No, not a restaurant or café but Gruners, a Barkly Street, St Kilda institution who have been supplying quality meats and continental smallgoods since 1958. Peter Gruner, whose parents established the business all those years ago is about to retire at age 76. Chef-restaurateur Andrew McConnell and butcher Troy Wheeler will set up shop opening Meatsmith, a gourmet butcher, number two. Peter told me he started out as a food technologist and worked at Brockoffs Biscuit after graduating. He mentioned that with his food technology background he had the skills to develop recipes for the salami and other Gruner small goods requiring fermentation. End of an era and new beginnings for another!
