The Gourmet Grocer took the space once occupied by Voodoo Lily in Birdhaven. Until the pandemic arrived, Voodoo Lily was 'just' another small neighbourhood corner café, particularly popular for its proximity to the James and Ethel Gray Park. Quick out of the gates, within a month of the 2020 hard lockdown, which forced everything but food and medicine retail stores to close, what is now The Gourmet Grocer, selling a wide range of in-demand deli essentials.

As then owner Larry Hodes explained; “It was May, and Mother’s Day was around the corner. My wife Annie and I decided to invite small local producers to sell their stock from our premises. We put out a request for interest on WhatsApp and Facebook, and the response was remarkable – many were suppliers to restaurants and markets who were battling loss of sales, and they leapt at the chance to be able to produce and sell again. Within 24 hours, we had a grocer.”

The Gourmet Grocer is now under new ownership.  The store still supports a network of small producers, has plenty of outdoor seating on the broad pavement outside, and is a busy spot on early weekend mornings. There is an on-site coffee roastery with a separate dedicated coffee bar, Coffefe. Make sure to get a bag of freshly ground beans to take home with you on the way out.

A dog-friendly space, bring your pooch on a leash and finish the experience with a walk at James and Ethel Gray Park on the next block.