A double blow has forced the dynamic duo behind the only spit roast business in the region to make the "heartbreaking" decision to sell.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
TJ's Catering of Dubbo has been in demand for weddings, parties and big shows and sales for more than 20 years, feeding up to hundreds of people at a time.
Chef and co-founder Terry Long was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer in 2015.
His multiple myeloma can be contained, but it is unknown for how long, and he has required time in Sydney.
Wife, business partner and chef Julie Long went to be by his side, so her daughter and chef Charlene stepped in.
Mrs Long would return for functions, but in November more bad news came when she was diagnosed with cancer. After surgery to remove a tumour in her voice box, and her voice box with it, the couple are reluctantly selling the business they created.
Mrs Long, who can't speak due to her surgery, told the Daily Liberal via email they are now looking for a buyer who will have the same pride in serving fresh house-cooked cuisine.
"We decided to sell TJ's, heartbreaking but nothing we can do," Mrs Long said.
"We need time now for ourselves, we will miss everything about TJ's and hope we can get someone with the same passion as we had to take over and keep it going."
The couple were chefs for the Department of Defence before moving to Dubbo from Sydney in 1994.
When banks would not give them a loan to start their catering business, they borrowed the money from Mr Long's mother and established TJ's Catering in 1995.
One of their biggest events was the 14-day International Quarter Horse Youth World Cup held at Dubbo in 2004 and attended by more than 500 participants and staff from 13 different countries as well as spectators.
"Each day we served up a different meal for a different country so they all got to taste what everyone ate in their country," Mrs Long said.
"At the end of the show they presented us with a medal for all our hard work."
The business hired staff at Parkes, Warren, Cobar, Bourke, Trangie and Dubbo as needed.
Mrs Long loved the cooking, even if the occupation also involved some heavy lifting and packing.
She said she would miss the clients and meeting new people and at times they had catered for some famous guests, which was great.
"Loving your work is always good for everyone," she said.
The business is run from Dubbo, with its own fully-furnished equipped industrial kitchen with everything a good catering business needs, within a leased shop, Mrs Long reports.
They would be happy to show any new owner "the ropes".
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
