Canberra couple defend garage-run Indian grocery after neighbour complaint
Owners say the small business complies with ACT health rules and that complaints to the chief minister have harmed their family’s wellbeing.
A couple who run a small Indian grocery from their suburban garage in west Canberra have pushed back after a neighbour called their business a "disruption to the community" and complained to the ACT chief minister.
Jinu Joseph, 38, and his wife, Lincy Mathew, 38, opened Kerala Spices Indian Groceries in their single-vehicle garage on Porter Street in Wright in 2023 so they could work part-time while raising their four children, aged between 18 months and nine years. The couple said the criticism has damaged their family’s wellbeing and left Mathew feeling "pretty weak".
The complaint was lodged by neighbour and general practitioner Prasad Abeyrathne, who wrote to ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, saying customers parked on the street and large trucks unloading posed a risk to children playing on footpaths. In his letter, Abeyrathne said the shop ran from "6:30am to 11:00pm" and described a continuous flow of traffic to the premises.
Joseph rejected those claims as "absolutely wrong," saying he opens from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and that most days only one to three customers visit. He said deliveries arrive about once a month from Sydney and take less than five minutes to unload. "When the interest rate became very high, I needed to feed my kids and we couldn't survive, so that's why I thought about opening the small business," Joseph said.
State MLA Marisa Paterson responded to the complaint on Aug. 25 and said she would take neighbours' concerns seriously. ACT Health rules require food businesses to register with the Health Protection Service and to comply with safe food handling laws, and registration is granted only after an inspection. Joseph said his business has the required food safety handling supervisor certificate, was inspected two weeks ago and that he provided documentation to the inspection officer. He said the business is permitted to operate.
Neighbours' accounts of parking congestion differed. Abeyrathne said customers and the shop’s owners parked "wherever they like" and that the activity had "destroyed the everyday life of its neighbours." Joseph countered that the street is narrow and that multiple-car households contribute to parking pressure. "Nowadays, everyone has kids who are growing up (and so they) have three or four cars at their homes," he said.
The grocer operates from a compact space with racks of packaged foods and frozen items arranged within the garage. The business’s slogan is displayed as "no compromise for quality." Joseph said he and his wife run the shop part-time so they can care for their children.
The dispute has spilled into public attention and, according to the couple, affected neighbours' perceptions of them. "Even at night time, we notice that people come and stop their car in front of the house. Everyone is looking at our house because the news has spread everywhere," Joseph said. He added that his wife has been distressed by suggestions they are running an illegal business.
Daily Mail reported the story and said it had contacted Paterson for comment. ACT Health guidelines set out the requirements for registration and inspections of food businesses, but the agency did not make a public statement in the reports reviewed by this article. The couple say they are complying with ACT regulations and that the dispute is rooted in misunderstandings about traffic and delivery activity on their street.
The matter remains a local issue between neighbours and the regulatory authorities charged with enforcing food safety and planning rules. The owners say they will continue to operate within the permitted hours and to follow health requirements while seeking to balance work and family responsibilities.