Do you recall a childhood where outdoor fun meant using natural elements for pretend play? Steeping flower petals in water to create potions and perfumes? Melissa, of Balnarring Preserves, still possesses this spirit of curiosity and ingenuity in adulthood, of continuing wonder at the potential of nature’s gifts. These qualities, combined with equal parts serendipity and hard work, have proved the recipe to her business’s success.
On a farm in 1970s rural NSW before ‘sustainability’ and ‘regeneration’ became the buzzwords they are today, Melissa’s family were already modelling a low-waste lifestyle. She fondly recalls her father fashioning cardboard boxes into living quarters for her Barbie dolls, and her aunt growing the most amazing stone fruit and transforming it into delicious jams, chutneys and cordials in Fowlers Vacola jars. Growing up in Moree, with generations of extended family owning dairy farms in Taree, gave Melissa a spiritual connection to the land. There’s little doubt her upbringing shaped the genuinely warm and unpretentious person she is today.
There’s still an excitement in Melissa’s voice as she recounts how she and her husband, Matthew, became owners of their Balnarring farm. After seeing the property advertised, they left their home on a whim for a nice weekend drive “just to take a look” and satisfy their curiosity. Approaching on a seemingly never-ending dirt road, they finally arrived at No.13, Melissa’s lucky number. The acreage presented a ramshackle mess of sheds, most recently used for a turkey and emu farm. Turning the corner at the top of the driveway, past more than 200 breathtaking rose bushes bearing testimony to the property’s horticulturalist owners, the main house came into view. At that moment Melissa fell in love. The homestead, one of the Peninsula’s original buildings, recalled the charm and character of her aunt’s place. A bid was placed, and six months later Melissa and Matthew owned the Balnarring farm.
There was much work ahead: sheds to be demolished; overgrowth cleared; garden beds redesigned for no-till, no-dig organic farming; the rear .8ha forest lovingly brought back to feature only indigenous plants; the house completely refurbished, showcasing the handmade brick extant chimneys, the quarter-sawn timber milled on site, and the 3m ceilings.
Melissa loves experiencing the property’s changing moods as one season turns to the next, imagining previous owners tending plants in the kitchen garden at the old homestead entrance, a garden of surprises where a magnificent 100-year-old crab-apple tree sits and mysterious plants occasionally appear. Were they planted in the time of the property’s first owners, Lawrence and James White, circa 1885?
Now the farm is making its own mark on history as a successful business. With her waste-not ethic, Melissa knew there had to be a use for the layer of rose petals carpeting the ground, and so the first botanical cordial in the range was born: the delicious Rose Up Your Life. Together with a limited range of jams, pickles and relishes, the cordial was first sold at Bittern Market. Melissa realised she was on to a good thing when a customer ordered 100 bottles on the spot. The popular cordial has since earned expert recognition too, winning a coveted Melbourne Royal Fine Food Award. Melissa has also gained first place against tough competition for her tomato relish at the 2023 Melbourne Royal Show, the judges considering it “a very tasty relish (with a) good balance of tomato and spices”.
The range and its demand continues to grow, as does the produce. Planter boxes and orchards abound with seasonal organic fruits and vegetables. Melissa can often be found in her commercial kitchen creating botanical cordials, relishes, sauces, herbs and spices, labelled with such fun names as Lemon Lavender Love and Relish the Relish Beetroot.
Beyond her fondness for the stunning home and property, Melissa feels deeply about her role as custodian of its history. Casually thumbing through a historical Balnarring leaflet sharing the area’s past, she uncannily lands on a page showing a 1930s photograph with the caption “Woman making preserves”. It feels like a sign of approval, of history’s cycle continuing. This is the place where she truly belongs.
Opening hours: roadside farmgate market stall Friday-Sunday
Balnarring Preserves. 13 Turners Rd, Balnarring. P: 0417 941 879 (Melissa)
E: melissa@balnarringpreserves.com.au. www.balnarringpreserves.com.au. INSTA: balnarringpreserves