“We’ve both had really nurturing kitchens that we’ve grown up in and food is at the centre of everything, it’s in our blood,”
A Rutherglen couple has combined their love of collectables and home cooked food into a vibrant new business.
Pickers Café & Collectables is part café, part retail store featuring a range of collectable knick knacks to browse through or purchase.
Gina Terrill and Louie Ferraro say combining their passions into one business makes perfect sense.
“We’ve both had really nurturing kitchens that we’ve grown up in and food is at the centre of everything, it’s in our blood,” Gina said.
“Lou is Italian, so that says everything about food – family lunches are always centred around food.”
Researching and buying collectables is also a favourite hobby, but now they say it’s time to part with some of their treasures.
“We’ve always loved everything advertising, from tins to signs, but the shed was getting a bit full,” Louie said.
“We like to go out and hunt for rare items, we’re always on the phone, making contacts, travelling to places like Melbourne or Wagga. If it’s something that’s really collectable, at the right price, we make the trip.”
After years of ‘picking’ the pair concedes, some items are difficult to part with.
“Collectable suitcases are my thing,” Gina said.
Louie agrees.
“She always makes a comment when she’s in the kitchen when she sees one of her prized items walking out the door – she says ‘I’m really going to miss that!”
While the business has only just opened, there are already exciting plans for the future.
“My dream or vision is to get some of the older community in to the kitchen, to teach the younger community – do a Sunday session, where the young ones learn how to make a sponge for example, or all those cooking skills that don’t get passed on because we’re all so busy.
“The typical family has two jobs and they’re madly running around, so they miss out on some of those home cooking skills, and they should be passed on,” Gina said.
For more information on Pickers Café & Collectables in Main Street Rutherglen, visit their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Pickers-Cafe-Collectables-1766005526974118/about