Cultural Expansion

Newcastle Herald

Monday January 12, 2009

with MELISSA LYONS

HUNTER Valley Smelly Cheese Shop has lured the senses and satisfied the taste buds of thousands of people during its long tenure at Pokolbin Village.

But the days of cramming into the small store to sample its dairy delights are over.

It opened a second shop, four times the size of the original Pokolbin site, at Tempus Two Winery.

"We were lucky to fit 50 people in at Pokolbin. People would end up popping their head in the door and walking off instead of squeezing through the crowd," Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese director Tony Drice said.

"Now at Tempus Two we can have 200 to 300 people at a time without feeling like you're jammed in."

The Smelly Cheese Food Hall, which cost $500,000 to fit out, opened on Boxing Day.

It boasts Australian and international cheeses, a bakery, delicatessen, cafe, a specially designed tasting room and 40 flavours of gelato made on the premises, which has proved quite popular.

"During the first hot days of January we were more like a gelato shop selling cheese on the side," Mr Drice said.

He said the initial success of the second store is testament to the company's reputation as a landmark tourist destination in the Hunter Valley.

The expansion has also boosted corporate catering opportunities, with 300 delegates attending the Australian Infectious Disease conference in Newcastle next month due to arrive at Tempus Two for some testing of the non-medical kind.

RADIATING OUT

NATRAD has moved to a bigger location, and with it has come bigger business.

The radiator specialist has taken on a new floor space in Kinta Drive, Beresfield, twice the size of its former location in Newcastle, and has the ability to service larger radiators.

This has opened an industrial opportunity for the company, which has already started servicing radiators from large mining equipment.

"We've just finished servicing one that weighed in at 3.5 tonnes," NATRAD operations manager Steve Mendyk said.

"The move means that now we can service the biggest of the mining fleets, whereas in Newcastle we couldn't even fit them through the door."

The company's ability to expand amid economic gloom has been attributed to its efforts to diversify.

"Around 12 years ago we started to diversify, moving from our focus on automotive to industrial," Mr Mendyk said.

"Now industrial is progressing, we'll start looking at rebuilding our retail sector and smaller end of the market, and look into air-conditioning."

The new location has resulted in additional jobs, with three people employed last week.

OPORTO OPPORTUNITY

AN Oporto store due to open in Cessnock has brought employment to 70 people in the Hunter Region.

The newly recruited staff are expected to start work this week, with the store due to open by January 19.

The Cessnock Oporto store is on the corner of Allandale and Ferguson streets.

BOARD EXPANSION

TWO new faces will be seated at Newcastle Permanent's board meeting this week.

Wayne Morris and Kevin Jarry will take the number of board members to eight when they join the building society board's first meeting of the year on Friday.

Newcastle Permanent chairman Michael Slater said the two men, who both have a great depth of experience in retail banking, were elected to balance the skills among board members.

"The board has a great diversity of skills but we wanted someone with specific retail banking experience," Mr Slater said.

Wayne brings 30 years' experience with Illawarra Mutual Building Society to the Hunter-based role. He was chief executive for four years until 2007.

Kevin, the former general manager of Australia business financial services with National Australia Bank, overseeing more than 100 business banking centres and 500 regional and country branches, also brings 30 years' banking experience.

"We have a good board as it is but this will add more strength," Mr Slater said.

DIARY DATES

Wednesday: Hunter Business Women's Network first meeting for 2009, Noah's on the Beach, 5.30pm for 6pm start, members $40 and guests $55.

January 28: Effective meetings and time management course, Newcastle Graduate School of Business, 9am-4.30pm.

February 5: Making business more efficient through technology events forum, West Mayfield, 8am-10am, free of charge.

February 9: Marketing workshop, Hunter Business Centre, 9.30am 1pm, $60.

The biz

Its something this part of the Lake

really needs and were pleased it

will deliver jobs for the community.

 New $12 million Caves Beachside Hotel

project shareholder and sales director

Rob OBrien in response to the 100

jobs generated by the development

© 2009 Newcastle Herald

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