At Your Local continues its Australian journey with a visit to Slow Market in Gisborne, Victoria, where we spend time with sisters Maddie and Charlie Barry.
Hospitality wasn't exactly part of the plan. The sisters had been running their clothing label, Barry Made, for several years when they found a space in nearby Kyneton for the brand. The idea was to open a small coffee shop alongside it. Coffee, a few pastries, nothing too serious.
Then the hospitality side took off.
Courtyard Kyneton became their unexpected introduction to the industry, and they quickly discovered how much they loved it. So when the opportunity for a second space came up in Gisborne, they didn't need much convincing. Within five minutes of seeing it, they'd decided to take the leap. It was only once they walked out the door that the reality set in.
Slow Market is their take on what a neighbourhood cafe can be. The menu is deliberately small, with good coffee and toasties made with fresh meats and cheeses sourced from local suppliers. Alongside it sits a market-style selection of products, many discovered through makers and stalls around the Macedon Ranges.
For Maddie and Charlie, supporting small businesses is personal. They know what it feels like when someone chooses something you've made, wears it into the shop or tells you how much they love it. There's a person at the other end of every purchase, and that idea carries through Slow Market.
The same goes for coffee. Regulars pull up outside and the team already knows their order. Sometimes the coffee is being made before they've even walked through the door.
"I think people really want a connection now," Maddie says. "Everyone loves the coffee, but even when times are tough and people are trying to cut back on spending, you go out for it and you get a good coffee and people know your name."
Sometimes, that's enough to make your day.
