Wellington Apothecary

Jemma Scott, Chantal Cropp, and Laura Jansen

Living in a ramshackle Raglan cottage Chantal, Laura, and Jemma “bonded over potluck dinners.” When two of Wellington’s herbal dispensaries closed the trio decided to use their knowledge of naturopathy to start their own, and nearly a decade on they’re still a dream team. “Together we form a complete machine,” says Jemma.

Abel Odor

Isaac Sinclair and Frances Shoemack

In Amsterdam and searching for a master perfumer for her natural fragrance brand, Frances discovered a YouTube video of fellow Kiwi Isaac. “I assumed Isaac must have been living in New Zealand. Turns out he was in Sao Paulo!” Over a decade they’ve mastered co-working from different continents, and this April will meet in person for the first time in four years.

Proffer

George MacLeod-Whiting and Matt Fanning

Pals of 18 years George and Matt met through high-school parties. At university they took the same furniture-making class and found they had a similar sense of design, both believing that items “should not just be functional but should say or spark something.” They combined their knowhow into design studio Proffer, which specialises in retail and hospitality spaces.