Saying their goodbyes to Garden Cafe
John Ecreg’s eyes well up as a supplier drops in to say farewell. ‘‘The breakaway is a wrench,’’ he said. Their stewardship of Garden Cafe has come to an end. Owners John and Sue Ecreg officially stood down last week.
They were a bit like budgies in a cage, Sue said. Even if the door’s open, they found it hard to leave.
‘‘We’ve watched generations come through this place.’’
It took six years of nagging by their two daughters to convince them to sell the business and take a break.
There has been shock and even tears from the regulars, all the product of 20 years of passion.
‘‘We’ve enjoyed it … we’re going to miss our people.’’
But not all the memories are good. The refurbishment of Garden Place nearly a decade ago stands out.
‘‘[Garden Place] was a city oasis, lots of plantings, beautiful shrubs, park benches,’’ Sue said.
The update paved all that over and bricks replaced the garden that gave both the cafe and square its name.
‘‘They’ve taken the garden out of Garden Place,’’ John said. He even thought about changing the name of the cafe.
The surrounds may have changed, but the cafe has remained steadfast in its offerings.
High-quality traditional food has been the Garden Cafe’s key to longevity.
‘‘We’re old-fashioned. And we’ve stuck to it through all the trends,’’ Sue said. ’’We don’t apologise for that.’’
Now the collection of food safety and excellence awards have come off the wall.
‘‘Hopefully they [the new managers] will be on the road to doing the same.’’
May Mengjinmei and Biing Weylee moved to town three weeks ago to spend long days learning the craft from the masters.
But May and Biing will start opening earlier and will add a few items to attract a younger crowd.