Tara residents take to social media after Woolshed Bakery closes, smoke shop opens

A new smoke shop and convenience store has opened at the site of what was the only bakery in this Western Downs’ town, with residents expressing mixed opinions on the new business. Find out more.

The Woolshed Bakery in Tara. Photo: Facebook.

A Tara main street shopfront has swapped out pies and doughnuts for vapes and cigarettes after a new smoke shop took up residence in the site of the old Woolshed Bakery.

Since the new store opened residents have expressed mixed opinions on the changing business landscape, with some saddened by the loss of the town’s only bakery and others urging for people to support the new enterprise.

The site of the bakery had remained empty for the past few months, making Tara one of the few towns in the Western Downs without a bakehouse.

On Facebook there have been several posts in the Tara Community Group about the new business with many saying the town needed a bakery with Foodworks being the only other store to buy bread.

“Tara has had a bakery for years, so we need a bakery”, Joy Richards wrote.

“We definitely need a new bakery”, Lyn Wade agreed

“I personally miss having a bakery in Tara every time I come to my property for a weekend we would always go to the bakery for a pie and bread for the weekend loved the pie,” Jason Fearnside wrote.

The Woolshed Bakery during the Tara Festival.

Meanwhile Zmira Adamovics said having a bakery was important for bringing visitors into Tara.

“They should make it into a beautiful cafe store with a bakery just like Roma’s got … I love their bakery … travellers love bakeries.”

Other people suggested that it was too late to complain now and the bakery had closed due to a lack of community support.

“Instead of whinging about what the shop is, maybe whinge about the cost of rent these people are expected to pay in order to keep a town alive,” Shelly Walters wrote.

“Everyone complaining about the bakery closing maybe they didn’t get enough support to stay open now everyone is having a cry about it,” Nomaid Sandy Alexandra added.

Meanwhile others voiced their support for the new business and suggested Tara locals give it a chance.

“Any new business in town should be given support. I hope they make a go of it, good luck,” Kellie Brooks wrote.

“Good luck, at least they are giving it a go, never know they could be successful with community support,” Becky Chalker agreed.

“Kudos for whoever is doing whatever and I hope they get the community support when they open! Love seeing someone giving it a go in a small town so congratulations from me to the new owners,” Adrienne Kelso said.

“Hey, why the negative thoughts, give them positive thoughts, and give it a good go, and give them community support, Tara is a growing town!” Dee Chisnall wrote.

Wendy Holmberg said with or without a bakery Tara would survive and urged people to support the existing businesses or open their own.

“Tara has seen businesses come and go for years and did not have a bakery for maybe 30 or more years … but the people survived,” she wrote

“Learn to make your own bread, drive to another town, order extra at the Foodworks when you go shopping for the next week, you have choices.

“In every community there are backbones, the ones that get in and work, and knucklebones, the ones that knock everything that the backbones do. It's not just Tara … it’s the same everywhere.

“How can you be the change?”

The former owners of Woolshed Bakery, and the new owners of the convenience store, have been reached for comment.

Originally published as Tara residents take to social media after Woolshed Bakery closes, smoke shop opens