Oil is new Echuca store’s secret weapon

“Our business is all about the 180 products that we make on the farm. So the beautiful natural skincare and the artisan food pantry products.”

Mrs Vodusek had hoped to have the store, temporarily residing at 578 High St, settled in its longer-term location.

“We felt it was important to still open this month, earlier, and to get the staff really, really well trained and get the ball rolling,” she said.

“We’re in Echuca for the long run. We are here to stay. This is just an interim spot until we’ve moved into our new location.”

Until the new store opens in November, Rich Glen Olive Oil is excited to help locals and tourists find a range of new products, from various foods to make-up and skin care.

“People would be interested in our refrigerator products, so they can pop in and we can make them up a platter to take down the port,” Mrs Vodusek said.

“Pretty much anything that grows on our farm, we make something out of — whether it’s the jams or the sauces.

“And we have a beautiful lab on the farm, where we make all the skincare, and the extra virgin olive oil obviously is a base of that.”

Mrs Vodusek said she wanted to open a store in Echuca because of the years she had spent visiting the area.

“Echuca has always been close to our hearts because our family, it used to be our weekend trip, and we just have always loved Echuca,” she said.

“I love everything that happens here. I love listening to the boats go down the river. There’s always something going on. It’s always such a great vibe.”

Mrs Vodusek said listening to locals talk about what they liked and what they were enjoying was a major part of developing her business.

“I guess the locals are our biggest supporters, and I feel like it’s really important for us to really get to know the locals,” she said.

“What I’m most excited about is getting to know the locals from Echuca and Moama and the surrounds. It’s really, really important because everything they say is valuable.”