The locals transforming Home Hill’s foodie scene: Giovanna’s Cucina, Home Hill News and Coffee, The Prawn Stop

Italian meals, ‘famous’ prawn rolls and newsagency coffee – there’s been a surge of post-pandemic business ideas in Home Hill. See what they’re doing differently.

Giovanna Castorina, the owner of Giovanna's Cucina in Home Hill where she sells take-home Italian meals.

It’s lunchtime in Home Hill, and prawns are flying out the door.

The Prawn Stop started as a little frozen seafood business early this year, but the recent expansion into takeaway lunches has owner Melissa Wiles working around the clock.

The most popular takeaway items are her $7.50 prawn rolls.

“Business is going very well,” Ms Wiles said.

“We started in February selling all frozen product, prawns and seafood and in May I started the ready-to-go menu.”

The Prawn Stop owner Melissa Wiles with her popular $7.50 prawn roll. The lunch is a smash-hit for Burdekin workers and travellers.

The famous prawn roll
The prawn roll has quickly become famous among locals.

Even those across the Burdekin River in rival town Ayr are stopping to check it out.

Ms Wiles said everyone from truckies to mill workers and school tuckshops were hooked on the rolls.

“People love them because it’s simple, the price is low and it’s easy to take with you when driving,” she said.

The Prawn Stop started as a frozen seafood store but has expanded into takeaway lunches and local vegetables.

The Prawn Stop is just one of several creative new food businesses in Home Hill.

Despite only having a population of 2900 and being dwarfed by nearby Ayr right across the river, these business owners decided to throw their loyalty in with Home Hill, capturing a unique customer mix of Bruce Highway traffic, hungry shift workers, and rural residents.

Home Hill farmer Peter Rubiolo owns The Prawn Stop building.

It was built by his grandfather – a bricklayer – and was a bakery and hamburger shop before The Prawn Stop came along.

“It’s been empty for a bit, there wasn’t much going on with the shop,” Mr Rubiolo said.

“It used to be, if you wanted food, you went to McDonalds in Ayr.”

Farmer Peter Rubiolo owns the main street building now occupied by The Prawn Stop. He said the building started as a bakery and was built by his grandfather.

The Italian kitchen

On the main street, Giovanna Castorina spends her days making home-cooked Italian meals.

“I’m mainly cooking for families where both parents work and they’re looking for something they can give their kids that isn’t full of preservatives and things,” Mrs Castorina said.

“Everyone is busy now. There aren’t any mums at home anymore, or they’re not at home long, and the cost of living is killing everyone. That’s why I started cooking, to make a bit of extra money.”

Giovanna Castorina, the owner of Giovanna's Cucina in Home Hill, inside the brand-new kitchen she installed in the old bank building. She holds a tray of fresh pasta.

The idea of starting an Italian kitchen in the Burdekin has always played on Mrs Castorina’s mind.

“Years ago I said I’d love to start an Italian restaurant and someone said ‘why would you do that, the town is full of Italians who can cook?’ But I’m Italian. I want to cook Italian food.”

Mrs Castorina started small at first in 2021, cooking meals at home while looking after her one-year-old daughter and delivering them during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Giovanna's Cucina in Home Hill provides take-home Italian meals.

In May this year, she took a massive step, renovating and moving into the old bank building which had sat empty for over five years.

“Now that word is getting out, a lot of caravans are pulling up to get their dinner for the night,” Mrs Castorina said.

Authentic Italian ingredients available at Giovanna's Cucina alongside her cooked meals.

The beef lasagne is her bestseller – at one point, it was so popular Mrs Castorina had to put a limit on orders.

“People go mad for lasagne,” she said.

“They’ll buy seven and put them in the freezer.”

Mrs Castorina was raised in Home Hill, but now lives in Ayr, and crosses the Burdekin River every day in her commute.
“In the past I think Home Hill went downhill, and a lot of businesses shut, but I feel like we’re on the increase again,” she said.

“Home Hill people will support Home Hill businesses, because we want this town to thrive, but I also support Ayr every day and go out to Little Leaves in Brandon every week.”

Newsagency coffee

When Shay Linton took over her parents’ business, Home Hill News, in October last year, she knew change was needed.

“My parents had it 18 years, and we decided to add coffee and a little bit of food, to diversity,” Mrs Linton said.

Shay Linton has taken over her parents’ newsagency with husband Ken. Since installing a coffee corner, they're attracting heaps of new customers.

The inspiration came after customers kept stopping by the store looking for ‘real coffee’ after the closure of Home Hill’s last cafe.

“We’re getting new people in, it’s new business for us, and we’ve just put a billboard up on the Bruce Highway to get the travellers,” Mrs Linton said.

Back at The Prawn Stop, a busy Ms Wiles stepped way from the counter between orders to talk about Home Hill – a town often accused of being on the downturn.

“I think people will support things that come,” Ms Wiles said.

“Home Hill people are great, they still support Home Hill … I came up with my takeaway menu because there was nothing on the highway, so I knew there was a gap, and I had a plan.”

Originally published as The locals transforming Home Hill’s foodie scene: Giovanna’s Cucina, Home Hill News and Coffee, The Prawn Stop