Gerogery’s Lisa Walters loves nothing better than creating the perfect gift hamper full of goodies from all over the Riverina for her customers. Photo: Supplied.
Who are you and what is your business? I’m Lisa, and together with my partner Norm we own and operate The Riverina Hamper Co.
Where did you first begin and what was the inspiration? We started The Riverina Hamper Co in May 2020 while we were living in Wagga. Yes, right at the beginning of the pandemic! At the time, we were struggling to find great gifts for our loved ones who we couldn’t visit or celebrate milestones with. We wanted something different and since I had just moved here from Sydney I really wanted to send some products from our beautiful region.
After looking into some options, nothing quite fit what we were after, but the list of amazing products was getting longer. Thinking I’ll just throw a hamper together, I did and voila – The Riverina Hamper Co was born!
What do you produce? Beautiful, customisable and truly local gift hampers for any occasion. All products are from the Riverina Murray and northeast Victoria regions. We have everything from chocolate, nuts, condiments, bath and body, baby, resin boards and art, handcrafted timber, honey, savoury snacks and so much more. All made right here.
What do you sell that makes a great gift? Any of our gift hampers make a great gift. My favourites are the foodie ones. Whether the receiver is a sweet tooth, savoury lover or even hot and spicy, we have something. We are in the process of creating new options and sourcing new local products, as well as updating our website. It’s so easy to order from us, we deliver locally for free and ship nationwide. We can create the perfect gift to suit any budget.
What is your favourite thing to make? Corporate gift hampers are my favourite because I am able to work closely with other businesses on each component of their gifting requirements, right down to the specific colouring or custom add-ons. I enjoy the individual gifts we get to create as well, there is always a story behind them and I love delivering these personally when I am able to; the recipient’s reaction is always worth it!
What would you make if you could do anything? That’s an interesting question as I truly believe that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it, which is clearly an ethos shared by so many of our local makers and creators. We are continuing to expand into the corporate space and would love to continue to showcase and highlight our region’s wonderful products.
I love finding new suppliers and building great working relationships with them and enjoy the continued support from many loyal suppliers, some who we’ve been working with from day one. If I could, I’d make The Riverina Hamper Co go global! A cute kombi for a delivery van is on my wish list as well.
The Riverina Hamper Co has a shop front at the Gerogery Hotel on the Olympic Highway and will soon be opening a cafe where you can enjoy a coffee and peruse locally made products. Photo: Supplied.
Where can we buy your products? We have a shop front at the Gerogery Hotel, we are on Facebook, Instagram and our website will be updated soon. We are also about to pop up in two locations this Christmas – in the old Rockmans store on the corner of Dean and Keiwa streets in Albury CBD from 30 November to 24 December and in Wodonga Plaza (next to Flight Centre) from 14 to 24 December in the Hidden Gems local gifts store which features many local small businesses.
What is the coolest local/handcrafted thing you’ve ever bought for yourself? The tastiest local thing is definitely the fresh strawberries from Bidgee Strawberries in Wagga. Zecca Pasta in Griffth is an authentic Italian treat you can have at home; better than any pasta you’ll buy anywhere. As a carb lover, it’s my go-to! Happy Wombat Hazelnuts is a morish treat to have in the car while you explore. The coolest local handcrafted thing I have bought is a long board skateboard made by the extremely talented Dan from Factorem.
Where’s your favourite place for a coffee? We love to grab a sneaky takeaway when we can and enjoy it anywhere along the mighty Murray. But, come January 2025, we’ll have our very own cafe to enjoy the best coffee. Cafe @ the G-Rodge will serve all your favourites with a few twists as well as launching our other newest baby, Big Dog Pies, that Norm has been working so hard on. Let me tell you, the meat is the absolute star in these pies!
Where’s your favourite place/tourism attraction to go or take visitors to? Morgan’s Lookout in Walla Walla. Such great history, such amazing views!
Who is another local producer you admire? I can’t go past Joo-Yee and Bruce at Wollundry Grove Olives in Brucedale. I admire their passion for the product they produce, how they conduct themselves and their business, and their care for others. Naomi and Tim out at Borambola Wines have also been very inspiring along the way. They are such great people and what a great venue they’ve created. Tim’s knowledge and history of their wines are a must when you visit!
You can find the Riverina Hamper Co on Facebook.
Loading ...
