Invention makes it safer to serve drinks

Grace Ligairi, who works at Whangarei's Mokaba cafe, has designed an invention to save hospitality staff from tipping glasses. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Working in hospitality for six years, Grace Ligairi knows how frustrating it is when glasses spill and smash - so the young Whangarei entrepreneur decided to do something about it.

The 20-year-old has won the Prime Minister's Pacific Youth Award for Business and Enterprise, inventing the Slyd'InHolder tray - a contraption allowing wait staff to nip through crowds without fear of an accident.

"I was at an awards dinner in Auckland and was watching the waitresses walk through the crowd trying to protect the glasses with their hands. I was thinking, 'oh it's such a shame they don't have my tray'."

She has a comprehensive business plan and a work-in-progress prototype which she said has already attracted local and international interest.

Ms Ligairi was given $10,000 to develop her idea and expected to finalise her prototype by early January. She can only give limited details about the product for copyright reasons.

"Hospitality is a big market, so I'm feeling very confident with it," she said.

Born in Fiji, Ms Ligairi came to Whangarei in 2008 and hopes to return to the islands eventually to bring new influences to the hospitality industry there.

Whangarei MP Dr Shane Reti was at the awards evening and said he doubted it would be the last time Ms Ligairi made headlines.

She was selected from a pool of more than 150 entrants.

"Grace has stepped up and put herself forward. That has paid off."

The Prime Minister's Youth Awards celebrate high-achieving young Pacific New Zealanders with the potential to contribute significantly to the future of New Zealand.