See the transformation of Talbot landmarks into provedore and market
Two decades ago, London House in Talbot was little more than a shell. Now it is home to an award-winning provedore. This is how the town turned it around.
TWENTY years ago, London House in Talbot was little more than a shell, part of an ageing and decrepit block of gold rush-era buildings going to ruin.
But instead of being demolished, the townspeople saw an opportunity and seized it.
Back in early 2000, Country Living visited the town and met the locals volunteering their time and effort to clean up the “bomb site”, the name they had given the area where Fyffe Street meets the sweeping Scandinavian Crescent.
And the transformation is testament to their hard work and dedication to the project.
Initially intended to become an internet cafe, a function it did fulfil briefly before being turned into a traditional cafe, London House is now home to the Golden Plate-winning Talbot Provedore and Eatery, run by Jayne Newgreen and Christopher Howe.
And the adjoining site where the Commercial Hotel once stood has become Market Square, which comes alive every month for the farmers’ market, started in 2004. (Remnants of the hotel now house the local doctor, various shops and some meeting spaces.)
“We’ve always wanted to be there for our locals and have our locals feel comfortable in our space,” says Jayne about London House, which was built in the 1860s.
“You never knew what their history was with the venue. And we were the outsiders.
“I’d have people come in for lunch and it wasn’t until they were fixing up their bill or whatever and they would say, ‘I helped put those windows in’.”
In 1999, at the encouragement of locals, the Central Goldfields Shire Council agreed to buy the site of the old hotel and London House. Other government grants were secured to help complete the renovations.
Alan Denham was among the key group of locals who organised and ran the project, becoming project manager. On top of the grants, he said the locals provided “in-kind labour”.
They also established a work-for-the-dole project at the site.
“We just had a great mix of people at that time who worked together to make it happen,” says Alan.
When it was initially completed, London House was a community-run space (including access to computers), then it was put out to tender for a commercial cafe. The first tenants were Jon Lock and Doug Gellatly, from Quince Farm at Clunes, whose products are still stocked at the provedore.
Other cafes were run in the building before Jayne and Christopher opened the provedore at the end of 2016. Christopher had retrained as a chef, while Jayne had been working with the Talbot market. Then, Jayne says, expressions of interest were being sought to run the cafe with a new provedore store. So the couple threw their hats in the ring on “a bit of a whim”.
“They wanted something that gave people a reason to come to Talbot at other times of the month (beside market day), but for similar reasons, being good food,” she says.
Jayne and Christopher approached local producers already attending the market about putting their stock on the provedore shelves, as well as approaching other local food producers.
At last year’s Golden Plate Awards, Talbot Provedore was named joint winner of the best casual dining award, making it three years in a row it had won the state award in their dining category.
With the venue normally open for breakfast, lunch, coffee and cake, and also dinner on Saturday evenings, Jayne estimates the provedore’s clientele would be split 50-50 between locals and visitors.
But visitors have predictably vanished due to coronavirus, and the provedore has switched to offering takeaway meals (a first for them) on Friday and Saturday nights.
“We really feel quite fortunate that our locals have continued to support us in this way,” Jayne says, adding the lockdown has given the couple a chance to think about ideas for the future.
Norm Jones, from Amherst Winery, 3km from Talbot, says the provedore has “given life to the town, that and the market”. Norm was photographed inside the remnants of London House for Country Living 20 years ago, alongside Alan Denham, Max Kau and Alistair Hull.
“The whole thing is more than anyone could’ve expected at the time to be honest, and the fact the provedore has turned out so well with Christopher and Jayne is just fantastic. I love the place,” he said.
Alan and his wife, Anne, have since moved away from Talbot and now live down on the coast at Ocean Grove. But both look back on the renovation project with pride.
“It was a marvellous time to live there. The energy that was brought to the town, the positive energy,” says Anne.
“It challenged what was possible.
“I just think it’s a really good thing, and the test of it being a good thing is that it’s still going and getting the support it needs. A lot of people start with vision but time can diminish it … this isn’t diminishing.
“We’re really proud of what the town has achieved for itself.”
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