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Our Story

We've been asked to tell the whole story about how Chocolate Fish merino started, and why. So at the risk of boring everyone rigid, this is it, chapter and verse.

Born into wool, so to speak, with a family background in farming and sheep, and growing up in what was the wool and clothing centre of England, North and West Yorkshire, wool was what we all wore. Back then the wool we wore was British lambswool. My first longjohns and vests were lambswool mixed with a bit of silk to keep down the itch factor – very like what Mallory would've worn. These lasted years and kept out the cold in a time of single glazing and no central heating (just like New Zealand today)! I remember sleeping in them in the winter when we'd wake up to thick frost on the inside of the bedroom windows!

Before going up to uni I worked for a couple of years for a riding and skiwear company in Leeds, where I learnt about cutting, sewing and finishing. I then went off to Uni at Sheffield, to read English Language & History, where my tutor frequently despaired that I “knew more about sheep than I did about English Literature”! Years of youthful traipsing over the Yorkshire Moors, helping out with tupping, lambing, and dagging, had given me a rare acquaintance with the sheep of the Yorkshire Dales. I had also learnt to shear and sort, clean, card even handspin, and knit - not brilliantly well it has to be said - but enough to give me a long love affair with the properties of wool. During my Uni years Mam Tor and Kinder Scout were my playground and I was on occasion even to be found in Iceland where I hung around Ejyafjallajokell, and Thingvellirvatn - which thanks to studying Old Norse I can even pronounce! So good gear was always essential even then. However little did I know.....

Eventually, and whilst standing on St John's Bridge, Cambridge - don't ask! - I met a geologist whose idea of a good time was somewhere at the top of a mountain communing with rocks. These mountains were the Pyrenees, Scottish Highlands, Alps, Snowy Mountains, Rockies, Southern Alps - and a few more I've forgotten. The outdoors was where he worked and I tagged along for the fun of it.

I eventually ended up working in the Museum sector where I dealt with ancient fabrics and costume – most of which were wool. As my specialist subject was military history, uniforms came into it quite a lot, and again, these were invariably made from wool.  Occasionally I would also be involved in filming which meant standing around in the freezing cold on location somewhere cold and miserable for hours on end. Serious clothing was always a priority.  On one occasion in a bitterly cold November, where someone with the necessary expertise and certificates for handling firearms and blackpowder was needed. I ended up spending weeks standing around on the moors around Ilkley and Halifax looking after a variety of muskets, Baker rifles and edged weapons. There was a deep hard frost for the entire time, and it snowed as I remember. Was I grateful for my woolly underwear!

In the furtherance of my predilection for building cannon and firing them, I was a member of a re-enactment society for many years. This is an expensive hobby, and I funded it by selling the wool cloth, usually Melton, necessary to make replica clothing. When firing black powder weapons, it's essential to wear clothing that won't catch fire, as sparks fly everywhere. For this reason my cannon crews were only allowed to wear 100% wool clothing, as wool is inflammable.

During these years, we would be putting on battle re-enactments in the height of summer. Imagine, in heat of over 30o wearing, over linen shirts, a heavy Melton wool doublet, heavy Melton wool britches, woollen stockings, all topped off with thigh-length leather boots, a leather jerkin, leather gauntlets, and with a wool felt hat! Surprisingly enough, I rarely felt over-heated – such is the property of wool in managing body-climate.

My husband and business partner is also a lifelong outdoorsman – not so much for recreation, though that was always there, but for his work. As an academic Geologist, his work has taken him from the Newfoundland ophiolite, to the Southern Alps, and almost every mountain range in between.

Good gear is essential, indeed it can be a life-saver, especially when he could find himself in the wilds of nowhere for weeks on end, and with no way of contacting the outside world. These were the days before mobile phones and the internet, but even now, it isn’t always possible to make contact with the outside world!

It was during a trip to the Southern Alps that Chocolate Fish Merino was born. Times had changed. Britain had joined the EU, and suddenly synthetics were everywhere and farmers no longer were subsidised for their wool, only for the meat. The beloved but worn out woolly undies were irreplaceable :-( Synthetics are better said the manufacturers (some would say “lying through their teeth” but we couldn’t possibly comment!) so this is what I had bought to take with me, there being no alternative readily available. It took a single day out in the mountains to realise that the manufacturers lied! The synthetics felt nasty, didn't keep me warm, and after just a day, stank to high heaven. I was a rabbit of negative euphoria- not a happy bunny!

Fortunately for me - and him, I was able to acquire what the locals wore – superfine merino longjohns and long sleeve vests. Bliss! Comfort! Warmth! And all without the bulk of the synthetics. As a wool-lover to start with, I was hooked, and bought up a bundle for the family. On our return to the UK, I kept being asked to get the same stuff for other people, so the idea of Chocolate Fish Merino as an internet retailer was born.

Initially we started by bringing in a standard range from a company in South Island. Whilst it was superfine merino, it wasn't 100% New Zealand merino, as they also used Australian merino. It was a decent label, and sold well. However we found that the standard cut and design didn't entirely suit the UK outdoor market. We wanted something better and looked at having our own designs made.

Through our sock maker we were introduced to Chris, a lovely guy and wool-man through and through, who had worked for Designer Textiles for years. Through Chris we were able to source fabric and Chris organised production on our behalf from Soma-President in Hastings. All went well and I went out to New Zealand to visit Chris, Soma, a knitwear company who had been suggested to us, and our shipping agents, ICE.

As it happened, my route took me to visit Harold Trigg at Soma first. It was instant friendship, and I spent a happy couple of days with him at the factory, meeting his terrific workforce, and seeing the state-of-the-art machinery needed for handling superfine merino jersey. A few days later I was having lunch with Chris and his wife and small son near Bay of Islands – a lovely family with whom I felt an immediate rapport.

Everything in the garden was rosy, and I took off for a bit of a site-see up to Cape Reinga, and on an overnight stop on way back I called the knitwear company to let them know I would be with them in a couple of days time. I thought they said “Have you heard from Chris?”, and I said yes, I'd just had lunch with them. But they had said “Have you heard about Chris?” To my horror, they told me he had died! I was in tears. Chris was a lovely man, only 51. Very selfishly, I was also worried for our fledgling company. Chris sourced our fabric and liaised with the manufacturers. How on earth could we continue? I headed back to Auckland where I contacted the knitwear people, and Harold at Soma.

If I had not been out in New Zealand, I doubt whether Chocolate Fish could have continued. However it was arranged that we would attend Chris's funeral together, all driving up from Auckland, with Harold joining us from Hastings. During the drive it became crystal clear that Harold and I were on exactly the same wavelength when it came to ethical production, quality, training and keeping the best people. Unfortunately it also became obvious that the knitwear guy was a racist, making comments that made Harold and I cringe. I knew then that I would never source from this guy's company.

Since then, Harold and Soma and ourselves have worked hand-in-hand with son and business partner Tom spending several weeks at the Soma factory. Through Harold we've been able to source our fabric exclusively from Designer Textiles, using their MAPP – Merino Performance Programme – fabric for our baselayers. This is the only merino fabric that is specifically engineered for the rigours of outdoor activity.

Harold Trigg, MD at his Soma factory, Wilson Road, Hastings

Harold was one of the guys who made Icebreaker’s reputation for them in the early days when Icebreaker gear was still made in New Zealand (long since past).  His experience of handling superfine double jersey merino and making base layer clothing is second-to-none and he is probably New Zealand’s leading expert in this.

Harold also introduced us to the wonderful MKM - Manawatu Knitting Mills who now produce all our Merino-Possum and Wool-Possum knitwear. And also The Kiwi sock company, who after our Rotorua sock-maker retired, now supply our socks.

So out of tragedy, came success and we will always be indebted to Chris and remember him for introducing us to Harold and Soma.

Unlike all our competitors, you will note that we actually tell you who makes our gear for us, and where they are.  We don’t hide behind ISO numbers or vague answers when asked where are gear is sourced. We can rely on New Zealand’s civilised labour and environmental laws that give workers and the environment all the protection needed.  If you find yourself in the Hawkes Bay area you can even pay them a visit!

Merino Baselayers 195 gsm Merino baselayer & tops 260 gsm

260gsm Merino Crews 260gsm Merino Zipnecks 260gsm Merino Hoodies

Men's Singlets Merino T-Shirts Merino 190 Long sleeve Crews Merino 260 Merino Long-sleeve Crews Merino 190 Zipnecks Merino 260 Zipnecks Merino 260 Hooded Tops Classic wool sweaters

Classic wool sweater Classic Wool Zipneck Merino-Possum Zipneck Sweater

Women's Merino Camis Women's Merino Singlet Women's Merino T-Shirt Women's Merino "Freedom" Leggings

Merino Beanies Merino Balaclava Merino Neckgaiters & Buffs Merino Wool Socks

Merino-possum reviews Merino Possum Beanies Merino-Possum Gloves Merino-Possum Scarves Merino-Possum Socks Merino-Possum Zipneck

MKM Original Wool Crew MKM Original Wool Zipneck MKM Original Merino-Possum Zipneck 36.6 Double Possum range

36.6 Full-zip Gilet 36.6 Zipneck 36.6 Hoodies