The Big Strawberry undergoes renovations during virus closure
Coronavirus has affected some big birthdays at Koonoomoo in northern Victoria this year. One belongs to its most famous resident.
CORONAVIRUS has affected some big birthdays at Koonoomoo in northern Victoria this year.
The first belonged to its most famous resident, The Big Strawberry, which turned 15 earlier this year. It has also interrupted next month’s 50th birthday plans for Tarn Hayes, who owns and runs the business with her husband, Darren.
”We were going to do a big celebration and everything (for the 15th birthday), and then this happened and that was the end of that,” says Tarn, who was supposed to be overseas for her birthday. (Darren also turned 50 in April.)
But the couple used the time the business was closed to visitors to give it some renovations.
Their doors are again open, and while it may take some time for everything to go back to normal, visitors are noticing the facelift.
The Big Strawberry was started by Darren and his parents, Michael and Lorraine, who had been growing strawberries in the area since the 1960s. In 2004, construction started on the current premises, which includes a cafe and shop. The namesake — which was designed and built locally in Shepparton and Cobram — was installed the following year.
The premises gave the family the ideal location to sell their range of value-added products, which includes everything from strawberry jam to liquors and wines.
There is a pick-your-own strawberry patch on site — although the season is now over — but the Hayes grow about a hectare of strawberries at another site, 3km away. Those strawberries are what they sell in the shop and to make their products. None are sent on to market any more, Tarn says. Outside their own season, they also buy in strawberries to meet the demand of visitors.
The Big Strawberry has survived its fair share of challenges, including a mini-tornado in March 2013 that left a $100,000 clean-up bill.
But that was completely different to the challenge this year has brought.
Tarns says the lockdown was “devastating”, forcing them to stand down their staff. Half of those are now back on deck.
But the couple used the time productively.
“We were here one day and I said, ‘we need to do a few jobs while we’re closed’, and they’re jobs you couldn’t do while we’re open for business,” Tarn says.
“We basically remodelled all our souvenir area, gave it a massive spruce up, put in new shelving, got rid of some old shelving, and just did all jobs that you can’t do while you’re open.
“It’s given the place a whole different feel, and it’s now nice that our customers are returning and saying, ‘oh wow, look what you’ve done here’.
“It also gave us lots of time to catch up with work on the farm — there’s always little jobs to do. There is lots of positive in the bag as well.”
There was another highlight to their lockdown. A stranded Canary Islands couple ended up staying at the farm for a month and they all struck up a friendship. “They were such lovely people … and for me that is one of the lovely things that happened, besides the renovations,” says Tarn.
Even though the Big Strawberry was able to reopen last month, Tarn says it feels “strange” with all the requirements they need to ensure their customers comply with.
“Surreal is probably the best word to use,” Tarn says. “It definitely doesn’t feel the same as it did before. Hopefully we get that lovely feeling back one day. It’s just crazy.”
But there is one question whose answer is unlikely to change in a pandemic: what is it like to be the owner of one of Australia’s “big” things?
Tarn laughs. “It sounds bizarre. Until you actually say it, and you’re talking to people about it and they go, ‘oh’ — it’s one of those crazy things.”
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