Hemp Butter

Leigh & Hasanthi's Story

Hasanthi Perera and Leigh Franklin take turns selling their hemp butter, along with hemp hearts and hemp oil, at Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.

How did you two meet?

We worked together in the rag trade for 8 years. We quickly connected and have become super good friends ever since. It’s amazing how much we have in common even though we grew up in different parts of the world – we’re more like sisters because we’re in each other’s lives so much.

What do you have in common?

We both come from large, close families and have young children. We both sew big time, and we share an interest in nutrition and love experimenting in the kitchen.

How did your business come about?

We couldn’t find an allergen-friendly, healthy, and tasty, spread. Around the same time, hemp seeds became available in New Zealand, so we started trying to make hemp butter at home. Two years later, we launched our first range of hemp butters. We were the first to launch a hemp seed butter in New Zealand.

What is so nutritionally good about hemp?

Hemp seeds are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that the human body needs from food. Hemp seeds also have the ideal ratio of omega-3 to 6 for our bodies, are anti-inflammatory and are packed full of protein and other minerals. 

How easy was it to develop your hemp butter?

Really hard! Many people told us it wasn’t possible to make a nice hemp butter. It was a real challenge, and we worked hard to create flavours that would appeal to the whole family. We were delighted to create products that have a long shelf life with no preservatives or nasties - just all natural hemp seeds, tree nuts and spices.

Where does your hemp come from?

When we started experimenting, we used Canadian hemp seeds but changed to locally grown seeds as more New Zealand farms started to grow hemp. This little superfood loves New Zealand soil, and the hemp seeds we use are fresh and delicious.

What is your most popular flavour?

Our Vanilla Hazel Hemp Butter is popular with the kids and is often referred to as a healthy nutella. Our Original Hemp Butter is a unique product and has a loyal following.

How does the market help your business?

Hemp butter is not a traditional product, so being at the market allows people to taste our products and ask questions. We love the customers at Grey Lynn Market because they are very open to trying new things and are interested in nutrition and taste. We love how many complementary products are at the market with us.

What has surprised you most?

It’s always interesting how people are using our products. We’ve had people buying for the family and for their pets. One customer showed us how our hemp oil calmed her eczema, and many people use our oil for the high omega-3 content, and the anti-inflammatory benefits.

What do you do in your spare time?

Family comes first and always takes priority. Socialising with friends, trying to be present with our sons and always a focus on wellness and nutrition.

As published in Ponsonby News : October 2023