Andrea Didsbury
“I’m not a farm girl” says Andrea. “I’m really a townie. I certainly didn’t realise that I would find my home in the South Wairarapa. Originating from Kaitaia, my Dad was transferred to Christchurch with the rural bank, so our family moved South. I completed my degree at Otago University. Then like many New Zealanders I decided it was time for some OE. For three years I travelled, working in pubs and restaurants in between times.
When it was time to return my sister and her husband were working at the Lake Ferry Hotel. What better place to find my feet. I even met my prospective husband over the bar. I may not be a farmer, but he certainly is. Pirinoa Station has been in the Didsbury family since 1877 and our children are sixth generation descendants.
When the children were small we hired German au pair girls to help while I taught Science at Wairarapa College. We had nine different girls over the years, and we still keep in contact with many of them. We have visited them in Germany and even attended some of their weddings. They literally became part of the family and the community while they were here.
But for me the hours’ drive to Masterton and back each day began to be tedious, so it was time for a change.
On the farm there is a blacksmith shop. It was not in good repair. It had been used as a craft shop and as an art studio for the pupils of Pirinoa School in the late 1980s. But what it did have were possibilities. Perhaps a different way to improve our lifestyle.
It took us two years to upgrade the premises and get consent from the council. The “Land Girl” came into existence as a “Hole in the Wall “coffee and scone café. We opened with only one other employee besides me. During the winter months we closed.
Meanwhile the environment was changing. More cars were travelling through Pirinoa. Tourism stimulated by the Lord of the Rings trilogy increased visitor numbers to the Coast. Camper Vans began to explore and travel the coast road. Naturally, the demand for sandwiches, scones and finger food and coffee increased. The Land Girl was in a prime position for people to stop for a break.
From scones and coffee, we have now expanded to include cabinet food and salads. But our iconic scones still remain on the menu. We sell beauty products, quintessential NZ products, woollen blankets from our neighbours at Palliser Ridge, sheepskin mats from our neighbours on the other side, shoes, and jewellery.
The Land Girl has taken on its own persona. It is still a community hub frequented by the locals as well as being in a superb position to capture the traffic going through. Every second Thursday night after the children’s sports we have a pizza night. It is always booked out.
Perhaps the Town Girl has become a Land Girl too.
