Website takes products from Hawke's Bay to the world

Boutique products made and sold in Hawke's Bay have the potential to go global when a new website goes online on June 1.
The brains behind the website Love Hawke's Bay is Napier woman Tina Clough, who has spent the last three months selecting, researching and designing a shopping site for selected local products.
Love Hawke's Bay will initially sell products from 15 retailers ranging from olive oil, to chopping boards, to fresh water pearl jewellery.
Mrs Clough envisioned the website would take Hawke's Bay products to the world, and provide an avenue for Bay expats abroad to get a slice of home.
The idea evolved when she visited the Napier Farmers' Market and found that some vendors with "top quality products" were limited to a local market.
"Many of these producers are not selling anywhere outside Hawke's Bay. But they deserve to go further than the local market. I think I can do them a favour, I can do myself a favour and I can do Hawke's Bay a favour."
The venture had the approval of Napier MP Chris Tremain, who said Love Hawke's Bay exemplified how pooling resources could help grow the region.
He said the website would allow the "literally hundreds of thousands" of locals, expats and tourists to buy Bay products, quickly, easily and from afar.
One of the selected retailers, Kelly Willoughby from Nutrients, said being involved with Love Hawke's Bay meant she could commit more time to creating her handmade products and running her Hastings shop. "We never go out and advertise because I make everything and don't have time." And filling extra orders as they came in through the website, rather than selling bulk to another supplier, enabled the small production to keep a pace they could afford.
All products fit Mrs Clough's dedication to sustainable products.
"I'm extremely reluctant to touch anything that's not produced along 'no harm' principles," she said. "I won't have anything that has harmful chemicals or components or that harms animals."
Mrs Clough was new to the business world, but confident Love Hawke's Bay would prove a success. "I feel very positive and really excited about the quality that I have found. The standard is very, very high and I'm really, really pleased with the 15 producers I have signed up so far."