OUR STORY

Growing up in Dudley, Kangaroo Island, I always loved cooking food that came straight from our backyard garden. Dad prided himself on his veggie patch and he and mum would always be outside working in the garden, on the farm or in the shed. As kids we would collect eggs from the chook house, help out on the farm and help other family in their veggie gardens.

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But my favourite home cooking was with my grandparents who inspired Millie Mae's: Evelyn Millicent (Millie) Willson (my Pop's Mum) and Gladys May Willson (my Mum's Mum). My Dad's parents, Fen and Vern Trethewey also in Penneshaw were great gardeners, green tomato picklers and made a mean sandwich or two!  We would spend days picking fruit, cleaning native cranberries, making chutney's and jams and learning how to preserve the 'old fashioned way.' And I'm very happy to say that I still do this with my Gran today.

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My first café experience was when I was a kid, working as a waitress in Mum and Dad's restaurant The Old Post Office in Penneshaw. We were famous for our annual Folk Festival at Duffy's Woolshed Show which pulled in people from all over Australia.

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During this time my siblings and I earnt our 'real money' running tours in Penneshaw for $5 a pop! After we finished our 'tours' we always enjoyed talking to our new found friends about our lives growing up here.

 

1 Nat Thomas Street has for as long as I remember been a fenced orchard. Admired by so many for the beautiful fruit trees, nestled in the little sandhill right in town centre. My grandparents grew up nearby and would play marbles, climb trees, hide under the 'marshmallows' and help themselves to the delicious fruit!

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I loved growing up on Kangaroo Island and even as a kid, I dreamed of having my own food business on KI like my great-grandma Myra who ran a Tea room and fruit and veg shop in Penneshaw. I wanted to create a place that captured the traditional, wholesome, family experience that I grew up with here. I wanted a place that showed off the wonderful produce that KI has to offer, as well as had the character of a loved home.  I also wanted the opportunity to share our family's Kangaroo Island story and celebrate the wonderful extraordinary people in my life. 

 

This was how Millie Mae's Pantry was born.

 

Today I am living my dream on Kangaroo Island with my hubby, a local mechanic originally from Parndana known as 'Ords, and our two sons - who are '7th Generation Kangaroo Island'.  You will usually find me doing what I love most which is cooking in the Millie Mae kitchen or out in the garden collecting local produce!

 

So please pop by and say hi with your family or friends - because everyone is welcome at Millie Mae's.

 

Jan x