Daniel Platts and Jo Joseph behind the FarmGate Gourmet Meats counter with owners, James and Shirley Powell on the exciting opening day of the relocated business last Wednesday.
OVER the past few months locals have very curiously listened to the renovations going on behind the covered window of the old butcher’s shop, but now the wait is over and FarmGate Gourmet Meats has been unveiled!
Marking an exciting development on the local business scene, the Bombala Butchery has relocated to a prime position next door to the newsagency, and has adopted a new trading name to boot.
Of course the building is fondly remembered as a local butchery of many years, and the bulk of the community has been delighted to see the empty shop brought back to life.
“We have been talking about relocating the butchery since we first bought the business in 2008, and have been in talks with the landlords for about two years,” said Shirley Powell, owner of the business with her husband, James.
“As the building was very old, and had been deserted for 20 years, there was a lot of work to do, including stripping the floor and walls back to a bare shell, and installing a new roof.
“We have been very conscious of using local services during our fit out as it is so important to support the local businesses in a small town.”
Shirley explained that the work carried out by local trades people included all the building, roofing and flooring, plumbing, electrical, cabinetry, painting, sign writing and refrigeration.
“We would also like to acknowledge the outstanding professional finish our local tradies delivered, in a timely manner and at a better than reasonable price, and extend a thank you to them all for their hard work,” she said.
Along with the usual stresses of a new venture of this size, the Powells were under additional time pressure, with Shirley due to deliver their third child in August.
“We had to have the fit out ready and the shop open before then. We made it, with about 9 weeks to spare!” she said.
So now that the doors are open, what can we expect to find at FarmGate Gourmet Meats beyond the good quality meat we have already come to expect from our local butcher?
The Powells have introduced a gourmet deli line, which they hope to gradually expand as time goes on. New products include sheep and goats milk cheeses, olives and antipasto, pates and dips, and sliced cold meats.
A specialty grocery range includes organic and gluten free lines that the Powells also hope to expand in the future, and the team encourages customers to let them know what hard to find ingredients they would like to see available locally.
Beyond all this an exciting FarmGate Foodies club will be starting up soon, with members to receive monthly specials, recipes, a newsletter, competitions and special discounts. (Watch out for the membership form in an upcoming Bombala Times).
And so far the community has been thrilled with the new addition to our main street.
“The response from customers during this first week has been overwhelming, and we appreciate our loyal regulars continuing to visit us at our new and hopefully more convenient location,” Shirley said.
Both James and Shirley were also very keen to thank their staff now that the new shop has opened.
“Our staff have worked tirelessly over the last week helping us get ready for the grand opening, including working until almost 11pm on Tuesday night last week, then being back at about 5am on opening day!”
If you haven’t yet had the chance, be sure to pop in and take a look at what the brand new FarmGate Gourmet Meats has to offer.