Monday, February 21, 2011

Butcher Shop Cafe, Gulgong

The Boy and I arrived in Gulgong to visit our friend The Cattle Baroness on a lovely sunny afternoon in February.  We headed straight for the Gulgong Butchers in order to stock up on our beloved Vegemite and Cheese Sausages.


We had our esky and ice bricks in the car and were planning to take as many snags back to Sydney as we could manage (and afford).  I was so excited about our impending purchase that I was out of the car before The Boy had even parked properly.  Needless to say that I was beyond devastated when the butcher tells me that they don't have any Cheese and Vegemite snags this weekend.

The Boy could hear me wailing from outside the shop and he enters just as I begin my bargaining phase with the butchers.

"I've driven all the way from Sydney".
"It's my birthday".
"I love them and must have them".
"Pleeeaaaaassseeeeeeeeeeee". 
"If you have some in the freezer I don't mind taking frozen sausages".
"If you make then today I'll come back tomorrow to collect them...honest I will".

Surprisingly none of my pleading results in any Cheese and Vegemite Sausages being produced.  O.M.G.  

We leave the butcher's shell shocked, with our feet dragging behind us and a sad face that not even Droopy Dog could compete with. There's only one thing that might ease the pain a little bit...food.


We head across the road to the Butcher Shop Cafe in seek of solace and it's solace that we find.  The cafe, although not housing any Cheese and Vegemite Sausages, has a blackboard menu that takes up an entire wall.


The cafe is actually not in an old butcher's shop, but takes its name from its sister restaurant located in Mudgee which is.  The cafe is bright, spacious and has a lovely rustic vibe to it - it feels a little bit like an old style milk bar.  There are some eclectic pieces of furniture and an old butchers sign that hangs above the coffee machine that help accentuate that "country feel".


We take a seat at the big wooden communal table and after perusing the menu for all but a second we both decide that we need big meaty burgers to fill the hole that Gulgong Butchers has left in our sausage-less tummies.


I go for the Steak Sandwich with Caramelised Onions ($10.00) and it is nearly as big as the plate with big, thick slices of white bread. The onions are beautifully sweet, and the steak is tender and cooked to perfection.  The salad greens just emphasise the fact that a steak sanger this tasty must be good for me.


The Boy orders the Butcher Burger ($10.00) that comes with cheese and bacon. It is just as huge as my sandwich and looks delicious.  We both fall silent as we munch through our lunch, our thoughts temporarily diverted from our Sausage Sadness.


We also order some drinks. The Boy goes for a Caramel Milkshake ($3.50) and as I drank half of it I can tell you it was pretty amazing.  I love that it came served in the metal glass...just like milkshakes of yesteryear.  I ordered a Ginger Beer ($3.50) which was lovely and refreshing.


After lunch we head back over to the butcher's just to double check that no Cheese and Vegemite Sausages have materialised in our absence. Nope. They do give me their phone number though so I can call ahead next time and order some to avoid disappointment.  Now why didn't I think of that earlier?


The Butcher Shop Cafe is at 113 Mayne St, Gulgong.  They are open daily for breakfast and lunch.

14 comments:

  1. wow how thick is that bread! That's a pretty good sandwich for 10 bucks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an interesting concept - Cheese and Vegemite sausage - not sure about that flavour!!! Still I suppose no different from beef chilli and chocolate.

    May I suggest a butcher in Hornsby who may entertain that particular combination???

    ReplyDelete
  3. I didn't know Cheese & Vegemite sausages existed. I didn't even know Gulgong existed (had to Google-map it). Bummer you drove that far and didn't find them. The filling in the sandwiches looks good, but somehow that slice of white bread makes it less appealing IMO.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh poor you! I am the same - absolute devastation when something I'm planning on doesn't happen :(
    I'm very impressed at the food, the towns out west have definitely stepped up a notch in recent years :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, sausage sadness is one of the worst... :( Those cheese & Vegemite snags sound mighty intriguing though - what kind of meat is in it?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh you poor thing! I feel your anguish-that has happened to me. Now I am really curious about these cheese and Vegemite sausages!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cheese and Vegemite sausages? That's like the epitome of an Aussie barbie.

    I am dying to dive into that yummy looking milkshake and sink into the thick toast. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. cheese and vegemite sausages oh my!!

    that bread is a bit too thick for my liking but still drools!

    ReplyDelete
  9. look at that deliciously tick toast - mmm sandwiches fix everything!!

    These cheese and vegimite sausages has piked my curiosity, how to they taste? cheesymitey?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Just reading your story left me devastated. A good steak sanger would help ease the pain but I can't help but notice the burger comes on toast, not a bun?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, the sandwiches are huge... I wouldn't know where to start! and oh, milkshakes in those cups... haven't had for a while, yum!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Susan - I know! What amazing value. It was so huge no chippies were needed.

    Hi Cate - yes please for the butcher's name in Hornsby.

    Hi lateraleating - the white bread was prett good...but not as good as those snags we missed out on.

    Hi Muppy - I agree re the country towns and the quality of food. I suppose a lot of has to do with the tourists...

    Hi Tina - I'm pretty sure the meat is lamb...noms.

    Hi Lorraine - It was such a devestating moment. I really hope it never happens to me again!

    Hi Vickys - The snags are about as Aussie as they come really aren't they?

    Hi Julie - I had trouble getting my sandwich into my mouth, but cutting it in half helped.

    Hi Gianna - The sausages are a bit cheesymitey. But the cheese oozes out and makes the sausage outer nice and crispy, and the vegemite adds a salty, and almost richy gravy, type of taste. They are unexectedly delighful....trust me!

    Hi Helen - you know what, I didn't even notice the burger came with bread, and not a bun...and I don't think The Boy did either. We were grief sticken after all.

    Hi Thang - I think a milkshake in a metal cup is 100% better than having it served any other way. Yum.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This made me sympathise and laugh at the same time....

    "I've driven all the way from Sydney".
    "It's my birthday".
    "I love them and must have them".
    "Pleeeaaaaassseeeeeeeeeeee".
    "If you have some in the freezer I don't mind taking frozen sausages".
    "If you make then today I'll come back tomorrow to collect them...honest I will".


    The Butcher Shop Cafe looks like it was a wonderful-if-not-better substitute, the food and drinks look amazing and the prices....very nice!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for organising it sweets, it was so much fun. I AM concerned about the fact that I didn't feel at all caffeine affected - maybe I need a caffeine detox...

    Kicks Lab

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving your comment!

You Might Also Like:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Free Blog Template by June Lily