Man-about-town Ricardo Simich brings you Society Insider. This week, National MP Erica Stanford carries on the important work of former colleague Nikki Kaye in breast cancer awareness; golf pro Laura Hoskin and rich-lister Matt Owen share their wedding plans; and Kiwi couple and Formula One fans Mikayla Haycock
Society Insider: Erica Stanford carries on Nikki Kaye’s charity legacy; golfer Laura Hoskin’s and Matt Owen’s wedding plans; Mikayla Haycock and Toby Baker’s glam LA life
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From left: Laura Hoskin, Matt Owen, Erica Stanford, Nikki Kaye, Toby Baker, Mikayla Haycock. Photo / Supplied, Herald graphic
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Four months after Kaye passed away, Stanford is determined to carry on her legacy in the fight against breast cancer. “Nikki was my mentor in politics and guided me in the first few years when I entered parliament in 2017. She was my friend also,” says Stanford. “It was Nikki who introduced me to the work BCFNZ does.”
Kaye became an MP in 2008 and held a range of ministerial portfolios, including Education Minister. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and took leave from Parliament from September-May to undergo treatment.
The cut and thrust of politics were Kaye’s life force and she went on to become deputy leader of the opposition in 2020. She retired from politics in November 2020 while facing incurable stage four cancer.
Stanford greatly admires the work Kaye continued to do for the BCFNZ after retiring, generously giving her time and expertise in calling for changes so more Kiwis are diagnosed earlier and have better access to treatment.
Stanford says because of Kaye, the BCFNZ has become her number one charitable focus.
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On March 14, the day before Stanford left on a ministerial trip to Europe, she was the keynote speaker at the Breast Cancer Foundation’s fundraiser The Hatters Pink Tea Party at North Harbour Stadium. The event drew over 350 guests and an auction item for lunch with Stanford sold for $2500.
The foundation’s strategic partnerships maestro Tony Hannifin introduced Stanford to “the godfather of Auckland cuisine” Tony Astle during his tenure at Antoine’s and the trio have done several fundraisers since. Sir John Key was Astle’s favourite politician – Key liked Astle’s hospitality and Astle Key’s politics. It’s fair to say Stanford has now taken on that mantle.
In May, Stanford will be a special guest and speaker at a $3000-per-head BCFNZ fundraising dinner curated by Astle at the Wave Room, inside AUT.
All money raised will go to the BCFNZ. In 2021, AUT honoured Astle with one of its highest honours, the prestigious Seddon Honorary Fellowship, which recognises “individuals of distinction who are innovative leaders with strong connections to AUT”.
“I know so many people over the years who have had breast cancer, and it is the four-year anniversary of me losing my beloved wife Beth to cancer,” says Astle. “The BCFNZ is so close to my heart, and I want to get behind it.”
AUT student chefs will volunteer their time to cook Astle’s famous dishes, which he says will be full of Antoine’s nostalgia.
Top-notch wines to accompany the menu are being supplied by Nick Hern from EuroVintage and Peter Maude Fine Wines. Astle says Newstalk ZB’s Kerre Woodham is MCing the event at no charge.
Stanford acknowledges the $3000 price per ticket is steep but insists enjoying Astle’s food is a rarity. “Tony is also sure to reveal some secrets with a great many stories he didn’t include in his book,” says Stanford, who will appear on stage with him.
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Among the limited seating of 70 will likely be former Antoine’s regulars – rich-listers Trevor and Jan Farmer, Mark and Celia Wyborn, Mark Ching, Garry Muir, Craig Turner and his wife Cara, and Cara’s sister Meegan Pollock and her husband P.J. Johnstone.
This weekend, 42 Below Vodka founders Justine and Geoff Ross are letting Breast Cancer Cure (BCC) take over their Lake Hāwea Station in Otago for two events.
The first is a dinner created by Kiwi Michelin-starred chef Matt Lambert (of The Lodge Bar), priced at $299 per person. It’s set to be hosted by BCC ambassador Wilhelmina Shrimpton, who will interview the pioneering couple, along with other special guests.
On Saturday, BCC is taking fundraising to new heights at Hāwea Station with Hike for a Cure, which traverses the high-country farm.
Justine Ross tells Society Insider she has had many friends and family battle breast cancer.
“These days, we find ourselves living on the station beneath Breast Peak so when a charity the calibre of BCC reached out to partner for these two unique events, it was an honour.”
There are more innovative plans for fundraising during Breast Cancer Awareness month, including Conversation for a Cure at the newly opened luxury Flockhill Estate in the Craigieburn Valley in Canterbury, where fashion designer and BCC ambassador Karen Walker will be in conversation with broadcaster Petra Bagust, also an ambassador for BCC.
“It will be a powerful day, as well as learning Karen’s insights, we will discuss funding vital research to combat breast cancer, a cause that impacts so many, especially our wāhine in Aotearoa,” says Bagust.
Expect bubbles, fashion, world-class chefs and an unforgettable luxury location, with the lunch priced at $199 per person and packages available to stay the night from $3000.
Wedding bells set to ring for golf pro and rich-lister
Professional golfer Laura Hoskin, 29, is set to walk down the aisle with Matt Owen, 34, son of one of New Zealand’s wealthiest property moguls, Steve Owen, in Queenstown on May 2.
Their chosen venue is Ayrburn, a world-class food and wine destination just outside of Arrowtown and owned by Chris Meehan, a good friend of Owen snr.
Auckland-raised Owen jnr likes to keep a low profile. He is the first to marry of Owen’s four children, the others being Nicholas, Kimberley and Libby, with both sisters having made this column previously.
Hoskin grew up in Queenstown and the pair share a love of sport, which Owen tells Society Insider is one of the things he loves about her, and the fact Hoskin is “very cool”.
“Laura has the best smile ever and I adore her, and it’s a bonus she gets on well with my family, which can be a mission,” says Owen.
Hoskin says she is grateful to have found her person to share life’s adventures with.
“I am excited to start a new chapter,” she says.
“Golf and being a touring professional have been my whole life since I can remember, but Matt has shown me there is a life outside of sport which for a lot of athletes is hard to find. Especially when pursuing a career where you feel like you’re never satisfied,” she says.
Last March, Owen proposed to Hoskin with a stunning and sizeable solitaire square diamond at Te Arai Links north of Auckland, a place the couple often play golf together. Owen jnr had a double surprise for Hoskin by taking her back to Owen snr’s beachfront compound in Ōmaha for a post-proposal celebration with both of their families.
The pair met while Owen was on a family golfing trip to Queenstown. “We were staying at Millbrook, which is Laura’s home club and our eyes kind of caught each other, and the rest is history, so to speak,” says Owen.
Hoskin was introduced to golf at age 10 by her dad, former Otago cricketer Richard Hoskin. She fulfilled her high school dreams and achieved a four-year golf scholarship at the University of Mississippi.
In 2019, at the age of 23, the rising New Zealand golfing star embarked on a professional career, competing in tours across Korea, China and Australia. Hoskin has also played professionally in North America and Europe.
Owen has supported Hoskin’s nomadic golfing life. While juggling family business, he has managed to travel with her on tours.
“I have been so lucky to share memories with Matt on the golf tour and on holidays which have included his passions for history,” says Hoskin.
After they became engaged, the pair embarked on a road trip around Europe, completing eight countries in 31 days. They also went to Greece to join the Owens.
Owen snr has a smart pad in Belgravia, London and during the European summer season he juggles work and play on his magnificent superyacht Maverick on the Mediterranean, docking in ports from Spain to France and Italy.
After their holiday, it was back to the Ladies’ European tour for Hoskin, playing the Montauban Ladies Open in France in early June followed by the Santander Golf Tour Avila in Spain at the end of that month.
The bride and groom-to-be have enjoyed the summer in New Zealand playing at some of the best Queenstown courses and those north of Auckland.
Hoskin played at Te Arai last weekend, with her wedding planner at the ready.
The couple are very excited about the big day and tell Society Insider they are most looking forward to getting family and friends together to celebrate at Ayrburn. They describe the location as one of New Zealand’s most amazing venues, made even more special because it is Hoskin’s hometown of Arrowtown.
The pair say babies are on the cards, although Owen says he hopes they will have his wife’s golfing ability and not his.
The glamorous LA life of Mikayla Haycock and Toby Baker
Mikayla Haycock and her husband-to-be Toby Baker are making their mark in the talent management and robotics businesses in Los Angeles.
Auckland-born Baker is the son of motoring rich listers Grant and Donna Baker, who were Formula One star Liam Lawson’s first private backers. Grant Baker is chairman of Turners Automotive Group and is famous for his collection of Ferraris, with a reported wealth of over $125m.
Haycock and Baker landed back at their base in LA last weekend after supporting their friend and Haycock’s client Lawson at his debut at the Melbourne Grand Prix. Just a year before, Baker proposed to Haycock at the Grand Prix’s famous Casa Ferrari party at Albert Park in Melbourne, which has become an annual highlight at the Formula One weekend.
“Toby and I are both huge Formula One fans, so it felt only right where he proposed,” Haycock tells Society Insider.
Ahead of Casa Ferrari, Haycock had casually pointed out to Toby a trilogy-style diamond ring in the window of Partridge Jewellers in Auckland.
“Little did I know, he and Grant snuck in the very next week to make it happen,” says Haycock.
“It couldn’t have been more perfect.”
The pair will marry at home in New Zealand in January 2026.
The couple met 10 years ago when they were both at the University of Canterbury. A long-distance relationship and many air miles followed when Baker headed to the University of California in Berkeley to complete his master’s in robotics. Baker’s mum Donna proudly sports a “Berkeley Mom” sticker on her Mercedes G Wagon.
After graduating, Baker landed a job in Silicon Valley as a robotics engineer, and Haycock did everything she could to get her J1 visa so she could join him in San Francisco in 2021.
The couple moved to Los Angeles from San Francisco at the start of last year. Baker works as a senior robotics engineer for Dexterity Inc, a company that creates physical artificial intelligence (AI) for logistics applications and enterprise.
Haycock has been rolling out her own business, The Talent Bakery, working with talent and influencers across social media, sport, acting and comedy. She says TTB brings the right collaborators together and bakes them into something truly special, creating synergy between influencers and brands.
“Right now, we have 20+ influencers and talent on the roster. We intentionally keep things small so every person gets the same level of care and attention,” says Haycock.
Haycock represents US race car driver Zoey Edenholm, F1 creator Jack Dale, the Track Talk podcast’s Jordan Agajanian and comedic creator Caroline Deery on her books. Lawson recently gained a brand deal with Kathmandu and St John has been collaborating with Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand Rhode.
Haycock says The Talent Bakery is now lucky to work with Liv Mackay (New Zealand SailGP team) and says although she is still learning about the sport, “it feels like motorsport on the water – fast, high-risk and totally captivating”.
“Liv’s just an incredible athlete ... a true trailblazer for women in sailing, we’re excited to be part of that journey and see what else we can bring to the space,” she says.
Haycock and Newport beach-based Hannah St John are firm friends and love West Hollywood hotspots like Catch LA, The Ivy and Cecconi’s. The pair enjoy country music and have secured VIP tickets to next month’s Stagecoach Festival in the Coachella Valley.
For work, Haycock says there are always plenty of influencer networking parties she and St John both attend, such as haircare brand Living Proof’s pink carpet party at an A-List bar in West Hollywood with Paris Hilton on the DJ decks.
Haycock says she and Baker are not into the LA celebrity scene. “We orbit more in the influencer world, which feels like the new lens of Hollywood,” she says.
Haycock says the name The Talent Bakery was inspired by her father-in-law-to-be, Grant Baker, and the businesses he’s built over the years – one being The Business Bakery, which was behind businesses like 42 Below, Trilogy and Ecoya. It’s a family affair, with Toby helping Haycock grow the business and his mother Donna The Talent Bakery’s numbers guru. Haycock has big plans for her business and its growth but insists TTB will never lose a personal touch with clients.
She is known to be up all hours getting things done for her clients. She credits this dedication with watching her dad Mike build Haycock Contracting from the ground up in their hometown of Dannevirke.
“Dad taught me that the job’s never done until the floor is swept – and that’s still how I show up in business today.”
More often than not, you will find Haycock working out of The Motoring Club in Culver City, a club for car lovers with a cafe and an open-plan workspace surrounded by a stunning collection of cars.
“It’s one of those places where inspiration just hits – my wheels start turning, literally and figuratively,” she says.
Party people of the week
A classic car celebration
The champagne was flowing last Friday night as around 300 glamorous guests to officially open the inaugural Ayrburn Classic in Arrowtown.
The three-day motoring festival attracted around 250 classic and modern luxury vehicles worth more than $250 million.
Guests enjoyed Perrier-Jouët Champagne and canapés while Chris Meehan, Winton founder and owner of the Ayrburn precinct delivered a lively speech in front of attendees, including interior designer and TV personality Shelley Ferguson and her husband, Olympian Steven Ferguson, and influencer Beck Wadworth and her husband Isaac Lindesay, the founder of Makespace Group.
Among the array of rich listers on Friday night were property barons Richard Seton and wife Angela, Centuria Capital NZ CEO Mark Francis, and Winger Motors’ owner Wayne Leach with his wife Amanda.
Honouring our finest at the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards
Last Thursday, a night of inspiration and celebration unfolded at the Viaduct Events Centre, when over 850 guests gathered to honour eight extraordinary New Zealanders at the 2025 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards Ngā Tohu Pou Kōhure o Aotearoa. Hosted by broadcasters Toni Street and Scotty Morrison, the night featured a bespoke three-course feast crafted by chef Peter Gordon and Collective Hospitality’s executive chef Paul Cooper.
Awards patron Miriama Kamo took to the stage to honour Kiwis who exemplify excellence, leadership, impact, and innovation. The celebration culminated in Professor Bev Lawton ONZM being named the 2025 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year for her pioneering contributions to women’s health in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Among the nominees and the swathe of guests from a multitude of professions were senior New Zealander of the Year winner and art advocate Elizabeth Ellis, young New Zealander of the Year winner and software engineer Namulau’ulu Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele, New Zealander of the Year nominees Dame Lisa Carrington and Black Ferns legend Sarah Hirini, acting veteran and previous New Zealander of the Year winner Jennifer Ward-Lealand, mental health advocate Jazz Thornton and chair of Creative NZ, Kent Gardner.
With Thomson Whisky lounge cocktails and Quick Brown Fox espresso martinis and liqueurs flowing, the evening ended on a high, with guests hitting the dance floor to DJ Bontempo’s beats.
Ricardo Simich has been with the Herald since 2008, when he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.
