The founders of boutique food market Farro Fresh are quitting Auckland and following in the footsteps of several other high-profile foodies to Central Otago.
Janene and James Draper have just listed for sale their six-bedroom luxury home in Remuera, which they bought more than a decade ago for $4.45 million.
32 Bassett Road was where they raised their three teenage sons, but they are now ready for their next move after officially becoming empty-nesters.
The property, which has a 2021 CV of $7.7m, is listed with Bayleys agents Vicki and Gary Wallace and is for sale by way of price by negotiation.
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The star of the 585sqm two-storey home is the sleek white kitchen, which has became the unofficial test kitchen for Farro Fresh.
It has featured in numerous photo shoots and videos for the brand over the years and up until about two years ago it was where Janene would make and document all of Farro’s Christmas and Easter food kits before sending them out to stores.
After moving into the property, the couple added wooden floorboards, re-painted the house inside and out and renovated the kitchen to include an island bench and state-of-the-art appliances, including Gaggenau double ovens and a Wolf gas hob.
Janene told OneRoof that having two dishwashers in the kitchen and a third in the oversized scullery had been helpful when catering for big crowds because they could just “stack and go”.
The entertainer's kitchen has three dishwashers and a double oven. Photo / Supplied
Janene Draper at her Farro Fresh store at Mt Wellington in 2011. Photo / Brett Phibbs
“We always have extras staying at our house. The children have always come home with mates and friends. We are often cooking for dinner for 12 plus people – it’s just a regular thing for us. We are very family-orientated,” she said.
The family would gather around the kitchen bench before often retreating to the louvered outdoor dining area complete with two gas heaters and separate wine and beer fridges, she said.
“We use it all year around. We often move from the kitchen bench to sitting out there. At times we’ve mixed it around and [put] outdoor furniture there as well, but I really like it as an extra dining space over summer where you can put the heaters on or light the fire.”
The teenagers loved hanging out in the media room. Photo / Supplied
A downstairs area currently being used as a gym could also be used as a pool or games room, or even set up as a nanny quarters. Photo / Supplied
Not only did the couple open up their home at mealtimes, but they would often set up the nanny quarters/ gym on the ground floor as a bedroom for their sons’ friends to stay in when they were at university.
On the next level up another bedroom next to the media room was often used as a guest room by her parents when they visited, while the remaining four bedrooms including the master bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe as big as a double bedroom were on the top floor.
“It’s just such a fabulous house. There are so many rooms. You can be entertaining in the formal dining, and they can be partying up by the kitchen.”
There is also a north-facing swimming pool on the 1066sqm section.
The north-facing inground pool was also popular with the teenagers. Photo / Supplied
The business duo, who grew Farro from 12 staff to 350 staff in 18 years, said they would miss being just one minute from the motorway, which had been especially convenient for when they visited their stores.
However, they are now considering retirement and, just as several other foodies like Nadia Lim and Annabel Langbein have already done, are planning to move to Central Otago.
But instead of buying a large farm like the celebrity chef and her husband, they are building a new house with a small orchard in Arrowtown.
And while there is a great farmers market where Janene can indulge her passion for food, she said their main reasons for moving south were to play golf and be closer to friends. “We’ve got so many friends down there already. We’ve got friends who we’ve been holidaying with for the last five years and have just fallen in love with the place.”
Agent Wallace said it was a stunning solid masonry residence in the heart of Remuera that offered a wonderful family lifestyle. “The generous living spaces both indoor and outdoor make family occasions and entertaining a dream.”
- 32 Bassett Road, Remuera, Auckland, is for sale by way of price by negotiation
