From source to sauce: Apostle spreads the good word

When starting their hot sauce business, Wellington couple Lydia Harfield and Mat Watkins were determined to eschew the product’s male-focused reputation. “While coming up with a name and brand we noticed how hyper-masculine many other brands were with depictions of pain, skulls, and flames. We wanted to be the complete opposite of that,” says Lydia. Instead, the couple turned to their shared love of Roman Catholic stained glass and Greek Orthodox iconography. They settled on Apostle for the name, with the religious theme guiding their brand.

Lydia was studying graphic design at Massey at the time, and designed Apostle’s look and feel. She turned to a local tattoo artist, Juju, to bring their saints to life. The pair took great care in the details of each saint. “We wanted to pay tribute to their stories. We incorporated some of these elements into their depiction such as Saint Phillip preparing the bread in the multiplication of loaves.”

The saints each watch over a specific Apostle product. From Saint Philip’s roasted capsicum and chilli sauce, to Saint Francis of Assisi’s kimchi ketchup. They are the guardians of Mat and Lydia’s unique and carefully curated recipes.

“We consider every aspect of them, from the inside to the outside. We spend weeks or months fine-tuning them for the best possible flavour, spice level, texture, colour, complexity and usability.” The process can be time-consuming, but it ensures every product meets their standards.

Apostle’s chilli oil took three years from conception to shelves. The couple made various versions, experimenting with flavours and combinations. Eventually, they landed on the recipe that would form their Mary Magdalene crispy chilli oil. It “checked all the right boxes of savoury, salty, sweet, spicy and complex.”

While Lydia is behind Apostle's aesthetics, Mat is usually responsible for the recipes and flavour combinations. It was Mat’s homemade creations that sparked the idea to start a hot sauce business in the first place.

“Mat’s always loved playing around in the kitchen. He often popped over to the neighbours with various creations,” says Lydia. When the couple moved from Kelburn to Paekākāriki in 2018, they were keen to meet people and get involved in the community. They started going along to the monthly markets. With some encouragement from Lydia, Mat started taking his homemade hot sauces to sell.

The sauces were positively received. “We got immediate feedback, which helped push us towards making it a reality.” Once they had decided to turn sauces into a serious business venture, they spent a year on product and brand development before being ready to sell. Since launch, the Wellington community has embraced them wholeheartedly.

Now, you’ll find Apostle on shelves (and plates) across the city and beyond. Wellington institutions like Moore Wilsons, Iko Iko, and The Axe are proud stockists. Many of these relationships came about through personal connections — a reflection of the city’s tight-knit and supportive community.

Another catalyst for Apostle’s success has been Visa Wellington On a Plate. The popular foodie festival brings hundreds of burgers to the city every August. Many often feature an Apostle sauce. In 2024 the couple ran their first festival event, teaching people to make their own sauces. All three workshops sold out in five minutes, a triumph that Lydia attests to the festival’s support of small producers. “We feel very lucky to have this kind of event champion food and beverage in Wellington.”

Aside from being the initial taste testers, the Kāpiti Coast community has been integral to Apostle. They source their chillies from Ōtaki’s Penray Gardens, while their organic apple cider vinegar is from Coral Tree. When they started they shared a kitchen space with a local popsicle company, where they made sauces on the weekends. In early 2024 the couple concluded a two-year search for their own space and moved into a production kitchen in Paraparaumu Beach. The larger space means they can scale up their production and have room to grow.

Regardless of upgrades and continued success, Lydia and Mat’s focus remains resolute. “We want to make really delicious craft sauces with great flavour combinations that represent the wonderfully diverse foods and cultures of Aotearoa.” From their kitchen to your cupboard (via Moore Wilsons), Apostle brings the community together to spread the good word.