Just Open: Lafayette Fine Foods, Toorak

When Michelle Sievwright and chef Susan McKay opened their catering business Lafayette Fine Foods in Brighton 23 years, Paul Keating was Australia's prime minister and Achy Breaky Heart was the year's top single.

Having outgrown their Brighton shop and taken on a separate kitchen four years ago, they've now opened a second shop in a former Toorak cafe.

They've brightened the cafe with white walls and warm wood trimmings and filled a large glass cabinet with appealing salads (perhaps green bean, roasted cherry tomato and feta or beetroot, orange, goat's cheese and rocket) and ready-to-go meals.

Favourite dishes from the original shop have also made the journey. "I think most kids in Brighton have grown up on our parmesan-crumbed chicken, so that's come over to the Toorak shop, too," Sievwright says.

Soups, pies and savoury tarts will be available, along with their surprise smash hit, fried rice, inspired by a Malaysian hawker market dish, with lap cheong, peas, chunky broken egg, beansprouts and garlic shoots.

A liquor licence is in the pipeline and they have stocked up on Christmas supplies including Istra hams glazed with maple and orange, turkey galantine and their much-loved Christmas cake.

Open Mon-Fri 7am-7pm; Sat-Sun 8am-5pm.

429 Toorak Road, Toorak, 03 9827 1619, lafayettefinefoods.com.au