Overview
Outgrowing his first location in Fitzroy is something Andrew McConnell (Cumulus Inc., Supernormal) didn't expect to happen so quickly — but, after just two years, the acclaimed chef and restaurateur is set to open a second store, this time in St. Kilda. Along with co-owner and butcher Troy Wheeler, McConnell will bring his fancy meats, trademark club sandwiches and snags to the south.
The pair will set up shop in the historic Gruner's, a butcher and deli with over 60 years of tradition. In a classic Australian immigrant tale, founders Endre and Rose Gruner arrived in Melbourne from Budapest in 1957, looking to establish a new life and opportunities for their children. Fellow Hungarians were said to have come from all over Melbourne to not only buy familiar food, but also to speak in their native tongue, and the shop still holds cultural significance for the area. "A long-standing business like Gruner's has been an integral piece of Melbourne food history," McConnell says. "Troy and I are thrilled to be part of continuing this tradition."
With an old-meets-new philosophy, Meatsmith's Barkly Street location will inherit some of Gruner's most-loved recipes, with Hungarian, Polish and European smallgoods taking their spot next to Meatsmith's classics; including dry-aged beef, the Cumulus Inc. lamb shoulder and foie gras parfait. Architects Herbert & Mason (who fashioned the Fitzroy interior) will team up with award-winning, minimalist interior designer Fiona Lynch to ensure the new fitout is in line with the Meatsmith brand and feel — think clean lines and lots of white marble.
The new store will open in August, with an exact date still to be confirmed. For those itching for a Meatsmith fix in the meantime, the original location has just kicked off a bi-monthly ode to the world's best food regions, starting with a celebration of Italy for the month of July.
Meatsmith St Kilda is set to open in August at 227A Barkly St, St. Kilda.