AFTER more than three decades meeting the fruit and vegetable needs of the Sawtell community, Chris and Gary Gardiner, proprietors of Sawtell Paradise Fruit shop, have retired and sold the business.

The pair celebrated their last day in the old shop and then celebrated again in the newly refurbished shop with friends, family and their highly valued staff.

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Having shouldered the staffing requirements between the two of them during Covid restrictions, the workload and stress caused Gary to have heart problems, restricting his ability to work full hours.

“It was decided that our health was more important to us for our future,” Gary told News Of The Area.

“We have sold to a local business called Active Nutrition Pantry Pty Ltd run by Jenni, Belle and Rob.

“They will be merging both businesses together to give Sawtell a more diverse and healthy shopping experience.”

With 32 years of serving their customers with a welcome and a chat, Chris and Gary are planning to have a rest for the next couple of months and then travel around Australia “to see this beautiful country”.

Getting back into golf may be on the cards, along with more walking and swimming at the beach.

“We would like to thank all the amazing staff who have worked with us over the past 20 years.

“We must also thank all our wonderful local produce suppliers who have also worked hard during tough times and our famous cake and slices lady Jan who is also retiring.

“A huge thanks to our loyal customers who have supported us over the years, some for the whole 32 years.

“Sawtell is an amazing village and the best place to live and work, all the best for all of you in the future,” said Chris.

The Gardiner family has been farming in the Boambee area since the 1890s.

“We are the fifth generation of these farmers,” Gary told NOTA.

“In the 1960s we grew bananas, avocadoes, tomatoes, zucchinis and lychees to mention a few of the crops.”

In the 1990s they built new ripening and cool rooms on the farm.

“We ripened some of the bananas to sell to Cox Brother’s supermarkets and Tuckerbag supermarkets.”

This is also the time they started selling bananas and fruit at a stall on Sawtell Road.

By about 2002 the stall had become too popular, attracting too many cars and customers.

“We then moved to Sawtell to expand our range and service with the shop.”

In the early days most of the stock was grown on their farm or supplied by other local growers.

“We did have a stone fruit farmer in Stanthorpe who would bring fruit from his farm to Sawtell to sell his produce in our shop.

“The early days were hard, working the farm and stocking the stall and shop.”

But it did generate sufficient income to carry the farm during hard times of banana gluts, cyclones, hailstorms and droughts.

“In the late 1990s my father died and Woolworths and Coles moved in to the Coffs/Sawtell area, causing Cox’s and Tuckerbag supermarkets to go out of business,” said Gary.

The decision was made to reduce the bananas on the farm and concentrate on building Sawtell Paradise Fruit to be their main source of income.

“When Woolworths and Coles moved in they had a strategy of trying to undercut all opposing businesses and they successfully drove out most fruit shops and other competing businesses.

“We survived by supplying local produce and diversified our range to include cheeses, deli items, yoghurts, Norco milks and of course our famous juices, smoothies, and choc-coated dried bananas and frozen choc-coated bananas.”

If you’ve been into the shop you’ll see Gary always barefoot, padding around the shop.

He only wears shoes when he has too.

“I worked in bananas in my younger days and my feet have been bitten by snakes and spiders, cut by axes, knives, oysters and broken glass and they always seem to recover,” he said.

Gary reckons all locals and visitors must make time to walk barefoot on the sand and in the water, to calm the mind and allow all the stresses of modern living to be removed from your shoulders at least for the time you are on the beach.

“We live in the best part of the world and our beaches are the best in the world.”

And Chris is well known for loving her Sawtell pool exercise classes.

“Aquafit is a great workout in the local pool and a friendly chat with locals.

“Sometimes visitors join the classes.

“Sawtell pool is very important for our community.”

By Andrea FERRARI