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Borough Dept. Store puts Gippsland produce front and centre

Brigid Blackney

The cake shop at Borough Dept. Store, Korumburra.
The cake shop at Borough Dept. Store, Korumburra.Jenna Russo

The rolling hills surrounding Korumburra deliver an abundance of fresh produce, and the team behind the Borough Dept. Store wants to showcase it all.

The new food hub has opened in the South Gippsland town's 1930s-era department store, retaining the "department" concept by running a cake store, cafe, pantry and wine cellar as separate businesses under one sprawling roof.

The cake shop and creamery is headed by Tamsin Carvan, who's hosted Tamsin's Table farm lunches and cooking classes for many years. Her cakes and baked goods are based around seasonal local ingredients, some grown on Carvan's own property. There's also coffee served with milk from a neighbouring farm, and a dairy cabinet stocking local cheeses, yoghurts and glass-bottled milk.

Seasonal smash and poached eggs from the Udder & Hoe team.
Seasonal smash and poached eggs from the Udder & Hoe team.Jenna Russo
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Rachel Russo and Mindy Grumley from Udder & Hoe cafe in Kilcunda are working with chef Jacob Blackney to serve a simple, seasonal brunch menu using Gippsland vegies, free-range eggs and local truffle oil. Sustainably produced preserves, nuts, breads and oils can be bought from their wholesale pantry area.

Soon, Lo-Fi Wines will start selling their organic wines. A weekly Wednesday produce market is also planned, connecting smaller local growers to the community.

It's a dedicated low-waste operation so BYO takeaway cup and container if you're short on time, but the team would love you to slow down, relax and enjoy the gentle light that floods the space.

The Borough Dept. Store, in Korumburra.
The Borough Dept. Store, in Korumburra.Jenna Russo

"We've tried to bring it all back to what it is," Carvan says of the interior. "I guess that's our same philosophy with the food – just let things be, and enjoy their actual natural state."

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Open Wednesday to Sunday 8am-4pm.

63-67 Commercial Street, Korumburra, no phone, theboroughdeptstore.com.au

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