My Story
The Maker
I'm Tui Goomes, the leatherworker behind Nectar & Honey Atelier, based in the Bay of Plenty. I grew up on the Chatham Islands, where I first learned the craft from my uncle as a child. Those traditional skills have travelled with me — and found a new home in spaces that crave something New Zealand-made and real.
I came back to leatherwork at 21 and haven't put it down since. What keeps me here is the material itself — every hide is unique, every piece carries the character of a life before and the possibilities of what it can become. I work with premium top grain leather — chosen because it ages, it patinas, and lasts in ways only real leather does.
Having lived and worked abroad, I've come home to make things for people who value craft done properly. The wine carriers grew out of the work naturally — one piece leading to the next. But the motivation behind all of it is straightforward: leathercraft is a skill worth keeping alive, and every piece I make should be genuinely worth having. The best wine and the best leather have always had the same thing in common — neither can be rushed.
"Knowing how to make things with raw materials is a blessing. A tradition I've inherited and a treasured skill I share through my work." — Tui Goomes, Founder
