N – “Brendons parents had the business before we took it on so it’s a family grown business. We’ve had the shop for 8 years and they had it for 11 before us. It’s been in the family for 20 years now.”
B – “I worked only briefly with Dad in a different job after I left school and I’ve been here ever since.”
N – “We support a lot of the local farmers. With fruit and veg if it’s in season locally we’ve got it. We also stock a lot of other local products such as honey, jams, coffees and much more.’
B – “We do a lot of hours and when we’re not here in the shop we’re still working. It’s constant 24/7. Suppliers calling after hours or early morning seeing if we need vegies or fruit. We also rely on weather conditions. When QLD had the big cyclone we had the banana shortage and even this year it’s been a terrible fruit season with quantity. We can always get the quality but when the quantity is down it keeps the prices up.”
N – “We’ve noticed in the last couple of years people tend to be buying more local produce. With the cooking shows on TV people tend to be sourcing fresher ingredients. Customers are getting better with bringing their own bags as well. We’ve also started fresh produce boxes for people who are time poor or can’t get out, young mums or the elderley and people who work long hours. Customers can send us a Facebook message with their order. We do a box up for them so they can pick it up or we can deliver.
We have 3 children and they spend a lot of time here with us in the shop. A lot of the customers know them which is really nice. We love seeing our customers children grow up too. When you are in a business for this length of time you get to know your customers on a more personal level. People are so friendly here. Customers come in to show us their new bubs.”
B – “My parents still have a fruit shop in Alstonville. They tried to retire but they saw an opportunity. Maybe in a couple of years they will. One of my mates the other day asked when was the last time we had a holiday and we looked at each other. I said, ‘Does 3 days count?’ It’s been well over 8 years.”