About Us

About Us

Fine New Zealand Made Products

The Woolshed team, 30+ years on, offers fine New Zealand made products with great New Zealand made service. It is no ordinary shopping experience at The Woolshed, you are purchasing world-renowned wool.

We specialise in

  • Quality sheepskins – a natural living product
  • Wool sweaters – comfort for you and the environment
  • Sheepskin boots and slippers – the product that breathes
  • Stylish clothing for all seasons
  • Possum and merino knitwear and accessories

45 years of business! 🍾🐑

The Woolshed was established in 1977 by Richard and Kathy Patterson who had moved from Whakatane to start a new business challenge. They set The Woolshed up in premises in the towngate building Ruapheu Street and employed an Auckland shop designer Hylton Forster who had amazing passion for Richard and Kathy’s vision.

It grew from there and in 1979 Jackie Broughton was offered a job and is still there today!!!

After 9 years in Towngate building the Woolshed moved to its present location. It was an older building and once striped out it had the bones of an old typical Woolshed.In 1992 the Woolshed was sold to current owners, Katherine and John Anderson.John, Kathryn, their children; Mark, Paul and Alex moved back to our home in Acacia Bay, Taupo after a period of working overseas. John and Kathryn went into Westerman’s Real Estate, (now Bayleys), with an idea of starting a business venture and basically ended up walking out owning The Woolshed!!!!

The Woolshed was a shop Kathryn was very familiar with and it was always on her list of “shops to visit” whenever they holidayed in Taupo, to go into the estate agents that day and find it on the market was unreal.

Initially their 2 sons attended Taupo Primary and could wander over to the shop after school and their youngest daughter could barely see over the top of the counter, and all have fond memories of their time there.

Other overseas opportunities beckoned and they left the shop in the very good hands of long term manager Jackie Broughton, while John furthered his career in the oil business. The children ended up back in Boarding School and then Kathryn found herself living in Taupo and a permanent member of staff for several years. Kathryn says they have been some of the most wonderful times in my life, being with “the girls” and our fabulous customers.

Kathryn and John heading towards owning the shop for 30 years and in that time they’ve had lambs in there to entertain visitors, Father Xmas has been in residence and many, many good years have been spent with their fabulous staff. It’s a real “family” -and they’ve shared all of life’s experiences together from our kids being at primary school, to college to girlfriends/boyfriends, long term partners, weddings, funerals and Grandchildren coming along. You name it we’ve done it!!!

Diane Simon joined us a few years ago and is now in charge of managing the shop and is doing a fabulous job. John and Kathryn have been been so fortunate to have incredible staff which has made our lives so much easier and it’s been an absolute joy to be a part of the history of the this iconic shop!!! Covid did hit us hard, as it did every other business in NZ, but I hope we still have many more years left if us!

The rest is history.