After 18 years of running The Last Straw café in Shepparton, John and Yao O’Donoghue, along with their daughters, Jia and Jess, officially sold their business.

The café was a landmark in Shepparton’s food scene, and the O’Donoghues were integral to the community.

Many customers had grown with the shop and been introduced to Thai cuisine thanks to Yao’s flavoursome cooking.

After the announcement, the O’Donoghue family enjoyed a well-deserved break, and they wished the new Malaysian and Indian owners the best of luck.

Visy workers strike again, and again, and again

Visy workers from the Wheeler St plant in Shepparton went on strike multiple times over a pay dispute starting in January.

They set up a picket line outside the company’s warehouse and demanded a better deal than the eight per cent pay increase Visy offered over three years.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union representative, Danny Miller, said the company’s offer was a pay cut due to inflation.

Despite Visy’s lack of engagement, the protesting workers were civil throughout their campaign.

The workers continued their campaign with a week of strike action in March.

A slice of success

Shepparton’s North End Bakehouse won the title of the best vanilla slice in Australia at the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph competition held in Merbein.

The bakery had been participating in the competition since the 1990s and had been trying to win the trophy for years.

Owner Matt Aylett attributed the success to attention to detail and aiming for perfection.

Vanilla slices have been flying off the shelf ever since, with the bakery making over 1000 daily to keep up with the demand.

New businesses on the block

The food industry saw a surge of new businesses in Greater Shepparton this year.

One is The Local, a new coffee shop and eatery that opened in a largely residential area between GV Health and Bourchier St Primary School.

The business was started by couple Emma Burr Nyberg and Brad Ridings, along with business partner Damon Carroll.

The premises was previously a milk bar and had the old Ducat’s logo, which drew the owners’ attention.

The goal was to create a welcoming place for locals to enjoy a meal, chat, and coffee.

Also winning hearts and bellies in the region was Oh My Ceylon, a food truck business serving authentic Sri Lankan cuisine to the community.

Raj Subramaniam and his wife founded the business after they were unable to find Sri Lankan food in the area.

They imported authentic spices and ingredients from Sri Lanka to add a touch of authenticity to the dishes.

Oh My Ceylon attended various local events and provided catered services to many.

Matildas kick the economy up a notch

The Matildas’ success in the Women’s World Cup gave the Australian economy a $7.6 billion boost, with the Goulburn Valley being one of the areas to benefit.

Local businesses in Shepparton embraced the event, with The Deck hosting a family night and the Aussie Hotel full of enthusiastic supporters.

Sports retailer Rebel, which has a commercial partnership with the team, saw its Matildas merchandise fly off the shelves.

The team’s success also drew in soccer clubs and local sporting groups, with a lot of excitement generated by the tournament.

Anaconda slides into new multimillion-dollar environment

Spotlight Group Holdings has opened the first stage of its $40 million retail development on Benalla Rd in Shepparton.

The development includes a new larger Anaconda store, a new Spotlight store and four or five other yet-to-be-confirmed brands.

The investment reflects the company’s confidence in the Australian and Greater Shepparton markets and is said to have created new employment opportunities.

A stage three block of land is also planned for industrial sheds.

The development comes as part of the group’s long-term view of the Australian retail and development market.

A new script for previous pharmacy owners

After dedicating nearly four decades to their pharmacy, John and Agata Anderson, the couple behind John Anderson Pharmacy, have retired.

The successful business started in Kyabram and eventually grew to Shepparton after John and Agata purchased the shares of a pharmacy in 1979.

They were able to turn the business around, putting their own stamp on it.

In 2018, Melvin Deo bought the business, but John remained employed as a pharmacist for five years due to his passion for his profession.

They are currently building a home in Ocean Grove after choosing to sell just because they could, not because they had to.

No Furphy – it’s been 150 years

Shepparton businesses Furphy Foundry and J. Furphy and Sons celebrated their 150th anniversary in November.

The company moved its operations to Shepparton from Kyneton in the 19th century.

The Furphy Water Cart became synonymous with the Furphy name, and a water cart competition took place over five categories during the anniversary celebrations.

Limited edition Furphy Water Cart Tank Ends were produced for category winners, and one was auctioned with proceeds going to a local charity.

The exhibition and museum were open to the public, and blacksmithing and water cart re-barrelling demonstrations were conducted during the afternoon.

Yahoo! The bar returned

In celebration of what would have been its 25th anniversary, Shepparton’s iconic Yahoobar reopened its doors on December 16.

Founder Damian Murdoch planned the reunion, inviting former patrons and newcomers to relive the joy and collective experience of the beloved nightclub.

Over 100 attendees gathered on the dance floor, dancing to tunes from the early 2000s played by DJ Andy Van.

Memories of the venue’s past resonated with the crowd, and the positive atmosphere of Yahoobar was once again alive, uniting the Greater Shepparton community in a night of laughter and nostalgia.