VIEWS FROM THE BEACH with Peter White

BEST OF AUCKLAND...

An overview of what is happening in Takapuna Beach from Business Association General Manager – Peter White.
Happy New Year to you all. I hope that you have enjoyed our outstanding weather and had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday break.
I am confident that 2011 will be a watershed year for Takapuna Beach and that we are on the cusp of a renaissance. There have been some significant developments happening over the later part of 2010, which we believe will be the catalyst to eventually turn the town centre around to face the beach (watch this space for further developments).
Takapuna Beach has lived up to its reputation as the Events Capital of the North Shore, hosting a number of fabulous events over the last two months – the North Shore Grand Prix, the State Beach Series, Coca Cola Summer Festival, Beach Soccer Series, Sail Auckland Regatta and the Christmas Carnival, which have attracted large crowds to our town centre, and contributed to its vibrancy and atmosphere.
This month we welcome further businesses to Takapuna and acknowledge those who were recognised in 16 different categories by Metro in their Best of Auckland Awards.
Wishing you all the very best for 2011. I look forward to updating you monthly in Channel Magazine, on the exciting happenings in our most beautiful town centre.
Cheers – Peter White

BEST OF AUCKLAND...

Takapuna Beach retailers were well represented in the Metro Best of Auckland Awards winning 11 categories, with a further five retailers gaining honourable mentions. In the same week UK Conde Nast Traveller, one of the world’s most respected and authoritative travel and lifestyle publications, chose The Department Store as one of the world’s seven best new boutiques. This is the second international recognition that The Department Store has received, having earlier in the year being named best new retail store in the world by Monacle magazine.

Congratulations to our Metro Best winners:

Stephen Marr – Women’s Hair Salon

Bliss - Spa Treatments

Off Wax - Wax

Takapuna Beach Café and Store - Ice Cream in a cone

Lucy and the Powder Room - New Beauty Fad

Black Box - Shoes and accessories

Wild Wheat - Breads

Kiwi Velo (Barrys Pt Rd) - Bike Shops

Lucy and the Powder Room - Spa Treatments

Body Tech (Smales Farm) - Gym

Body Tech (Smales Farm) - Workout

Metro Honorable mentions

First Glass - Wine Shop

My Room - Kid’s Shop

Phoenix Cosmetics - Make Up

Marr Labb - Beauty Store

Takapuna Markets - Market

As further evidence of the strength of our Hair and Beauty sector, two Takapuna stylists are finalists in the Loreal Colour Trophy Supreme Hairdresser of the Year Awards. We wish Ami Walker from Me and Armie Aninion from Servilles all the best.

Also recognised over the holiday break was Marvell Grill, as provider of one of Herald on Sunday restaurant reviewer Peter Calder’s most memorable meals of 2010; The Takapuna Beach Café and Store as one of the Weekend Herald’s best places to dine beside the sea and Takapuna Beach as one of the best Picnic sites.

Magascene provides $13million Lotto Winner

Hurstmere Road retailers Mahenera and Hemlata Kumar from Megascene sold the winning Christmas Powerball ticket to a retired Auckland man, who didn’t claim his nearly $12,991,369 prize for a number of days (keeping Magascene and Takapuna in the news) and wishes to remain anonymous.

Hemlata and Mahenera were unaware that their store had become the luckiest in New Zealand when the draw was made, as they were visiting their newly born third grandchild in New Plymouth.’Congratulations to you both.

Takapuna Beach – the events capital of the North Shore

North Shore Grand Prix - Takapuna Beach recently hosted the eigth annual North Shore Grand Prix, which also doubled as the New Zealand criterium championships and attracted a large crowd of 8000 people. The Jerry Clayton BMW sponsored short races, allowed the public to get close to the action whilst enjoying the hospitality that Hurstmere Road offers. TV1 covered the race in a one hour primetime package, which showcased Takapuna and our beautiful beach.

The event received a great deal of praise from spectators, competitors and the Hurstmere Road hospitality cluster due to the exciting racing, fantastic atmosphere and many spectator friendly vantage points.

Mayor in the Chair

Mayor Len Brown made two visits in two days to Takapuna before Christmas, hosting Mayor in the Chair in a specially prepared beach setting including sand, deck chairs and umbrella, on Hurstmere Green and then judging the Busking competition at the annual Takapuna Beach Christmas Carnival.

Mayor Brown will be back in Takapuna to address a TBBA Two degree meeting on Monday 21st March.

Coca Cola Summer Break

Takapuna Beach rocked over the weekend of 8-9th January to Music provided by the Edge at the Coca Cola Summer Break. Over 10,000 people packed Gould Reserve dancing, singing, playing beach volleyball or just relaxing in deck chairs shaded from the sun by the Coca Cola branded beach umbrellas.

Welcome to Takapuna Beach...

The Takapuna Beach Business Association welcomes the following new businesses to Takapuna Beach.

Wallace Cotton specialises in designing and retailing a unique range of stylish, exclusive home linen, accessories and clothing at affordable prices. With stores in Birkenhead, Newmarket, Wellington, and now Takapuna, and concessions within Ballantynes in Christchurch and Arthur Barnett in Dunedin, Wallace Cotton currently reach over 30,000 customers across Australasia and beyond. Each season a new range of bedlinen, kitchen linen, resort and sleepwear is released. The ranges are designed to fit with existing or heritage Wallace Cotton linen, so that customers can always find something new to fall in love with, and to freshen up their homes each season. The emphasis is on good quality cotton, good design and very good service.

Wallace Cotton – 6-10 Como Street, Telephone 551-7767, www.wallacecotton.co.nz

Oscar & Co is a brand new hair salon in the heart of Hurstmere Road.

Owner, Gene Cooksley is the vice president of the Auckland Registered Hairdressing Association, and industry editor of Trade magazine which is a premier hairdressing industry magazine. All of the staff at Oscar & Co are handpicked specialists from the industry, who’ve come together to do a boutique style salon.

Oscar & Co - 78 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna. Telephone 489 9259, www.oscarandco.co.nz

Why should you shop in Takapuna?

The Takapuna Beach Business Association recently received the latest Marketview report which showed that less than 6% of our catchment area (Shoppers living between Campbells Bay and Devonport, east of the Motorway) spend was in Takapuna (i.e. people residing in or close to Takapuna were spending 94% of their money in places rather than Takapuna). The Takapuna Beach Business Association is working hard to attract quality retailers to Takapuna and each month we will highlight a Takapuna Businesses which we believe deserves the support of you our reader. This month we bring to you Wild Wheat...

Wild Wheat – Hurstmere Road

Wild Wheat has been trading since the end of 1999, originally supplying just to restaurants and cafes. They opened their first store in Mt Eden in 2004, followed by three new stores in Belmont, Howick, and Takapuna. Wildwheat was voted “best bread shop” by Metro magazine in 2004 and has won this accolade every year since.

Wildwheat offers a wide range of European style artisan breads. Sourdoughs are their specialty and point of difference in the market. Their Sourdoughs have a long fermentation process, up to 48 hours, resulting in a great flavour and texture, and keeping the GI rating low. This means starches are broken down, they are easier to digest, and keep you feeling full for longer. It also makes gluten easier to digest, helping those who are looking to reduce their gluten intake.

There are many other various breads in their daily range, including the very popular Turkish Pides, Ciabatta and grainbreads for those looking for an even healthier option. Also on offer are a range of sweet pastry, pies, and savoury items, based around the same philosophy of simple ingredients prepared well.

Wild Wheat - 166 Hurstmere Road (next to GPK) open 7 days a week from 7am. Telephone 4898248, www.wildwheat.co.nz.