It’s an excellent time to be a sandwich lover out west. Perth pioneers continue to hold it down, while promising young bloods bring fresh thinking to proceedings, as do new-wave, sandwich-slinging bakeries doing cool things with house-baked bread. The newest reason for sandwich fanciers to get excited: Peggy’s, a Fremantle sandwich spot with an Andrew McConnell alum in the kitchen.

When Broadsheet last checked in with Peggy’s owners Harriet Roxburgh and Harry Peasnell, the couple were the proud owners of an empty shell in the heritage-listed Imperial Chambers building on the corner of Leake and Market streets. Fast forward four months and the space has been turned into an airy, cheery space sitting pretty with whitewashed walls and blond timber throughout. There’s a handsome terrazzo marble bench at the front. Custom-made furniture by Perth- and Adelaide-based designers Remington Matters dot the room. A deli-style light-box menu gives the space a playful vibe, while the size of the open kitchen speaks to a serious commitment to DIY.

“I’ve gone a little bit of overkill with the options,” laughs Peasnell, a chef who cooked around Melbourne before returning to Perth in late 2019.

Never miss a Perth moment. Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Perhaps the biggest example of this overkill is Peasnell’s investment in two shiny new ovens so he can bake Peggy’s two breads in-house: a white-sesame-seed sub (“kind of like Bakers Delight, but just a bit better”) and a 48-hour sourdough-focaccia-Turkish-bread hybrid that’s there to support rather than swamp the fillings.

“We don’t want our sandwiches to be like three little slices of prosciutto and all this bread,” says Peasnell. “It’s about making it so the centre is the hero.”

The opening menu reflects our man’s diverse sandwich tastes, as well as his interest in Melbourne’s new-wave sandwich culture championed by venues such as Hector’s Deli and Falco Bakery. In the morning, guests can hook into a four-cheese toastie ramped up with kimchi salt or Peggy’s homage to the Sausage McMuffin. From 10am, the five-item core menu kicks in, featuring a Cubano spiked with mojo spice (chilli, garlic and coriander, mostly), Peggy’s take on the continental roll, plus a chicken-schnitzel sub. Vegetarian guests can get stuck into an egg-salad number as well as a fried-eggplant-and-spicy-sugo parm, both served on focaccia. Golden chips are served through the day and are dusted with chicken salt and served with a neat Southern-style comeback-sauce.

Although in-house seating is available – the room seats 20 inside and, once the weather warms up, 20 outside – Peggy’s is being pitched primarily as a takeaway venue, although that might change once the kitchen starts introducing evening trade and adds small plates, beer and wine to the offering. For now, coffee from Community Coffee and soft drinks make up the beverage choices until Peggy’s licence gets approved.

Peggy’s
35 Market Street

Hours
Daily 7am–3pm

@eatpeggys