The Trader Store isn’t your average café. Since opening as a hardware store over eight years ago, it’s evolved into a stylish homewares haven with a café serving barista-made coffee and authentic Mexican food. Located in the northern New South Wales town of Uralla, it’s the beloved brainchild of local parents-of-three Tara and Nathan Whitton, who welcome all to the café with arms wide open.
“Different groups come from all over everywhere and people always come back,” Tara explains. “It’s a place that people like to come together and meet, a non-judgemental, safe space. We accept people for who they are.”
Uralla is a “through town” on a bustling tourist route and a good proportion of café customers come through on weekends and school holidays, mingling with the locals to create a unique atmosphere.
“Most people don’t get The Trader Store, it’s pretty eclectic,” explains owner, barista and chef Nathan Whitton. “It’s all the things we enjoy doing – and we were able to keep the hardware store going by opening up the café. I’m actually in my happy place when I’m in the kitchen.”
But the road was already rocky for Tara and Nathan before the pandemic brought New South Wales to a standstill. “First we had the bushfires, then because of drought we had water supply issues, and then COVID hit. We went from being busy to nothing,” explains Nathan.
