In the late 19th century, the site at 35 High Street was a general store – and the centre of life in Burnside. Lockwood General, its new iteration, from the people behind Peter Rabbit and Bloom, leans into that history.

A large “providore wall” near the entrance reimagines the general store – there are cartons of milk, cans of anchovies, and house-made jams, relishes and pasta sauce. You can even grab a loaf of bread to take away; the cafe receives daily deliveries from Uraidla Bakery.

“This site has always been the hub of Burnside life, which is why we went with the general store vibe,” co-owner and head chef Adam Robinson tells Broadsheet. “We have a lot of locals that stop in and grab a seeded rye or a Turkish loaf with their morning coffee, and then dog walk.

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“We’re in a residential area. We want to be an asset, not a hindrance. It was sort of taking things back to the local level, and reinvigorating … community spirit, basically."

The new neighbourhood eatery – named after Joseph Lockwood, who built the store in 1860 – opened on the corner of High Street and Lockwood Road in March. Robinson (ex-West Oak Hotel) and co-owners Jack Nelligan, James McIntyre and James Lambert (the latter three are involved in Peter Rabbit and Bloom), worked on the interior design themselves. It’s filled with natural tones and plenty of light, with large windows overlooking another historic building: the area’s original pub and blacksmith.

“That was one of the reasons we fell in love with this place,” says Robinson. “We really wanted to honour its heritage – but also bring it into 2021.”

The contemporary menu – divided into two sections: dishes designed for one, and those for sharing – speaks to that goal. The first category includes a pearl-sugar waffle with dark chocolate, cherry, coconut sorbet, sesame and pink salt; heirloom tomatoes with black rice, snake bean, avocado, wasabi, yuzu and watercress; and a fig walnut loaf with panela and cinnamon butter. Avocado (sliced, not smashed) sits atop a bed of whipped feta on seeded rye, and is sprinkled with pepitas, fresh green chilli, and black lime that’s dehydrated in-house. To share, there’s burrata with pickled apricot, sunflower seeds and lemon balm. And mushrooms with miso butter, rye and nasturtium.

A winter menu update is coming soon: Robinson teases a beef bulgogi burger, breakfast gnocchi, and buttered leeks.

And for a venue that closes at 3pm each day, the drinks list is fairly extensive. A wine list is split into “progressive”, “conventional” and “old-school classic” options (think Koerner “Pigato” vermentino, a Samuels Gorge tempranillo and a Shaw & Smith M3 chardonnay). And there’s a selection of spirits, beers and cocktails. In nods to the area, the latter includes a High St High Ball (gin, pickled apricot syrup, vanilla, lemon, soda and apricot cube candy) and a Lockwood Mimosa (bubbles and cold-pressed, organic orange).

Lockwood General
35 High Street, Burnside

Hours:
Mon to Fri 7am–3pm
Sat & Sun 8am–3pm

lockwoodgeneral.com.au
@lockwoodgeneral