Stone fruit orchard has accommodation business as the cherry on top

The rare combination of a high-end boutique accommodation business and a highly-productive stone fruit orchard has been placed on the market for sale.

Ryland Estate in Rapaura near Marlborough has been established as a dual revenue stream business – ensuring income is maintained throughout the year, with obvious summer high season running between December and March.

The businesses are located on some six hectares of land. Ryland Estate is owned by former Wellington accountant and company director Peter Taylor and his wife Trish, who bought the property some 10 years ago.

After establishing the Ryland businesses, the couple have chosen to look ahead to semi-retirement and begin trimming back their business ventures.

The horticultural side of Ryland Estate is planted in 5500 cherry trees with forecast yields of up to 25 tonnes annually. A leased cherry block will yield up to a further 15 tonnes. Two leased apricot blocks are forecast to yield between 22 and 40 tonnes once recent replantings mature. In addition, 1200 peach, nectarine and plum trees have also been planted over the last two winters.

Fruit grown on site is sold through a variety of both wholesale and retail outlets, including:
-       Distribution to supermarkets in Christchurch, Wellington, and the Tasman/West Coast regions
-       Farmers markets in Marlborough and Nelson
-       Direct mail order
-       An on-site fruit stall.

Meanwhile in tandem with the horticultural activities, the location’s two accommodation units have the potential of generating up to $550 per night in the peak season. The two bedroom barn apartment contains its own kitchen, dining room and lounge - commands $350 a night.

The single bedroom Ryland Cottage with its own kitchenette and bathroom has a tariff of $200 per night. A two-bedroom owner/managers residence is immediately adjacent to the cottage and could be either retained as a private dwelling or converted into a third accommodation option.

A separate building site has building consent already granted by Marlborough District Council for either a large residential dwelling or a substantial accommodation lodge.

The Ryland Estate businesses are being sold as one joint going concern by Bayleys Marlborough. The property alone has a capital valuation of $1.125million. Bayleys Marlborough sales consultant John Hoare believes this property offers a ready-made opportunity for someone truly wanting a ‘lifestyle business.’

“The hard work has been done in establishing not only the fruit trees but also in establishing the wholesale and retail markets for the fruit grown on site. Supporting the accommodation business, extensive networks have been developed in travel media and online websites to direct bookings to the venue.

“As the number and variety of tourism activities in Marlborough have grown over recent years, so too has the number of room nights at the Ryland property. With the consent granted to take this aspect of the business to a new level, the Taylors have left plenty ‘in the pot’ so to speak for new owners to pick up and run with.

“That’s one of the key attractions for any new business owner.”