This week we talked to Cat and Rich from Batchwell and Blume Cooler about superpowers, time travel and their biggest lessons from 2020.

Full Names: Catriona Louise Toop and Richard James Old

Introduce each other in one sentence:

Richard is the most curious person I know - a man of many interests and talents, and absolutely loves a yarn.

Catriona is my wonderful, straight shooting, funny, passionate, spin bike loving wife and business partner.

Tell us the biggest lesson you learned in 2020 (for Cat / for Rich / and for the business)

Cat: I’ve learned that it’s OK to stay in one place for a while. I have spent the last several years living our dream of ‘bi-coastal living’ between Los Angeles and Auckland, however the world is a very different place at the moment, and it took me quite some time to settle in and embrace being grounded for the time being. 

Rich: like many others, the inner workings of Sourdough. 

Business: we’ve learned the joys of paying taxes. No one enjoys paying tax, but the support from the wage and resurgence subsidies kept all staff employed and the business still alive and kicking into 2021.

Cat, you’re wearing the Proud as Punch dress in Black Gingham. What made you pick this?

I am obsessed with Gingham, I love the fitted waist and am a huge fan of a puff sleeve. It's something I'm excited to wear through the winter with boots.

Rich, you’re wearing the Equality Shirt in Sage, don’t you just love it? Tell us why you love it.

I sure do love it! The colour, fit, and of course the linen factor. I felt just as fabulous lurking around Western Park as I did going out for a fancy dinner afterwards.

Cat, superpower?

I've realised I'm a brave person. I often jump with no idea where I'm going to land. I take risks and always think everything will work out. I also do a really great Irish accent.

Rich, if you could time travel once, when and where would you go?

Assuming this is as an observer, and my actions in the past wouldn’t alter the course of history.. I would have a month in New York 1993 and attend Jeff Buckley’s recorded shows at Sin-E in the East Village. This album was a biggie for me in my formative years, and I never knew who he was until he was no longer with us. Also as I was 8 and in Palmerston North, making these gigs would have been a stretch had I known about them.

Thank you to Cat and Rich for being part of our hej hej community - we love getting to know humans that love linen as much as we do. Support Batchwell and check out their new kombucha cooler @blumecooler.

Photos by Katya Old