A Family Affair
A Family Affair
If you mention the surname Fiumara in Leeton, a town located in the Riverina region of Southern NSW, 550km West of Sydney and 450km North of Melbourne, everyone knows it!
This big Italian family have owned and operated Golden Apple IGA for more than 60 years, with each department in the 2,000 square metre store run by different members of the Fiumara family.
Their story began when Pasquale and Angela Fiumara migrated from Italy in the 1950s and made Leeton their home with their five boys, Mick, Angelo, Tony, Fred, and Frank. Shortly after Robert and Sam were born in Australia.
They started growing and selling fresh fruit and vegetables from a roadside cart before expanding into a shop in the early 1960s. Over the years this small store front has grown into one of the biggest IGA stores in Australia. It is a one stop shop, including in-store butchery, bakery, deli, and hardware departments. The store also has a nursery, liquor department, petrol station a café and an onsite pharmacy run by The Bush Chemist.
The tradition of family still runs Golden Apple IGA, whether it is the Fiumara sons, their wives or children working hard every week to look after their local community. Tony, Fred, Angelo, Robert, and Sam along with Minnie and Beryl, the wives of the late Mick and Frank snr are all proud owners of this store. The Golden Apple IGA now has third and fourth generation family members working in the store, with the third-generation family members, Angelina, Angela, Rebecca, Franky and Patrick already playing a big part in the continuing growth of this family owned store.
As well as running the store, the Fiumaras own and operate Lillypilly Estate Winery and have done so for the past 38 years. Pasquale and his son Mick established the vineyard, and later, Robert became the family’s own winemaker. With Robert and Sam working at the winery, and third generation Patrick Fiumara running the vineyard, Lillypilly Estate Winery continues to be a success. The award-winning wines can be found instore and have been served in QANTAS business class and first class around the world for the past 12 years.
The Golden Apple IGA supports many clubs, schools, and organisations in town but there is one sporting group that is particularly close to their hearts. Since 1976 they have been a major sponsor of the Galloping Greens Football Club. It’s a club that both Franky and his father played for and, Franky says that he knows his dad would be proud of the continued affiliation to this day.
The Fiumara family have always stayed true to themselves, their family values, and their local community. Today they are famous for their fresh fruit and vegetables and their award-winning Italian sausages and lamb burgers made fresh on site. Sydneysiders and beyond have even been known to travel down to purchase the best. But don’t ask for the recipe, it’s a highly guarded family secret!