Matthew Flinders and George Bass did an awful lot with a boat that was only six foot long. At their tiny new espresso venue on Flinders Lane, Kris Wood and Andrew Gale have an extra two feet to work with – plus an immersion circulator, pastries by Matt Forbes and a La Marzocco – so we can expect even more.

At Tom Thumb, Wood matches his talent for coffee roasting with Gale’s love of (good) British fare.

Offered a short-term lease by coffee colleague Salvatore Malatesta, Gale and Wood decided to embark on a year-long venture in Melbourne’s CBD. Their rationale is to make quality coffee and accessible food for the city set.

Tom Thumb features Clement ’s popular Pony blend, plus a new single origin cup daily. On the food front, you can pick-up fried eggs on sourdough for the meagre price of $5.50 – improved by the company of a Lyonnaise sausage for another $4.

Also on offer is a selection of Matt Forbes cakes and pastries, like cardamom-infused Oreos and the fascinating but slightly unsettling ginger balls. Keep an eye out for a limited cocktail range too.