The Quartermaster’s Store Now Open for Business

Another week, another cafe opens in Kew. A few weeks back it was Cafe Ora, this time it’s The Quartermaster’s Store, a new place giving an old Milk Bar a new lease on life.

Owner Michael Carver has spent months stripping back the interior of the original shop to produce his bright, breezy new cafe. Here’s how it used to look.

The photo below, taken from the same perspective, shows what a few months of hammering, painting and a few bags of mixed lollies can do.

The counter on the side wall remains, but instead of stocking packets of Whizz Fizz and Curly Whirlies it’s now filled with cooking books and produce that are for sale. Michael reckons he sells about two books a day.

In another nod to the building’s heritage, the old Streets Ice-cream sign hangs proudly outside, next to ‘The Age’ banner above the entrance.

Back inside, the Quartermaster’s menu offers a mix of classic and contemporary dishes, with an emphasis on home cooking.

Breakfast options include Boiled Eggs with Toy Soldiers and French Toast with organic maple syrup and poached seasonal fruit. Lunch is based around sandwiches with no-nonsense fillings like pastrami, tomato, polski, saurkraut, rocket and mustard on honey loaf, as well as daily specials like Matzah Ball soup.

Michael tries to include hand-made elements in every dish “The tomato chutney’s mine, I marinate my own feta, do my own beetroot dip, onion jam – everything is made on site.”

And if you’re still hungry after all that home cookin’? Michael’s girlfriend and her mum bake biscuits, muffins and little treats. Keeping with the retro-feel, I chose the classic Honey Joy, complete in foil wrapping.

Grabbing a sneaky Honey Joy on my way out made me feel like a kid again, though I’m pretty sure the food here is better than the stuff I ever got at my Milk Bar as a kid. Lucky Kew locals.

The Quartermaster’s Store
68 Edgevale Rd, Kew
Mon – Fri 7.30am – 3.30pm
Sat – Sun 8am – 3pm