The Wood family – Cathy, Emilya, Zac and Sean – recently took over the cafe at the Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre in Inglewood.
Camera IconThe Wood family – Cathy, Emilya, Zac and Sean – recently took over the cafe at the Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre in Inglewood. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Cafe a family affair

Julian WrightEastern Reporter

From folding napkins at the age of four to now serving customers in their parents’ cafe, the pair have been building their hospitality skills.

They now work at Stumpy’s By the Pool at the Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre in Inglewood since their mum Cathy, a former WA Telstra Businesswoman of the Year, and dad Sean, a former video and audio technician, took it over.

For 16 years, Mr and Mrs Wood have divided their time between their Brookton Roadhouse and their Menora home.

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“Our kids have always been a big part of that,” Mrs Wood said.

“As littlies, they started helping early, but they weren’t allowed into the kitchen at Brookton until they were big enough, strong enough and aware enough not to be a hazard.

“Since then, they’ve spent many school holidays filling ice-cream fridges and then they started washing dishes.”

Mrs Wood said when the lease came up, the family jumped at the challenge of another business, closer to home.

“We see it as an opportunity to do much more than just the traditional hot chips and icy poles you usually get at public pools; we’re also doing healthy meals that people can take home,” she said.

Emilya said she had learned to improve her time management while working with her parents.

“It used to take me half a day to make a batch of sausage rolls,” Emilya, a Year 12 student at Mt Lawley High School, said.

“Mum and dad used to say, ‘it’s taking too long’ but they made sure I got it done.

“Working at Stumpy’s has shown me if you start something, you’ve got to finish it.”