Covid 19 coronavirus: The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker: How level 2 will change lives

Rob Simpson, owner of Jackson's Bakery, Havelock North. Photo / Warren Buckland

GOLOCAL

Under lockdown, some of our most traditional businesses were fighting for survival. Under level 2, the adaptations forced on them could help them thrive. Sahiban Hyde reports.

The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker.

All three exist in the Hawke's Bay business scene, but all three say they've had to adapt to make it through alert level 3 and 4.

If level 2 is announced on Monday, it'll come as a huge sigh of relief.

Waipawa Butchery owner Annabel Tapley-Smith said under the current restrictions they could not have the doors of the butchery open.

"Our online business, which was being operating even before Covid-19, has increased substantially," Tapley-Smith said.

"We have managed to retain all our staff and provide enough work for them for a full week, but the shop being open is really important to us."

She said with online orders they have been delivering the meat by themselves in their two vans.

"In the past six weeks we have had really large volumes go out to Hawke's Bay and around the North Island."

However, she said, in level 2 they would like to balance their online orders with orders in-store.

"New Zealanders are very sociable and they like to get out and about. We would love to retain online and have it as a really strong arm to the business."

Havelock North's Jackson's Bakery and Cafe owner Rob Simpson said while they had also been operating online, having the premises open was exceedingly important.

"We have the front of our cafe open in level 3 selling bakery items and coffee," he said.

"We have managed to keep our staff on, but we are really looking forward to more sales. We've lost tens of thousands of dollars in revenue with level 4 Covid-19 restrictions."

And while things had improved in level 3, the improvements were "not enough".

"Right now we only have half the sales we normally do, we hope it improves."

At Hohepa's candle making facility at Clive, production of candles had to be stopped altogether in level 4.

Hohepa was formed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining home schools throughout New Zealand for the curative education and social therapy of children, young persons and adults with intellectual disability.

General manager Santiago De Marco said at level 3 they resumed the production on a small scale with a small number of candle-makers who all live in the same "bubble".

"At level 2 we will be able to have our full team of experienced candle-makers back on board which will be great and we can start the production in almost the same way as usual," he said.

"We have all safety measures in place to keep everyone safe. We will focus on phone/email orders. Production will resume to normal with required safety measures in place. "

Thirteen candle-makers and two support staff are involved in the process, of which one is the manager of the workshop who takes care of the business side, he said.

"Financially and otherwise The Hohepa Candles gained popularity over the last few years. Sales are processed throughout almost 100 different outlets across NZ," he said.

"This is a great gain for the whole disability community as it shows a very-strength based picture of people with disabilities, leading to opening up opportunities in the community."