When Tapanui’s Top Nosh Cafe owners listed their popular eatery for sale just before lockdown in March, West Otago foodies might well have experienced palpitations.
Owners Farryn Crawford (29) and Aleisha Haskins (28) established the business as an experiment to test out their catering qualifications in 2015, and found their proprietary custard square recipe was an immediate hit.
Since that time, the traditional delicacy’s popularity had only grown — coming to be enjoyed by as many as 200 people a week, Miss Haskins said.
Loyal customers’ palpitations turned into panic on August 12, after local media revealed the enterprising pair had been unable to sell the cafe, due to the unsettled global situation.
It looked like Top Nosh would close its doors for good, and the celebrated slice could be lost to history.
But an 11th-hour rescue emerged this week.
"We had some cautious early interest from a local couple who then stepped back, but they’ve had a change of heart and agreed to buy the cafe as a going concern," Miss Haskins said.
She said the new owners, who were keeping their identity under wraps at present, would be entrusted with the secret custard square recipe.
"We’ll be handing over in October, but staying on for a wee while to help them transition.
"I think customers can be pretty confident their favourite slice will still be here after we’ve gone."
She said she and Miss Crawford — who met aged 11, and followed each other through catering college — had originally planned to run the cafe "for a year or two" only.
That had become five and a-half years, and both friends now wished to explore other avenues.
"I think we had both planned to travel, but that’s been knocked on the head for a while," Miss Haskins said.
Although they did not rule out venturing back into hospitality again one day, both would take a break from the kitchen once handover was complete.
"It’s been awesome.
"There’s been a lot of hard work, and a lot of laughs with our team and customers, but it’s time to move on."
