The burglaries were similar with the stores turned upside down, foodstuffs thrown everywhere and items stolen including food, drinks and money.
Sun Country wholesale foods was broken into late on the Sunday and the Food Mill on Bayly cafe sometime overnight Monday.
Sun Country owners Karen and John Greenwood said access was gained using a star picket to pry open a rear sliding door, while a back door was similarly bent open at Food Mill on Bayly.
Mrs Greenwood said Sun Country had suffered another burglary three weeks prior, where a computer and till were stolen and which haven’t been recovered.
But unlike last time, this time the store was found “trashed” with food as well as keys missing.
“It doesn’t feel fair, and then you feel angry and then on top of all that it leaves you frustrated,” Mrs Greenwood said.
“It certainly didn’t help with Easter preparation, but we’ll get back on track.”
Both stores had also stocked expensive seafood ahead of Good Friday, which was also stolen.
It was a similar story at Food Mill on Bayly with owner Sheree McNeight finding the store trashed when she arrived at work at 5.10am last Tuesday.
“ There was a trail of coins coming from the front door. When I put the key in the door it was already open. There were sandwiches all over the floor, trolleys and crates pulled out, bins were turned over,” she said.
A back door had been bent open, with Ms McNeight saying she suspected someone used a wheelie-bin to jump over the back fence and enter the store, which she opened with partner Brett Chilton about 12 months ago.
“It’s devastating after all the hard work we’ve put in but we’ll get through,” Ms McNeight said.
“If somebody wanted something to eat, they could’ve knocked on the door and I would have given them something to eat.”
A freezerload of lobsters, scallops, prawns and mussels ordered ahead of Good Friday was emptied while roasts were taken from the coolroom as well as slabs of drink. Smaller food items were also stolen while some money was also taken, including from the tip jar and a raffle tickets collection.
Police forensics brushed the venue on Tuesday morning and a flashlight was found nearby.
Mulwala Sgt Gary Lewis said it was “unusual” to have two burglaries in such quick succession and police weren’t discounting a connection.
Like at Sun Country, Ms McNeight said the business was determined to meet its pre-Easter orders.
The Mulwala couple, who also own a café in Cobram, have been planning an extension to the café so they can offer charcoal chicken.
In addition to the burglaries, there were reports of three break-and-enters around the same time at cars parked in and around Mulwala Football Club.
Police investigations are continuing.
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