COVID surge not enough to salvage business

Granite Belt businesswoman’s bittersweet goodbye to loyal and well-fed customers.

ON THE MARKET: Liz Arnold owner of frozen meal business A Meal or Two hopes her buyer will continue the tradition of checking in on customers.

A SURGE in demand through COVID-19 lockdowns wasn't enough to save Granite Belt business owner from parting ways with her beloved catering company.

Delivering home-cooked meals straight to people's doorsteps, A Meal or Two was established to fit a "void in the market".

Owner Liz Arnold said it was a difficult decision to part ways with her family recipes, three years after her catering journey started.

"I'm very proud that I started it and it's really good that it's done well," Mrs Arnold said.

"I'm sure they would have survived without me, I'm not indispensable but I know I've made a lot of peoples' lives easier."

Based in Glen Aplin, Mrs Arnold said she could spend up to three days preparing and cooking 150 plus meals.

Predominantly serving the same customers, she said the majority of her business was checking in with elderly customers each week.

"A very big part of the business is calling in to see these guys each week, we talk about the weather and all of that," she said.

"One lady said she was going to starve to death, but I'll make sure she doesn't."

With corned beef fritters, rissoles and roasts the most popular dishes on her menu, Mrs Arnold hoped prospective buyers would continue the legacy she's built.

"I've got someone who is interested and wanting to take it over as it stands," she said.

"It'll be very bittersweet, but I really hope this other lady steps into it and we get her rolling."

Originally published as