Massey alumna turns toastie dream into a national brand

The Award celebrates individuals making a mark in Aotearoa New Zealand’s hospitality sector, recognising people who demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation and drive.

Taylor has always been a high achiever. While a student at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, she won a Massey Business School Future Leaders Scholarship, which she says gave her confidence during her studies and helped shape the direction she would take. She also found the BBus offered more than just textbook learning.

“It gave me real-world tools that became crucial when launching a business in a competitive and fast-moving industry. I learnt quite quickly that studying marketing didn't mean you had to become a marketer. Instead, you gain a large variety of business-related skills that can be applied to so many other fields or careers.”

Those skills became invaluable after she graduated. While finishing her degree via distance, Taylor was managing a busy hospitality venue, a role that strengthened her leadership abilities and helped spark the idea that would become Toastie Lords. In 2021, she moved to Picton to open the first store, and later became a co-owner.

Toastie Lords’ early success had as much to do with brand-building as it did with what was on the menu.

“While we firmly believe we sell an outstanding product, we also believe our business wouldn't be anywhere near as popular without the supporting brand attached to the product. From the get-go we put a huge focus on social media marketing and dedicated much more time and resources to this than what I imagine a lot of hospitality businesses do in those initial stages.”

Taylor says the Future Leaders Scholarship helped build momentum from the very beginning.

“Going into the experience of tertiary education knowing I would get to be part of that programme truly gave me the confidence boost I needed among all the unknowns and nerves that come with being a first year student.”

There were a variety of challenges when Taylor opened Toastie Lords in 2021, from COVID-19 restrictions and staffing shortages to rising food costs and shifting tourism trends. But these hurdles strengthened her focus on building a thriving business.

“If you firmly believe that what you're doing is something people will support and be excited about, you're on the right track,” she says.

Now looking to expand Toastie Lords across the country through pop-ups and potential franchising, Taylor says the award has reenergised her for what’s next.