Juno and Sons store and coffee shop in Elizabeth Bay offers cheesecake and neighborhood spirit

Sitting in Terry Higgins’s grocery store Juno and Sons, a tiny, community-minded and wonderfully produce-lined store and coffee shop in Elizabeth Bay, the door swings open with citizens and veteran clients every 5 mins.

“Hello, lovely,” Higgins states to a site visitor showing up with their normal coffee order and an appearance of exhilaration at the Basque cheesecake and lemon currant tea biscuits on the counter.

Two metres away, at a lengthy main table holding bowls of lemons and tomatoes, packages of Hunted and Gathered delicious chocolate, containers of Ugly Food and Co chilli oil, containers of Katie Swift passionfruit, and strawberry and increased, cordials, heaps of Japanese ceramic bowls and a flower holder of high and leafed bay fallen leave branches, 2 ladies consume toasties.

Having satisfied in the shop a couple of months earlier, both, biting on pork and tomato enjoyment, and free-range poultry and provolone, toasties (made with focaccia from Organic Bread Bar on South Dowling Street) from today’s food selection, are currently buddies.

“What do you think?” Higgins inquires. Nods are provided, both as well absorbed in their sandwiches to speak.

Even an hour at Juno and Sons, which opened up in 2023, reveals its one-of-a-kind offering. People consume at the common table inside, or beverage coffee on the yellow steel feceses on the walkway, with a feeling of belonging.

They come for a conversation with Higgins as long as for a ripe fresh tomato, a takeaway box of house-made pork and chive won-tons or a package of pork. They come for cultured butter, a loaf of sourdough or to gather their interfere with of hand-chosen spices, olive oil, sherry vinegar, tinned anchovies and ceramic plates.

Everyone from youngsters, musicians, heads of significant business and garbos after their early morning change come for a piece of blueberry lemon olive oil cake– light, buttery, plump with a crispy coffee crystal top– and a conversation regarding their week. Higgins recognizes them all.

People sip great, solid Little Marionette coffee outside under the jacaranda trees, bordered in between multi-storied balconies and apartment or condo blocks, and fire the wind. Neighbours quit while strolling their canine for an avocado, eggs, pickles, salami and a Juno and Sons lug.

I go to the table in mins consuming a Juno Plate, a wonderful day-to-day plate which today includes free-range smoked pork from Hungerford Meat Co in Branxton, Meredith Dairy marinaded feta, Acide zucchini pickles, tomato, avocado and home clothing.

Minutes right into that I’m talking with fellow eaters at the table. This is Higgins’s one-of-a-kind touch. The store/cafe seems like a see to a home yet with an ever-changing listing of drop-in visitors and a revolving and seasonal food selection.

Higgins, whose considerable friendliness history consists of 17 years dealing with Rockpool (from steward at the now-closed Rockpool in The Rocks to handling Rockpool Qantas and a supervisor of Rockpool Dining Group), states Juno and Sons was birthed of her love of food.

“I love sharing it,” she states. “And the time came for me to open my own place. The idea and concept of my store is that you walk in and you can get everything. You come in today and if you need to get a birthday present for your father, there’ll be something in here we can do, whether he loves olives or sardines or whatever. Everything is here.

“You can get a meal. A great coffee. Some cake. You can get things for dinner. And we have ice-cream. But everything here is curated by me. So it’s all my favourite things, made by my favourite people.”

There is a solid variety of Australian items along with imported products. Everything on the delicious food selection makes use of create you can get in the store.

Fresh bread loaves, and stunning fruit buns, from Paddington mini pastry shop Urban Ferment, led by Gary Armstrong (previously among Rockpool’s head sommeliers), come daily. His warm bagels show up Sunday early morning.

Different cakes (marketed just by the piece) and biscuits elegance the counter every week. You can come for morning meal or lunch and, every 2nd week, coffee walnut extra pound cake is readily available, a treasured occasion expected around the area, specifically by the garbos.

“Juno and Sons is meant to be social, inclusive and interesting,” Higgins states. “From new babies to 80-year-olds, I always introduce them. So everyone meets each other.”