A disused general store in Bairnsdale that sold lollies and fireworks has been restored and polished into a sophisticated wine bar serving Spanish plates and East Gippsland wines, led by chef Josh Thomas and partner Saskia.

At East Handy Store, Thomas, who previously ran Rivendell farm accommodation nearby and worked at Cilantro in Dinner Plain many years ago, says he is channelling “the culinary experiences I’ve had but with the produce we have in arm’s reach”.

That means a set menu at dinner of nine tapas, followed by paella cooked in the courtyard, finishing with cheese. Tapas might be sourdough with venison pastrami, made in-house with meat hunted by Gippsland Wild Foods, which supplies wild-caught venison to restaurants.

Butterflied sardines are brushed with sobrasada (also house-made) and char-grilled, while beef short-rib is cooked for 12 hours in stout from East Gippsland brewery Sailors Grave. Their beers are part of a drinks list that’s almost exclusively populated by Gippsland and Alpine Valley producers.

The paella features a rotating mix of seafood that Thomas can source – perhaps mussels, orange roughy and prawns – plus house-made chorizo and smoked chicken. The team are calling it Spanish surf and turf.

Lunch on Sundays involves no bookings and a shorter four-tapas menu with the paella. Morning visits mid-week are rewarded with coffee, pastries, loaves of sourdough and rolls.

Located in what Thomas calls “the Bronx of Bairnsdale”, the 20-seat venue is everything the chef (and nephew of pioneering cheesemaker Richard Thomas) saw lacking in the town. East Handy has been booked solid for a month since opening.

“The most rewarding parts [of this] are the community connection and neighbourhood pride,” Thomas says.

Restored leadlight doors and windows greet visitors before giving way to an intimate space with textured charcoal-grey walls, a copper ceiling and a mix of art nouveau and art moderne flourishes that nod to the building’s 1920s roots.

Open Tue-Thu 6am-11m, Fri-Sat 4pm-10.30pm, Sun noon-5pm.

22 McEacharn Street, East Bairnsdale, 0418 358 777, no website