Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Invention makes it safer to serve drinks

By Alexandra Newlove
Northern Advocate·
28 Dec, 2015 09:33 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

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

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.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"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.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

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.

Discover more

New flag needs to reflect Maori heritage says artist

24 Dec 12:45 AM

Taupo Bay shellfish rahui

25 Dec 05:00 PM

New tribal body inherits huge debt

27 Dec 07:20 PM

Nominations recognise efforts of local heroes

18 Jan 11:00 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

live
Northern Advocate

Wild weather set to ease across the country, clean-up efforts begin

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Northern Advocate

'Massive milestone': Rare native geckos, parrots return amid pest-control success

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Opinion

Joe Bennett: A journey through Cyprus and its vanished pygmy hippos

11 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Wild weather set to ease across the country, clean-up efforts begin
live

Wild weather set to ease across the country, clean-up efforts begin

11 Jul 06:00 PM

The North Island is expected to get off to a wet start this morning, with lingering rain.

'Massive milestone': Rare native geckos, parrots return amid pest-control success

'Massive milestone': Rare native geckos, parrots return amid pest-control success

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Joe Bennett: A journey through Cyprus and its vanished pygmy hippos

Joe Bennett: A journey through Cyprus and its vanished pygmy hippos

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Comment: Two decades of inspiring arts and community connections in Kerikeri

Comment: Two decades of inspiring arts and community connections in Kerikeri

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP