Meatsmith
Andrew McConnell's Smith Street gourmet butcher.
Overview
Smith Street rejoice! The universe has heard your cry for more meat, cheese, wine and all things deli and has answered with an ambitious new butcher shop and eatery named Meatsmith (and politely asks if you would stop sending letters about the matter).
Meatsmith is a collaborative effort between chef and restaurateur Andrew McConnell (of Cumulus Inc., Supernormal amongst many) and butcher Troy Wheeler, once of Peter Bouchier. Meatsmith features an in-house deli with a fine dining twist. Alongside the standard deli fare, you'll find pre-prepared, take-home versions of fancy Cumulus dishes, like the whole slow-roasted lamb shoulder and other mouthwatering cuts (hello, braised beef cheeks) that ensure you'll never eat McDonalds on the run again. The eatery also serves up a divine selection of charcuterie, pâtés, house-made preserves and mustards, homemade terrines and lots of French and European style cold-cuts and smallgoods.
Wheeler says the point of difference for the Meatsmith butchers is the expertise of the staff, who all have extensive practical knowledge (and more than a little charm) from working in hospitality, as opposed to the classic brusque butcher stereotype.
"If you walk in not knowing what you want for dinner or if you want to impress at a dinner party, our staff can help," he says. "We would like to think we're accessible to people who know good food and want good food, as well as people who want some confidence in the staff and want clear information. The design of the shop reflects this idea; we don't have the big high butchers counters and the barrier between us and the customer, so we're accessible."
