RETAILERS, RESTAURANTS, RETREATS

RETAILER • MISS ARTHUR • NEW NORFOLK • TASMANIA

The owners of Miss Arthur, Donna and Tammy, are sisters who have been in business together for over two decades. They both share a passion for retail, interiors and homes. They recently told us why creating their own home goods store was always on the cards...



Can you tell us about Miss Arthur?
Miss Arthur is a home goods store in an old brick building dating to the 1840s. It is situated in New Norfolk, a small township nestled in the Derwent Valley, Tasmania. We search locally and around the world for traditional, hand-crafted and simply well made goods to fill her shelves.


What made you decide to open a lifestyle store?
Miss Arthur was a long-dreamed about store. We began with our antiques store, The Drill Hall Emporium and around 8 years ago we opened Flywheel, a stationery store and letterpress studio. Over time we kept returning to the dream of adding a third store. This took the form of a home goods store that would inspire us and complement our existing retail ventures.


What is your favourite Falcon product and what do you use it for?
At Miss Arthur we love our trusty coal black teapot for making afternoon tea in our little shop kitchen. It is the perfect size, and makes the ritual of tea seem that bit more special. We have grown up drinking tea, our mother instilling the belief that a good brew can get you through most tasks at hand! A bake tray of chocolate brownies is regularly brought in by shop manager Diana, this certainly helps too.


Is there a specific dish that you would personally make using any of our Falcon products?

We have grown up in a large family who gather to cook together and for each other. Since starting Miss Arthur, more and more Falcon products are featured at these gatherings. I personally like to serve a beetroot, roasted cauliflower, kale and marinated feta salad in the large salad bowl. Donna makes an extraordinarily good sweet potato gratin in the bake pan. Our mother is using the medium and large salad bowls to serve dishes to the table as she finds them light weight and they seem to suit any type of table setting.


Are there any other local companies you’d like to shoutabout? Where do you usually eat, drink and source ingredients in your local area?
We are very lucky here in the Derwent Valley, we have many local growers, crafters and creatives who keep us inspired. Our friends Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet have a world class restaurant in our town, The Agrarian Kitchen. They have more recently opened a kiosk, we like to treat ourselves to a picnic lunch on the lawn in front of the kiosk. On our street corner you will find The Black Swan, a perfectly curated book store and café owned by Alex Okenyo, who happens to be outrageously talented as an artist, carpenter and landscape gardener. Also in the Derwent Valley you will find The New Norfolk distillery, a dynamic group making rum, Two Metre Tall brewing ales and cider, and award winning wineries including Stefano Lubiana. There is a Saturday market in our high street with stalls selling local produce and the best garlic focaccias.


How have you been keeping during this time? Do you have any tips for small business owners?
We are extremely lucky here in Tasmania, we have been minimally affected by the current ongoing turmoil being experienced around the world. When we were forced to close our doors in March 2020, we used the three months to focus on other aspects of our businesses, including launching an online store for Miss Arthur. This allowed us to keep our team feeling busy, valued and united. Oh, and the cups of tea and chocolate brownie helped, too!


FEATURED IN THE IMAGES

Coal Black Teapot
€37,00

Samphire Serving Tray
€33,00

Pigeon Grey Medium Salad Bowl
€37,00


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