The team at Bowl and Arrow know a thing or two about smoothie bowls. We sat down with one of Bowl and Arrow's founders Hannah Reid on advice for a start up business and the best ingredients for a smoothie bowl.

NEWMARKET. Could you tell us a bit about how Bowl and Arrow came to be?

Bowl and Arrow. Leish and I met while studying at Uni and instantly bonded over making delicious food on our study breaks. We then went travelling around Asia and after tasting the delicious smoothie bowls in Bali realised that there was nothing like this back home. Let's remember this is back in 2015 so a lot has now changed.

After putting in $100 each and buying lots of different produce we created a bunch of smoothie bowls (most of which are on the menu today) and set off to our local market. The markets were a huge success and that's when we knew we were on to something, six months later we opened our first store in Orakei Bay Village. We now have three stores all within Auckland and have 26 amazing staff. We feel truly grateful for the team that we have behind us.

N. Bowl and Arrow has gained somewhat of a cult following in Auckland, what do you think it is that keeps people coming back?

BA. Ha! A lot of things. We are constantly doing our market research, trying new products, working closely with our suppliers and always have a new bowl to try every month.

N. What do you love most about having a store in Newmarket?

BA. We love all of our beautiful customers who visit us each day, the neighbouring tenants and the vibe that Newmarket has.

N. Whole food, nutritious and high quality ingredients are central to your offering, with a range of juices, raw treats and coffee served alongside the delicious smoothie bowls. How do you go about sourcing your whole food ingredients?

BA. We support local, use organic (when possible) and use the best possible ingredients. We're also always open to trying new produce and meeting new suppliers!

N. Sustainability plays an important role in the business. Can you tell us about your 100% compostable packaging and why this has been incorporated?

BA. We work closely with Innocent Packaging. All of our packaging is commercially compostable and is made from plants. Our other suppliers deliver in bulk to avoid single use packaging and waste.

N. What is your favourite smoothie bowl on the menu?

BA. Brazilian with Fix and Fogg's peanut butter drizzle and topped with Raglan vanilla bean coconut yoghurt.

N. What is Newmarket's best kept secret?

BA. That's a tough one - I am a foodie and love Asian food. If you haven't tried the laksa from Selera you are missing out!

N. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to start their own business?

BA. Advice is so important when starting a business but it's not the be-all and end-all. Sometimes too much advice can scare you off and make you not want to give it a go. While we were quite naive when we started Bowl and Arrow I'm actually glad that we were, otherwise we wouldn't have started the business and we would not be where we are today.

I think you need to work out the basics first. How will your product go in the NZ market? What are your competitors doing and how can you do better? Can you test your product? Go to your local market and get feedback. People at markets are so honest (sometimes too honest ha!) and feedback is so valuable. Once you have done this then seek a mentor who aligns with you and believes in your product, and has the relevant experience to help you get to the next step.

N. COVID has dealt major challenges to those in hospitality. How have you had to adapt your business to deal with these challenges?

BA. Yes! When we were locked down we had zero income. What a nightmare! All stores were closed, catering and events were cancelled, Leish and I knew we had to pivot. We created an e-book, launched our online store, set up online ordering and created social media fitness content for our community.

N. Bowl and Arrow also offers a catering service. Could you tell us a bit about this and how it has been received so far?

BA. We absolutely love our corporate clients. They are shifting away from the classic pastries and muffins and wanting to fuel their team with nourishing whole foods. This is where we come in. We offer a wide range of smoothies, bowls, juices, raw treats and coffee. We offer a wide range of smoothies, bowls, juices, raw treats and coffee. We work with clients all around Auckland such as Adidas, Lululemon, F45 and PwC. If you're interested and keen to book, all our information is available on our website.

N. What are they 5 key ingredients that you need to make a smoothie bowl at home?

BA.

• Frozen bananas
• Frozen berries
• Nut milk of your choice
• Dates
• Pea protein