look very different these days, but the kids, parents and teachers alike all had a wonderful day. We still have the thank you books which children would send, which are great to look back on.” The visits offered children hands-on experiences, from milking goats and collecting eggs to seeing how wheat was milled into flour. “At the end of the day, they’d all sit on hay bales before heading home and have a muesli slice,” she explains.“It was a very early paddock-to-plate concept—showing kids where their food comes from and how it’s grown and produced.” The muesli slice quickly became more than just a treat for farm visitors. “It was such a new product back then,” Fiona says.“It was even featured in Vogue Living as part of the ‘new vogue of snacking.’”Though commonplace now, in the 1980s, muesli bars and slices were groundbreaking. “The question kept coming up: ‘Where can I buy this?’” she says. This unanticipated demand opened the door to selling the slices at health food stores and markets. The family’s shift from farming and teaching to baking was gradual but transformative and Springhill Farm slowly became a full-fledged baking business. As production outgrew their home kitchen, they began renting space. “Initially, they hired a corner of a waffle factory,” Fiona reflects. Later, they moved to a converted abattoir with custom-built food-grade rooms. In 2008, the family made a significant leap. “We decided to buy a block of land and build what would be the home for Springhill Farm moving forward,” Fiona explains. The factory they built now serves as the heart of their operations.“Today, we have 90 staff and three production lines,” she notes. The business continues to expand, with a new warehouse added last year. With its roots firmly planted in family and tradition, Springhill Farm’s journey is now guided by the next generation, who are continuing to grow the business while staying true to its core values. KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY For Fiona and her husband, James, taking over Springhill Farm meant carrying forward a cherished family tradition. “Ray and Jo transitioned out of the business officially about 10 years ago,” Fiona comments, joining the business herself 16 years ago, with James following three years later. Their transition into the business was driven by both necessity and opportunity. “We were looking for a change from our careers, I was a physio by trade,” Fiona shares.“James had studied Agricultural Science and Commerce.” Initially, she worked part-time at the 13 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12 SPRINGHILL FARM
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