This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating the success of Tarius McArthur — a Self-Employment Assistance participant and proud owner of Cherry Pie — who has turned treasured family recipes, lovingly passed down by her grandmother, into a thriving business.
It’s a story of strength, family ties, country bonds, and a lasting legacy — one that speaks to the heart of what Mother’s Day is all about. We’re proud to shine a light on Tarius’ journey this Mother’s Day, Sunday 11 May 2025.
Reflecting back on the clutches of the COVID lockdowns, Tarius realised that people needed good food that connected them to their roots more than ever.
Tarius set out to meet people’s desires for home-made, traditional food with her mouth-watering recipes passed down from her family in North America.
Cooking these family favourites, passed down by her Grandmother, with the freshest and most authentic ingredients is the basis of her successful business, Cherry Pie – Melbourne’s only authentic American style small batch bakery.
Tarius started out baking from a church kitchen rented by the hour and selling her fresh-baked pies at a Farmers’ Market in Williamstown. Here, she grew a loyal customer base from the support of food enthusiasts and customers with ties to North America, including Australians who had lived there or had family connections to the region.
The overwhelmingly positive support she experienced while selling her pies at the Farmers’ Markets led to a successful GoFundMe campaign, where Tarius raised funds to purchase a Food Van to further expand her reach to more markets across Melbourne.
She also managed to secure a commercial kitchen space where she was able to increase production of her products to meet demand at these markets.
After some time, Tarius was ready to see her business grow.
Despite a lack of experience in running a business and managing a commercial kitchen, Tarius worked hard to build up the necessary skills to keep her business thriving.
She enrolled in further training in commercial cookery and took every opportunity to network with other small business owners, gaining valuable insights into running a successful enterprise.
In pursuit of more refined business expertise and mentoring, her research led her to discover Asuria’s Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program.
Tarius was connected to one of Asuria’s Business Mentors, Pauline, who conducted a free Business Health Check, which identified markets and offerings that would enable the business to grow its profit margins.
Based on the advice from Pauline, Tarius felt confident to create a Business Plan, marking the beginning of her Small Business Coaching journey with Asuria.
During her coaching journey, Pauline provided assistance that supported Tarius’s business growth by connecting her with the right advice, resources and networks. This included guidance with business planning, helping set goals and an action plan, and providing insights on where to find small business grants.
Pauline aided in decision making on pricing and cost management, offering suggestions on packaging, rebranding, and expanding her range of offering to suit her target market, and attract different market segments in retail and wholesale markets.
Pauline also leveraged her existing networks and provided introductions for Tarius to people who could expand the scope of the business, such as local accountants, equipment financers, social media advertisers, and a recruitment agency to find casual workers to hire and scale her business operations.
Alongside practical support, Pauline also made a perfect sounding board for every one of Tarius’s ideas and plans, encouraging her every step of the way and providing helpful feedback loops to help develop her ideas.
Having come to the end of her Small Business Coaching, Tarius shows no signs of slowing down.
She’s utilised every ounce of advice and mentoring to expand her business further, with plans to employ people to work with her, and explore potential partnerships.
Her product offering has expanded with more mouth-watering flavours than ever before, and a range of ‘Take n Bake’ pies for customers to take home and bake fresh for themselves.
She has also increased her market attendance, with consistent stalls at Farmers’ Markets in Williamstown, South Geelong, Coburg, St Kilda and Elwood, pop-up shops at shopping centres such as The District Docklands, and an appearance at Meatstock, one of Australia’s biggest music and barbecue festivals.
Tarius was also nominated for the Small Business Start-up award at the Asuria Employer Awards 2025, which recognises SEA participants who have displayed excellence in their entrepreneurial journey.
Cherry Pie is more than just a successful business – it's a heartfelt tribute to Tarius’ grandmother, whose beloved dessert recipes have been passed down through generations and enjoyed by people far and wide.
It is also a legacy in the making for Tarius’ daughters, who now help out with the business, learning the traditions so they too can carry these cherished family recipes forward for generations to come.
If you’d like to learn more about how our Self-Employment Assistance program can help you turn your business dreams into a reality, click here.
And from all of us at Asuria, we wish a warm and happy Mother’s Day to everyone who takes on a mothering role — in all its forms.
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