Couple serve up new food experience

Ambitious Tauranga business couple Jo and Jamie Blennerhassett could not have been more happy. They had a steady flow of customers through their gourmet store in the first week - even without heavy promotion.
"We thought we would have a soft launch and use the first week to get everything sorted," said Jamie, who has started The Good Food Trading Co at Mount Maunganui with his wife Jo, a passionate foodie.
"On opening day we did 400 coffees by lunchtime, and 1000 customers came through in the first weekend. It wasn't slow like we thought it would be," said Jamie. "One couple in their 30s have come in every day to buy a fresh dinner."
The Good Food Trading Co in MacDonald St, which is employing 24 people and is into its second week of trading, has brought a new shopping experience to the region. The 900sq m store is a cross between a Farmers' Market and a modern supermarket - under one roof.
There's fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers delivered or collected every day, free-range and organic meat from Harmony in Paeroa and a wide range of artisan goods.
The displays scattered through the store are a nice touch, featuring a recipe and its ingredients. Customers can simply sweep them up, take them home, and try a new dining experience.
Recipes include farrah salmon wrap, for lunch, lemon cous cous with a twist, and nicoise salad with roasted garlic vinaigrette.
The local producers/suppliers will also come to the store and talk to customers about their special, handmade food products.
The Blennerhassetts have poured their hearts and souls and $3.5 million into developing The Good Food Trading Company.
"We saw a gap in the marketplace," said Jamie. "We wanted to show people how good food can be and we found no-one was really delivering on that.
"What you see in the supermarkets is the bigger brands dominating, and we felt we could provide a better shopping experience by using smaller local producers and getting better control of the quality," he said.
"We have introduced a European style of shopping that encourages people to buy fresh on the day. In the end, people love good food, they want to know where it comes from, what's in it and how to cook it," Jamie said.
The Blennerhassetts did their homework. They have opened up with 400 speciality suppliers including up to 50 in the Bay. They are stocking exclusive brands such as Steens NZ Honey, Aoraki Salmon, Mariano's Spanish goods, Rachel Scott breads, and Kohu Road icecream.
The Good Food Trading Co uses Sabato in Auckland to supply imported artisan products of oils, relishes, chutney, dry goods, Italian pasta and others.
Produce manager Paul Faffeli has been visiting exporter Jane Bryant in Te Puna each morning to pick up the freshly-cut hydrangeas and lilies - The Good Food Trading Co is her only retail outlet locally, and she and Derek Lankshear, operating as Ellbee, send their hydrangaes to United States and Asia.
Jamie Blennerhassett, who comes off a kiwifruit and cropping farm at Otamarakau near Pukehina, spent nine years at Massey University in Palmerston North, earning a PhD in soil science.
There he met Jo who gained a nursing degree from the polytechnic in Palmerston North. They travelled overseas for nine months and then arrived in Auckland in 2002.
Jamie worked as a scientist/technical manager for Summit Quinphos NZ, and Jo joined Geneva Health International and recruited nurses for the Middle East.
After Summit Quinphos was bought by Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Jamie - and Jo - moved to Tauranga three years ago and he became the commercial manager in charge of sales and research and development.
Jamie left Ballance in December to follow his dream of running his own retail food business. Jo had spent the three previous years researching and setting up the business, as well as looking after their two children, Sophie, 6 and George, 4.
Jo's family originally comes from the island of Korcula in Croatia and they made their own wine and olive oil. Cooking, fine dining and entertaining was in Jo's blood.
The Blennerhassetts bought the former marine showroom in MacDonald St last March and began rebuilding in August - the store takes up 620sq m and the remainder of the building is used for storage, kitchen, fridges and an office.
More than 500 people applied for the 24 jobs, which were advertised in November. "We did 80 interviews, and I think we need 30 to run the business now," said Jamie.
The Good Food Trading Co has two chefs to run the baking and delicatessen departments. "The deli manager is also a chef and he puts on his apron when needs to," Jamie said.
Operating a fine food business in the middle of the Mount industrial area might sound questionable, location-wise. But it makes perfectly good sense to the Blennerhassetts.
There's plenty of parking for 50 vehicles on the 2490sq m site, it's easy to get to off Hewletts Rd, and it's well located between Mount/Papamoa and the other side of the harbour.
"We prefer the industrial area because the store can become a destination," said Jamie. "The Placemakers boys have been in, Topkids has set up the first commercial account - mums drop off their children and don't have to rush shopping - and members of the gym next door have their workouts and come and relax with a coffee.
"It's surprising who's around [in MacDonald St]," said Jamie.
The Good Food Trading is open seven days a week from 8am-6.30pm.