The all-woman team behind NZ's original macaron bakery, J'aime

Back in 2008 Bridget O'Sullivan had a stall at the Christchurch farmers market selling a sweet little treat that some people mistakenly thought were soaps. They were actually the colourful meringue-based French cookie, the macaron. Fast-forward to 2025 and Bridget's business J'aime - French for "love" - has just expanded from its home base in Merivale Christchurch to Auckland's Commercial Bay. Bridget is J'aime's co-owner, along with Denise Morreau, but she's also got an all-woman team pumping out those delicious macarons in flavours that range from pistachio and cherry blossom to champagne and peach bellini. She talks about the challenges of making these tiny treats, but also how the business has thrived through earthquakes, pandemics and an economic downturn.