Treats in store

A small-town general store owner provides a slice of nostalgia, alongside a tasty menu and great coffee.

Story Sue Wallace  Photos Jacob Peters

Andy Dolling knows the innermost secrets of most of the population of the tiny Victorian riverside town of Jamieson – when it comes to coffee. “I know exactly what my regulars like and even those who just pop in from time to time,” says Andy, who purchased the quirky Jamieson General Store 12 months ago.

It’s a 6am start most days and it’s just a short hop from her home to the shop, where she makes fresh muffins and pastries daily, so they are ready for the first coffee lovers, who arrive at 7am. “It’s always busy in the mornings and invariably the pastries and muffins sell out – the most popular are apricot and white chocolate, followed by apple crumble,” Andy says.

Then it’s cooked breakfasts and takeaways for many tradies, who regularly drop by, and lots of coffee orders.

When the morning rush calms down, Andy is busy ordering, restocking, cooking and having a chat to all who come by. She also sorts daily and weekly newspapers and magazines, and has named pigeonholes for each customer. “Get it wrong and I am in strife,” she laughs.

Step inside the 1960s-built general store and it’s a little like entering a charming time warp with the original timber floors, some bearing signs of much-worn linoleum, which she can’t remove, an old-style stainless-steel refrigerated counter and antique till.