LOCAVORE STUDIO AND PROXIMAL COFFEE ROASTERS BRINGING A HERITAGE BUILDING BACK TO ITS ROOTS
WORDS Pip Young | PHOTOGRAPHY Hugh Davison
Jessie Rae Crossley, the proprietor and visionary behind Lilydale’s beloved café, Locavore, has once again elevated her vision to incude a finely curated Providore and an elegant evening fine dining space, and also welcomed Proximal Coffee Roasters into the building to offer a whole new culinary experience that triumphs in acknowledging the building’s important historic connection. Nestled in the heart of Lilydale, the original building has gone through may incarnations since the 1890s, yet has remained a central gathering place for the community.
Originally a general store, the building’s bricks have witnessed many changes over the decades. Owned by the Cathcart family, the building was leased to the Olivers for a sixty year period in the 1900s, but remains in the Cathcart portfolio to this day. At one point, the building served as a bank; prior to Lovcavore’s establishment, it was a hardware store. The building’s classic style and enduring presence has adapted to the evolving dynamics of the community, but has always been an integral part of Lilydale’s streetscape.
Read the full article in Issue 56 Summer 2023, here.
