Cheese lovers rejoice! Prahran Market has this week announced the introduction of a new grilled cheese and raclette bar, Maker & Monger, the brainchild of celebrity cheesemonger, Anthony Femia and cheesemaker, Rhys Burley (Bangalow Cheese Co & Yarra Valley Dairy).
It’s one of the a number of exciting new food additions for the market over the next six months, Maker & Monger will trade from a beautifully restored French food cart in Prahran Market’s Harvest Hall, tempting shoppers with the theatre of oozing raclette and stringy cheddar, before becoming a permanent store and cellar in the coming months.
The pair, who have been friends for years and also worked side-by-side at Spring Street Cheese Cellar, share the same vision and passion for the Australian cheese industry and have big plans for Prahran Market.
“First, we want to ignite people’s senses with a selection of cheese dishes that are inspired by tradition, history and travels”, says Femia. “Then we’ll grow into a cheese shop and maturation cellar that will provide Melbourne with a bespoke selection of cheess hand-picked from Australia and abroad.”
Market-goers can expect a menu fit for any cheese-lover, including traditional Swiss raclette and Heidi raclette from Tasmania and the all-American grilled cheese sandwich, featuring Cabot Cheddar from Vermont and Monteray Jack from California. “A lot of people use gouda and fresh cheese when making grilled sandwiches, which don’t melt properly and either create an oily sambo or something quite wet. The grilled cheese sandwich is all about the crunch and stringiness,” he says.
Shoppers will also be able to get their hands on tomato soup to go with the grilled cheese Sandwich, plus a selection of drinks, including decadent Mörk hot chocolate and hot sparkling apple cider. All produce will be sourced from Prahran Market.
“I’m very excited about having Maker & Monger at Prahran Market. It’s the destination market for quality ingredients and there are some great traders here. The market is going through an amazing development with some exciting traders being introduced over the next year and I wanted to be a part of that,” says Femia.
Prahran Market’s gallery will be transformed to accommodate Maker & Monger, allowing for back of house operating space, as well as an area for casual dining. The official opening will be Friday August 28.
The launch is just in time to celebrate Melbourne’s annual Market Week, a week long festival celebrating Melbourne’s amazing market culture.