A journey of quality, community, and convenience
Words Debbie Harrison | Photo Amy Hamblett
The Superette team, under the guidance of new owner Gretchen Young, is on a mission to elevate the beachside grocery shopping experience at Omaha Beach. Their vision is to offer the local community a compact supermarket experience, with a focus on local suppliers and fresh produce.
As the daughter of supermarket owners, Gretchen spent much of her childhood on the shop floor, learning the business from the ground up. From university she pursued an international corporate career in communications before returning to New Zealand in 2019 to complete her supermarket-owner training. Her journey included roles across various departments – including managing a seafood department, learning the skills of the trade from a talented female fishmonger – and extensive leadership and management training, all of which helped clarify the kind of supermarket she’d be proud to run one day.
“I always knew I wanted to own a supermarket because I love food and I love the way that food connects people. As a supermarket owner you get the opportunity to help people every day and make their day better through this connection to food. I don’t take that for granted,” she says.
With Gretchen at the helm, The Superette has undergone many changes over the past 12 months; a revamped interior, exterior table for people to rest and relax, an in-store gelato shop, and a bountiful fresh produce area. Regular customers will also notice an increase of local products for sale, including meat, produce, salmon and cheese. Many artisans from the Matakana neighbourhood are stocked at The Superette, including Matakana Smokehouse, Matakana Coffee, Matakana Butchery, Salty River Farm, Daily Organics, Charlie’s Gelato, Wildly Delicious, Perfectly Imperfect Pizzas, Honey by the Sea and Mummy’s Yummys, which tend to sell out every weekend!
The Superette's team is a mix of friendly young people, passionate about providing a great experience for their customers. The team recently established an on-site commercial kitchen that produces convenient food-to-go options like tasty hot chickens and sandwiches, ideal for easy afternoons at the beach or bach.
“We feel so lucky to be a part of this community and really want to do what we can to give people what they want, whether that’s stocking a specific product, running informative wine-tasting evenings, or giving back to good causes, like sponsoring the recent Omaha Beach Golf Club and Matakana Volunteer Fire Brigade golf day to help raise funds for a first-response vehicle,” Gretchen says.
June’s inaugural Omaha Mid-Winter Swim was conceptualised by Gretchen as a way to bring the community together and to fundraise for Omaha Beach Surf Life Saving. “We were blessed with a magical mid-winter’s day and the community really got behind it. There were over 100 people that came along for the swim and we hope to have even more people come down next year,” she says.
The Superette opens its doors from 7am to 7pm all summer, catering to the needs of beachgoers and locals. The store offers a fully stocked bait freezer, a purpose-built ice freezer, and even gas bottle swaps. With daily fresh bread and a gelato bar, it's a one- stop destination for everything you need. Pop by and say hi to Gretchen and the team next time you’re in Omaha!
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