“For the last five years at Libertine, so many people have asked for us to provide whole terrines, cater for their parties or for wines from our list,” she explains of the decision. “We wanted a retail face of the business so our customers can access these products.”

Step into Le Traiteur (French for ‘the caterer’) and you’ll find an award-winning list of hard-to-find gems from Australia and Europe. A large cabinet holds deli items like rillettes, pates, stocks, sauces and soups to take home. The breakfast menu may include oeufs en cocotte with fromage de Meaux or poached eggs on brioche, proscuitto, silverbeet and béarnaise. And for lunch, try the baguettes filled with house-cured ocean trout or roasted duck.

There are other lunch dishes too, such as daube de boeuf or coq au vin, as well as a double bake of baguettes each day (all bread is made on the premises) – one in the morning and one in the afternoon; all are available to take-away.

The coffee is provided by Josh Bailey, who has created a Le Traiteur blend that’s made by professionals. “Coffee is so important to us,” says Ladyman. “We’ve invested in a great machine and put good people behind it by only employing baristas to make our coffee.”

It may be an extension of somewhere else but it certainly looks like Le Traiteur has a personality and passion all its own.

Le Traiteur
552 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne

(03) 9670 0039

www.letraiteur.com.au