Overview
It's been three years since beloved Brunswick East cafe Pope Joan was forced to shut up shop and move, in order to make way for a new apartment building development. Now, former sibling and next-door neighbour The Pie Shop is also bidding farewell to its Nicholson Street address, with the team announcing that the venue is set to close later this month.
Owner–chef Matt Wilkinson broke the news via Instagram earlier this week: "Due to unforeseen circumstances we've been ushered on from what has been our home for the last 5 years as the Pie Shop!!!" The post went on to thank regulars and the pie-loving community for its support over the years and announced a rather fitting end date for the venue's current iteration. "It's with sadness that we will be closing up @thepieshopmelb on Grand Final Day at 2pm September 25th," the social media post said.
"It has been a great innings and a great time to bow out just after the finals," Wilkinson told Concrete Playground separately, confirming the closure had come down to an issue related to lease negotiations. "It was all pretty sudden," he explained.
But in good news, it's not goodbye forever. The chef hinted at plans to revisit The Pie Shop at some stage in the future. In the meantime, Wilkinson assures us he'll be kept busy with his many other projects, including his role as Culinary Director at the Mornington Peninsula's Montalto and as Creative Director of Made From Gin — the chef's product line done in collaboration with Four Pillars.
Pie-lovers have just under two more weeks to get their Pie Shop fix, with the store fully stocked up on crowd favourites like The Allen (slow-cooked beef, tomato and veg), The Shazza (cauliflower, leek and cheddar) and The Brian (mushroom and gruyere). The kitchen's well known for its excellent homemade riffs on the classic Aussie pie, featuring flaky pastry loaded with top-notch fillings. It's currently cooking up a storm every Friday and Saturday, and you can pre-order here for pick up.
Find The Pie Shop at 75 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East, until September 25. We'll share news of any future plans as and when it's revealed.
The Pie Shop recently made it into our top picks for Melbourne's best pies — you can check out the full list here.
Top Images: Annika Kafcaloudis