Whitestone Cheese managing director Simon Berry smiles broadly as he surveys the surroundings of the North Otago success story’s latest venture — a diner and deli in north Oamaru which opened on Monday.
What is indelibly etched in the minds of many Oamaruvians as being "the Tui", the milk bar which once operated in the distinctive building, has gone through quite the transformation.
Established in 1987, Whitestone Cheese operates from a purpose-built plant in Torridge St, and the desire to spread its wings into hospitality was several-fold.
Given the cost of living, the company wanted to provide a staff canteen on-site but there was no available room. Coupled with that, there had always been a desire to move the existing small cafe to State Highway 1.
By doing that, it would free up space to feed staff daily with a hot meal.
The diner and deli also provided a "spiritual home" for Whitestone Cheese, rather than what had just been a factory shop, Mr Berry said.
"We didn’t have anywhere to hang our hats."
A site in town was first looked at before it was discovered the former Tui, later known as Cafe 469, was for sale. For the Berrys, it "ticked so many boxes".
As well as the high profile Thames Highway location, there was also a hefty dose of nostalgia which came with the building that was built in 1957, a year which was chosen as the theme for the new design.
Former staff had been visiting since the doors opened this week and the Tui had also been a popular haunt for local secondary school pupils; Mr Berry himself recalled being a customer during his days at Waitaki Boys’ High School, chips, milkshakes and pies being a teenage staple.
But with wife Annabel appointed project manager and designer, it had "all come together so well", he said.
The various facets of the building were set up for a broad range of visitors, including families, those using the private function room, which had already hosted a school board of trustees meeting, and those keen to enjoy a pairing of wine and cheese.
Not surprisingly, there was a fair bit of cheese on the menu as well as a nod to the Berry family’s farming background — before the move to cheese during the difficult agricultural decade of the 1980s — with the "smoko" offering.
Focusing on "simple done well", the business had stopped growing in terms of the factory and was focused on supplying the domestic market, he said.
Demand continued to grow.
"We don’t want to get any bigger. We want to focus on quality and value."
Diversifying into hospitality was also about spreading risk and Mr Berry acknowledged it had been a learning curve.
But the team had been "fantastic", particularly given the rush of customers — more than 100 meals were served the first day.
The diner employed about 20-odd staff, including part-time employees, and there were about 70 at the factory.
There were still some subtle nods to the Tui, including retaining the original glass etchings.
