THIELE’S SHOP
Thieles Shop is the in-house Coffee Shop and Art Bar at The PaintBox. We host pop ups and collaborations with artists and emerging businesses. If you would like to know more about Thiele’s Shop, check out this recent Q&A with owner Bec Madden in The Weekend Australian Magazine:
The PaintBox and Thiele’s Shop are one of Australia’s oldest shops, continuously trading since 1839. The Thiele family were among Hahndorf’s earliest settler families, they established Thiele’s Shop selling vegetables, flowers, drapery, tools and all sorts of essentials. It was also the Thiele family who planted our amazing back garden
Thieles Shop, a historic institution in Hahndorf dating back to 1839 and a proud member of The Traditional Shops Movement, continues its legacy of supporting small and emerging entrepreneurs.
Under the stewardship of proprietor Bec Madden along with The
PaintBox, Thieles Shop has embarked on a journey to empower local businesses through innovative sponsorship initiatives.
For several years, Thieles Shop has championed a business model inspired by Artist Residencies, driven by a commitment to philanthropy and sustainability. This model, endorsed by expert financial advice, aims to foster an inclusive retail environment while nurturing the growth of traditional businesses amidst modern challenges.
Over the years, Thieles Shop has provided crucial support to numerous start-ups, spanning from quaint cafes to artisanal bakeries, florists, and natural wine merchants. Additionally, the initiative extends its reach to collaborate with larger enterprises across various sectors, reflecting a dedication to fostering diversity and collaboration in the business landscape.
As part of our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and community engagement, Thieles Shop has been sponsoring HomeBoy for some nine months. Through financial assistance, Thieles Shop facilitates the hire of our café space, providing a platform for HomeBoy to showcase his unique offerings and contribute to the vibrant local economy.
As we continue to support and value this exciting collaboration, we reaffirm our dedication to encouraging the dreams and aspirations of entrepreneurs like HomeBoy, and we invite the community to join us in celebrating the spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines Thieles Shop.
For further inquiries or to learn more about our sponsorship initiatives, please contact mail@thepaintbox.com.au
What is your background as a woman in business?
As a younger woman I was very involved in the hospitality industry, my first food and wine position was in a French restaurant in Cornwall before leaving to work in design for the late Vivienne Westwood. Later I came out to Australia where I supported myself by importing and selling antique clothes from the UK. When I wasn’t selling amazing antique clothes at Tootsie’s in Aldgate, I was working with Australian Chef Cath Kerry, she is fabulous and that’s where I really became curious about food and wine, that curiosity has never left me. In my late twenties I entered the law working as a legal practitioner for almost twenty years, retiring in 2011. It is for this reason that I retain my association with Catherine House which supports women experiencing homelessness and is the only dedicated women’s homelessness service in the State. Both The PaintBox and Thieles Shop support Catherine House with the proceeds of exhibitions and fundraising events. Thieles Shop was the first cafe in South Australia to sign up with the ‘We’re Equal’ campaign with Equal Opportunity SA @equalopsa in an effort to create a community minded environment that is safe and welcoming for everyone, supporting diversity.
What kind of specialty items can we find on the Thiele’s Shop menu?
Tom is rapidly developing a well thought out menu, pouring fabulous coffee and presenting a french themed offering of patisserie, croissants and both sweet and savoury pastry items in addition to beautiful French groceries and pantry foods both of which can be enjoyed by patrons at the shop and taken away. Tom’s patisserie is made from dough is imported from France weekly, assembled and baked on Hutt St and served fresh at Thieles. Tom’s lemon raspberry croissants are a huge hit! We are very proud of our wines list and we have two sommeliers who guide us, Jono Hersey of The French Wine Centre and my son in law Thom Adams.
Would you say you’ve been warmly welcomed by the Hahndorf community?
Our locals are the most wonderful people and we wouldn’t have gotten through Covid without them, we love them to bits, there are some great characters in Hahndorf. We also have a flower and fruit swap programme for some of our elderly residents who swap garden produce for meals, tea and coffee, the flowers end up being used in workshops, if you check Instagram you’ll see a lot of local flowers!
What are some popular dishes and drinks?
Savoury French pastries, croissants, organic jams and pickles, French and natural wines and fabulous beers like WildFlower Beers. Basically anything organic and enjoyable that can be whipped up quickly for our art students and our customers
When it comes to the style of the cafe, where does the inspiration come from?
Our inspiration draws on the old roots of Thieles Shop and garden, which has looked after locals and wanderers in some capacity since 1839. Thieles brought a lot of joy to us because being British we’ve really missed old style corner and shops and cafes and essentially we’ve put our energy into something that has never really changed, a lot of the fruit in pastries comes from the orchard garden out the back from some of the oldest trees, it’s all pretty much as it ever was. We have been collecting beautiful old shop fittings over the last decade. The cafe counter is from a Melbourne drapers and is almost as old as our premises.
What kind of experience do you aim to give customers?
Well we’re unique in that our cafe is actually set in a gallery and studios, it’s effectively a non stop art event. Art, wine, food, flowers, music and our beautiful customers, many of whom are artists.
What are you hoping for Thiele’s in 2023?
Working with the local growers and producers, including our own family members and setting up a kitchen for our jams and pickles. We have some wonderful collaborations to announce this year in terms of wines and spirits launches and that’s before we even get to the artists!
How do other businesses get to collaborate with you?
We love to support small and emerging businesses and an application form for pop up events and terms and conditions can be downloaded here ( link Pop Up at Thiele’s Shop)