TOASTIES and coffee are a match made in heaven as far as simple food pleasures go.
It's a combination that Jules Perry, owner of Mayfield's popular toastie food truck Perry The Feeder, is all about.
Perry's love for the toasted sandwich is serious business. In August 2017, she took over the food truck in the adjoining outdoor space at Muster Point Collective in Mayfield, branding it as Perry The Feeder and quickly earning a following of regulars with a menu of loaded toasties, packed full of delicious fillings and that all-important gooey cheese stretch.
From the sloppy joe meatball toasties made with family recipe meatballs in chunky tomato sauce topped with American mustard and tasty cheese to the spicy buffalo chicken with Frank's red hot chicken, spinach, topped with aioli and cheese, Perry The Feeder's take on the comfort food favourite is a step up from a standard ham and cheese combo.
Paired with a coffee from their supplier, Newcastle roastery Josie Coffee, and you're onto a good thing.
Four years since launching the food truck, Perry The Feeder has branched out to a second location in a cafe space at The Station in Newcastle.
The CBD location overlooking the Harbour was a "no-brainer" for Perry who says the response has been "overwhelming" since she opened a fortnight ago, moving into the cafe site previously operated by the team behind Wildflower Espresso at Wallsend.
"I had looked at a couple of different options over the years for a second site and when I came across this one it just sat really nicely with me," Perry says.
"It seemed like, out of all the options I had considered over the years, this one was the one that felt the most right.
"The location is absolutely beautiful and what I'm already doing over at the food truck really suits that space, so it's been an easy transition. What we make at the food truck, with a couple of little tweaks, is perfect for The Station."
Perry has brought four of the most popular menu items from the Mayfield food truck menu to The Station, along with new additions including fresh-made sandwiches (pulled chicken; ham, cheese and tomato; and a daily special) and baked treats and cakes from Maryville bakery, Uprising.
From the toasties menu, choose from bacon and egg with soft scrambled eggs, tomato relish and cheese; The Classic with Pork Ewe Deli leg ham, fresh tomato, dijon mustard and cheese; The Sweet Hen with BBQ chicken, caramelised onion, BBQ sauce, cracked pepper and cheese; or The Big V with semi-dried tomato, baby spinach, avocado, caramelised onion and cheese (vegan option available).
Bread is sourced from the Newcastle Farmers Market each week from Shepherd's Artisan Bakehouse, with Perry opting for their quinoa ciabatta which delivers the right amount of texture and crunch to create the perfect toasted sandwich.
"The two secrets, I think, to making a great toasty is that firstly, I put so much love into the toasties that I make, so that's a huge part of it for me," Perry says.
"Secondly, it's all about having a lot of nice cheese and butter. The butter has to go on the outside too so that it crisps up as you toast it and then the cheese can ooze out.
"We have some really good products, too. We use [Mayfield deli] Pork Ewe Deli meats and the sloppy joe, which is super popular at Mayfield, is a homemade recipe.
"Again, it's all about the love and effort."
Perry The Feeder also has a quick bites menu with banana bread, ciabatta toast, and a berry oat crunch cup with apple juice-soaked oats, fresh berries and granola.
Drinks include cold-pressed juices, kombucha, milkshakes and smoothies, as well a kids menu including toasties, babycinos, smoothies and shakes for those with little ones in tow who want to make use of The Station's scooter track.
"I'm not sure how long it has been since Wildflower left, but people definitely have missed having food and coffee available in here," Perry says.
"The response since we opened has been overwhelming, but in a good way. I just didn't expect it to be such a positive strong start."
Perry plans to extend opening hours during the summer months and add menu options such as fresh-made juices.
