Your Business: Idea appealed to the foodie within

Janene Draper says the recession has made people eat at home more. Photo / Brett Phibbs

When husband and wife, James and Janene Draper, started Farro Fresh Food in Lunn Ave, Mt Wellington, five years ago in August, you could argue that it wasn't great timing. They opened three weeks after Nosh, in nearby Glen Innes. But the one-stop fresh food store has grown at an average rate of 65 per cent a year.

"This year we will be 60 per cent [up], next year 60 per cent, the following year 25 per cent," says James.

The love affair with TV cooking shows has been a bonus for Farro Fresh.

"It was all great for us," says Janene.

And with the recession, people were eating more at home.

Seafood, quality meat, fresh produce, artisan breads, cheese, dry goods and wine are sold.

"Everything in a cookbook should be in here," says Janene.

Farro Fresh at 11.30 on a Thursday morning in July is bustling, with people queuing for coffee - a mix of Mt Wellington construction workers in for a quick snack and eastern suburbs foodies.

Farro Fresh opened its second store on the North Shore last October, and it's 20 per cent bigger than the Mt Wellington one. A third will follow on August 4 in the Te Awa shopping mall, The Base, near Hamilton.

Janene's brother Paul Knight, based in the Waikato, has come into the business, taking a stake in the Hamilton store.

"He brings in new skills, law and accountancy," says Janene.

James worked in golf retailing before Farro Fresh, while Janene was an optometrist with her own practice.

The couple got the idea for Farro Fresh when living in Wellington.

They wanted to do an Auckland version of Moore Wilson, a fresh food store chain where the chefs shop.

MasterChef guru Ray McVinnie has been a mentor after a cold call from Janene. He does regular in-store free cooking demonstrations for Farro Fresh.

Former Woolworths supermarket executive Des Flynn was also an adviser.

"He gave us some things to think about, some key numbers," says James.

Having good advisers didn't make the early days easy.

"When we first opened, we were working every day or night, we did not know what we were doing. If we'd known what was involved we would never have done it," says Janene.

Farro has close to 500 suppliers, artisan food businesses from all over the country.

If it works at Farro, it can often be the push they need to get into supermarkets.

"You see the suits in here all the time, then it's in the supermarkets," says James.

One of the pluses to fast growth is that the Drapers can give their employees some excellent opportunities. Starting with 16 people, they now have 120.

"We've been able to promote our staff with the growth that we've had," says Janene.

The Drapers have just put in a series of middle level of management to ensure all stores have the same training, stock and systems.

Janene is to do a course at The Icehouse where she hopes to learn to delegate better.

"So much of my time is spent on day to day aspects of the business without having time to do the things I really enjoy, and also being able to step back and have family time." The couple have three boys at secondary school.

The momentum continues.

A fourth store is planned in Auckland in early 2012. There will be new stores in Auckland every year for the next three years.