"I want to start my own business and get it going and be my own boss. That’s the dream."
And her new business — a portable Irish bar — is great for those who want to go to an Irish pub without travelling to Ireland.
"I want to hire it out to events in Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes districts ... I think it’s something quite unique to provide people."
She said it would be a "cool addition" to weddings, birthdays and events. And there had already been some interest.
She said she was shocked with how great it looked when she first saw it.
"The Lucky Irish" bar contains a bar fridge, serving window and realistic-looking chiller taps. The shelves are lined with knick-knacks she sourced from local antique shops, and there are even fake nicotine stains on the walls.
There are 22 of these portable bars around the country.
The first one was built in Covid-19 lockdowns, when it was difficult to go out, but people could still congregate at home.
It was started by her uncle, Gary Altenburg, of Roxburgh, and now his niece, Breiana Bennetts, is the director of My Little Pub.
Ms Bennetts said her uncle had the idea to make them for people still wanting to sit around with their mates and have a drink. Mr Altenburg got cracking.
Since then, the backyard bars have been placed in backyards from Waiheke Island to Invercargill.
They are made in Christchurch, with pieces of family’s Roxburgh roots integrated into the build, using steel frames that come from the owner’s small town.
"We’re really excited to have one down there in Roxburgh now ... and we know Willow from way back, and really wanted to support her idea."
Willow’s father, Brian Jeffery, makes the steel frames for the bars too.
Ms Bennetts is a big fan of the customers they’ve had so far.
"The people who come to us are really hospitable people who really like to entertain.
"It’s a way to bring people together in your own backyard. It’s where people come and gather and share stories, rather than go out for a drink."
They’ve had ones made in honour of people who have died, with one in Hawke’s Bay a memorial to the London pub he once worked at.
The pubs are transported by truck from Christchurch.
