When New Zealand-born and raised Samoan Stella Muller (nee Tanoi) and her Tongan husband Rob plan trips for each coming year, it’s no longer a matter of ‘Are we going to Samoa?’ but when and how many.
The reasons to return to Samoa (her father is from the village of Samatau, her mother from Fagaloa) are growing by the year, literally.
“We usually stay in hotels, which I enjoy and is useful when you’re doing business, but I’d like to set something up in Dad’s village, keeping in mind that we’d like to go there more often and for longer,” she says.
“When we haven’t been for a while, Rob and I really start to crave for it. The slower, simpler pace of life helps you unwind. I enjoy the opportunity to speak Samoan with the locals and there’s nothing quite like having a nice, cool drink with a gentle island breeze blowing.”
Their business is Hot Samoan Boys Chilli Sauce, launched at the Auckland Food Show in July and further promoted at the Pacific Sector Showcase at the Cloud on Auckland’s waterfront in September.
The chilli is grown by locals in Samoa and purchased by Papalii John Ryan, the General Manager of Apia Bottling Company, owned by the Grey family since the 1960s. Because the chilli market is so limited, Stella spotted an opportunity to use the chilli to create a sauce for the New Zealand market.
It bears the Pacific Cooperation Foundation’s True Pacific mark as an authentically produced Pacific product aimed at creating a sustainable export industry in the region. It also meets True Pacific’s high quality standards.
The close ties between the two countries gave her the confidence to promote it as ‘Hot Samoan Boys chilli sauce’.
“It’s primarily about Samoans being men of the land, working in the heat of Samoa to grow a hot product. If they happen to have muscles, well … that’s a bonus,” she adds with a laugh.
The sauce has received good reviews in the New Zealand media, including the NZ Herald’s Viva liftout, TV3 and Dish magazine, with a number of food journalists providing recipes for the sauce.
Their next step is to build their distribution base, including the major supermarkets. Stella’s first memories of Samoa was as a nine-year-old as part of a church congregation.
Although she loved more freedom to explore the land, climb trees and run around than she did growing up in south Auckland a quarter of a century ago, not all her experiences were ideal.
“As a young girl used to a flushing toilet in New Zealand I found that part hard,” she says.
“But much has changed. The infrastructure in Samoa, particularly in and around Apia, is far better. And with some great cafes and eating places around, it’s nice that I can still have my daily mocha fix.”
As a successful New Zealand-born businesswoman who sees Samoa as her second home, a place to unwind, do business and maybe one day live, Stella Tanoi symbolises what the Treaty of Friendship between the two nations is all about.
That’s why her intended visits to Samoa in 2012 provide added meaning.
“Promoting a brand of chilli sauce with the same Hot Samoan Boys in the New Zealand market indicates a confidence in our strong and very warm relationship,” she says.
“That’s why I’d love to be in Samoa when the key celebrations are taking place.”
SAMOA 2012
2012 in Samoa will start a day earlier when, on 29 December 2011, it officially changes time zones to be in line with Australia and New Zealand. Samoa will jump from the 29th to the 31st of December to be one of the first nations to greet the New Year. From Saturday 31 December, Samoa will be an hour ahead of New Zealand and three hours ahead of Australia
Almost half (42.4%) of arrivals to Samoa in the year ending July 2011 came from New Zealand, making it the largest market by far, followed by American Samoa (22.7%) and Australia (17.2%). The VFR (Visiting Friends & Relatives) market, dominated by New Zealand-Samoans, is the largest purpose for visiting with 43%, with holidays (37%) and business (10%), second and third respectively.
New Zealand arrivals also provide 42% of Samoa’s incoming visitors’ revenue The 50th Anniversary of Samoan Independence is one of the biggest events in the Samoan event calendar and will be the overriding theme in its many popular tourist annual events such as the 16th Samoa International Game Fishing Tournament (starting 28 April), the 5th International Samoan Tatau Festival (30 May), SIFA Samoa Golf Open (25 June), Samoa Swim Series (24 July) and the Teuila Festival starting September 2nd.
The 50th Independence Day and Treaty of Friendship celebrations are on June 1, when many families and friends from all over the world are expected to come to Samoa and join in on the celebrations.
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