Our Story

Jill started baking as a child in Auchterarder with her Mum. Cooking was a passion then and now.  After Aberdeen University and a stint in the IT world, Jill eloped with John and they travelled together around the world for 3 years visiting 6 of the 7 continents, collecting recipes and sampling food from over 25 countries. Settling in Australia in 2002 they worked on their cookery book ‘For The Love of it’ and launched Love Bites, a mini sweet and savoury pastry company.

In 2005 an opportunity came to buy a property in southern Tasmania that they developed and named Storm Bay. The guest house served both breakfast and dinner. It quickly became a success largely because of the food that was arriving out of the kitchen. A wonderful diverse collection of menus from around the world served with their own organic vegetables and fish they caught off the wild coast of Tasmania.

In 2008 Jill and Johnny bought an empty block of beachfront land on White Beach and built "Harpers on the Beach". Serving 12 guests it soon became well known, appearing in reviews in the Weekend Australian, The Mercury, The Age, and other publications. Dinner was by arrangement and became one of the reasons for booking the beachfront accommodation. Organic vegetables from the garden and fresh fish caught that day, Tasmanian dairy, free range game and meats, berries and wild herbs.