Upon a bench in city’s thrall,
Just off the path of Bourke St Mall,
A crusted roll in hand so tight,
With flavors rich and pure delight.
The crunch, the taste, a midday treat,
With herbs and spice both fresh and sweet.
A simple feast, yet none compare,
To Banh Mi savored in the air.
Sony A7RV
FE 50mm f1.2 GM
Check out Candid 771
Bourke St Mall
The man in gray - he is motionless like a statue. He is often hanging around the mall
Olympus E520
150mm f2
When the Hopetoun Tea Rooms opens in its new home on the
corner of Bourke and McKillop Streets later this year, it will continue a
128-year legacy.
After more than a century in the Block Arcade – where
generations of Melburnians have queued for a pot of tea, a slice of cake and a
piece of history – the institution announced in 2020 that it would be moving to
a new CBD site after a change of ownership.
The local treasure will reopen this summer in the grand
163-year-old Bourke Street building that was formerly home to Kozminsky
jewellery, under the stewardship of new owner Vikram Singh. But before then,
Hopetoun’s sought-after cakes, pastries and house-blended teas are available at
its new shop.
Hopetoun Bakeshop – located at the new site – is a “modern
take on a traditional English bakery”, says Singh, with heritage-green walls,
marble counters and gold trimmings, as well as shelves lined with loose-leaf
teas, house-made jams and relishes, and a collection of teaware.
A display case is crammed with spongy gateaux, delicate
biscuits, seasonal fruit tarts and savoury sandwiches, pies and pasties geared
towards the grab-and-go crowd. But those dining in can watch the pastry chefs
at work in their new kitchen, which will also function as the “engine room” for
the tea rooms.
“We were in a very small space in the Block Arcade,” says
Singh, who was a Hopetoun customer before saving the stalwart from closure when
it went into administration in 2020.
“People knew the brand because it had been running in the
same space for such a long time. But it was constrained, especially the
kitchen,” says Singh. “It was set up to prepare scones and sandwiches, but
people’s eating habits have changed – they want more variety, and, at the same
time, really good quality … the art of pastry has evolved so much. We couldn’t
have taken the brand to the next level in that place.”
When the tea rooms reopen in December, the building will
house a ground-floor dining room, afternoon tea service on level one, and on
the top floor, a function space for bridal parties, baby showers and so on.
“It was important we remain in a heritage building that has
a bit of history,” says Singh. “Melbourne is well-known for its food expertise,
so how do we differentiate ourselves? We’re offering people a piece of history.
When Singh and the team landed on the former Kozminsky
building, they also found a surprise connection to Hopetoun. “Lady Hopetoun
[the wife of the Governor of Victoria from 1889 to 1895, and the shop’s
namesake] was a customer of Kozminsky jewellers, and we’ve got some photos
where she actually modelled in a newspaper wearing Kozminsky jewellery.”
History and heritage are inextricably tied to the Hopetoun brand, and Singh has no intention of changing that. “Our customer base – some of whom have been going to Hopetoun for 60 years – have been telling us beautiful stories of how they went with their grandmother and now they’d like to take their granddaughter. We don’t want to change.”
“I come from a tea-loving nation, India,” says Singh. “So the tea part really excited me. I want to promote good-quality tea drinking, which is what’s lacking in Australia. People still see tea as the humble teabag.”
A signature of the tea rooms is its traditional afternoon
tea service featuring dainty sandwiches, pastries and scones. While that’s on
hold until the new space opens, the bake shop is offering a Devonshire tea,
including those scones topped with house-made berry jam and Gippsland Jersey
clotted cream.
The tea rooms will open in late 2023 at 421 Bourke Street, Melbourne.
and FACE OFF
She is always there in Bourke St Mall doing a simple dance routine that does not stand out in the crowd
Credit to the persistence
Pentax K20D
Fa 31mm f1.8 limited
Upon the bustling city's lane,
Where melodies once soared in vain,
He strums no more by lantern's glow,
His tunes now lost where echoes go.
Bourke Street hums with weary tread,
Yet lacks the songs once widely spread.
The hollow wind, it hums alone—
A minstrel's voice now turned to stone.
Sony A7RV
FE 135mm f1.8 GM
Check out Candid 778
Corner of Elizabeth St and Bourke St, Melbourne
This corridor at night is a popular photography site
Pentax K20D
FA 77mm f1.8 limited
This is linking Weekend reflection and streets
Nice Xiao Long Bao here. But their portions are suffering shrinkflation over the years.
Sony A7RV
FE 24mm f1.4 GM
Check out Candid 469
The iconic waiting area in Bourke St Mall
Canon 7D
EF 135mm f2 L
You can see other shots
