The Gallery to change hands and Harvest Dubbo shopfront to open

The owner of a popular Dubbo cafe is preparing to bid farewell her passion project and open a stunning takeaway destination.

Georgia Stevens at her newly renovated shop in Dubbo. Picture: Ryan Young

With no business experience behind her, but a big passion for food and knack for cooking, Georgia Stevens opened a cafe two years ago which has gone on to become a much-loved Dubbo institution.

Now the 23-year-old owner of The Gallery at Western Plains Cultural Centre is expanding her second business and leaving behind her first.

Dubbo business owner Georgia Stevens. Picture: Ryan Young

After the COVID pandemic forced the closure of many hospitality businesses, Ms Stevens decided she wanted to focus more on the food side of business and close The Gallery.

“I made the decision to give it up, I’m really happy with what I did there,” she said.

“I reached what I needed to do there and now I want to move on to something else.”

In February Ms Stevens will open the doors to her new venture The Harvest at 64 Palmer Street, in the building which was previously home to Cakes by Amy Rutherford.

“It’s not a restaurant, it’s more takeaway and catering so we’re focusing more on the food.

“The Harvest is purely about me being able to deliver the food that I eat and I love.”

While The Harvest has already been offering catering services, the shopfront development is a first for Ms Stevens and will see more of her coffee and ready-made food options become available to Dubbo locals.

“The coffee shop will give people an opportunity to come in and sample our products before they purchase our catering,” she said.

“There’ll be gourmet sandwiches, salad bowls, juices, coffee, everything homemade.

“There’s many people who aren’t cooking for themselves, or can’t or don’t have time, so the ready meals are designed for time-poor people who want to have a gourmet dinner or a healthy whole food option.”

The Harvest Dubbo shop being set up by Georgia Stevens. Picture: Ryan Young

Locals will be able to pre-order from The Harvest online and pick up their meals every Friday initially, Ms Stevens said.

“There’ll be Family Feasts or Greet and Eat options and we will look to do more days in the future.

“In the past we’ve done slow-cooked lamb shoulders … we’ve done Portuguese chicken, Italian, everything really.”

Dubbo Regional Council’s culture and economy director Natasha Comber said when Ms Stevens winds up The Gallery on February 7, a council-operated cafe will take its place.

Popular eatery The Gallery will have a new operator. Picture: Facebook

In a report to councillors, Ms Comber said while council had put out a call for expressions of interest from people keen to take over running the cafe space at the cultural centre, “no complying applications were received”.

“In consideration of this, time constraints over the Christmas holiday period and the effect of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, council’s CEO supported a proposal to undertake operations of the cafe internally for an initial 12-month period,” she said.

“This trial period will provide transparency to council on the extent of the opportunity for cafe income to assist in the operational cost of this valuable community and cultural asset, above what may be achieved through and external licence agreement.

“The cafe will be named Creo — the Latin word for create, make and produce.”

The Western Plains Cultural Centre. Picture: Jedd Manning

Contract and casual staff will be employed by thecouncil to run the cafe and Ms Stevens’s existing staff at The Gallery were given the opportunity to apply, Ms Comber said.

The annual $36,400 in rent the council would have collected if it got an external operator to run the cafe is expected to be recouped in the form of profits from running of the cafe.

“With the ongoing operations there is expected added expense in the form of wages, operating costs and consumables,” Ms Comber said.

“It is forecast that total operations, expenses and income will not have a negative effect on the forecast budget of the Western Plains Cultural Centre.”