Overview
We're guessing Jerome Borazio has a bit of a soft spot for Melbourne's inner west. His famed St Jerome's Laneway Festival has called Footscray home for close to a decade, and the nearby warehouse that holds his bar Back Alley Sally's and his pizza joint Slice Girls West has become one of the area's favourite destinations.
And in almost the same week as announcing plans to transform the Melbourne Central rooftop into a pool and leisure club, Borazio has lifted the lid on yet another Footscray venture, with the opening of new-school general store Harry and Larry's.
Also making its home in the aforementioned well-loved warehouse on Yewers Street, this little charmer is a one-stop pantry shop for the discerning westsider, showcasing local produce and ingredients beneath a glittering, oversized disco ball.
It's rocking a cosy fitout of reclaimed timber, similar to its neighbours, the shelves stocked with goodies either sourced from the west or from down on the Mornington Peninsula. The selection features the likes of local fruit and veggies, Meredith Cheese, Remedy kombucha, milk from St David Dairy (inner Melbourne's only micro-dairy), fresh pasta, vegan Jonny condoms and even toilet paper supplies from Who Gives A Crap.
Plastic has been given the boot in favour of complimentary brown paper bags, and there are plans in the works to team up with Boomerang Bags — a group that makes reusable bags out of recycled, donated fabric.
While you're at Harry & Larry's, you can also grab an Allpress coffee and one of the toasted focaccias and sandwiches named in honour of legendary Footscray folk — maybe the Franco Cozzo, the Captain Katie (named after the Western Bulldogs' captain) or the Julia Gillard.
Find Harry and Larry's General Store at 4 Yewers Street, Footscray. It's open daily from 11am–9.30pm.
Images: Brendan Coghlan