End of two eras: Weavers closes its doors after 25 years

After nearly six years of working seven days a week, Tina Catlow has cooked her last meal at Mosgiel institution Weavers Restaurant & Functions.

The recent closure of the business marked the end of two eras; the demise of Weavers — its name a nod to the Mosgiel Woollen Mill — after more than 25 years, and the Catlow name in hospitality in the area.

Ms Catlow’s father, the late Blackie, was a larger-than-life Mosgiel identity who had a passion for food and people.

After many years of operating the Wingatui racecourse function centre, and then Mosgiel Station Restaurant and Function Centre, he moved to Weavers in 2017.

He died later that year, aged 64, and to honour her father, Ms Catlow and the Weavers staff were determined to carry on with the restaurant.

She had worked with her father "forever" and "knew all his secrets", she said.

But the Covid-19 pandemic had taken its toll, as with many other hospitality businesses. Knowing then what she knew now, she would not have reopened after the first lockdown.

She attributed the closure to increased prices, wages and a "massive change" around what customers were looking for — many choosing to dine at home.

While the business did not sell, the plant had sold and a new restaurant would open on May 1, but it would not be under the Weavers name. The Weavers team had found other jobs.

Ms Catlow had worked for five and three-quarter years, seven days a week, doing all the cooking herself for the past eight months.

"It’s brutal ... working 80 to 100 hours a week, it just really really takes a toll on every part of your life."

She was grateful for the support of her "amazing friends" who accepted that invitations issued would probably be declined, or she would turn up late.

But she had also enjoyed her tenure at Weavers. There had been a lot of fun times and she enjoyed all her customers.

"I’m going to miss everybody immensely."

She had been told that Weavers would be missed in the community; many groups met there — "this was their base" — and it was somewhat of a local hub.

One of those groups was the Taieri Rotary Club, of which she was a member, and she was looking forward to attending meetings where she did not have to cook.

Asked what her father would think of her decision to close, she said he would have said "get out".

"He’s like, ‘you’re done, you’ve done it’. Everyone said the same thing. I did it, I carried it on and I did my bit.

"Times have changed, you’ve got to change with it. It was inevitable because I couldn’t work that long for forever."

Weavers was home to a large amount of woollen mill memorabilia which was destined for the Taieri Historical Society, she said.

sally.rae@odt.co.nz