Smith and Deli, Collingwood

Smith and Deli has been at the vanguard of the success of vegan food that appeals to everyone.  They have conquered faux meat and produced a menu that shows many creative ways to make (and name) a vegan sandwich.  Their current cafe deli in one of Collingwood's old warehouses is stylish and welcoming with large murals on the wall, ceiling to floor windows, stacks of generous sandwiches and gorgeous sweet baked goods on display.   Since opening here in late 2021 it has increased the seating area but the shelves are still well stocked with interesting groceries.

The spacious Collingwood warehouse location replaced the original Smith and Deli in Fitzroy's Moor Street that often saw queues out the door for takeaway sandwiches and groceries.  When the Fitzroy deli opened in 2014, it was the talk of town, exciting vegans, vegetarians and omnivores.  We used to queue for sandwiches and doughnuts on regular trips to the Fitzroy Market in the nearby primary school.  Good days!  Of course we were excited to see the new digs in Collingwood.  It was was nicely described in this  Gourmet Traveller article.  The above photo is of the bountiful display that greeted us upon entering.

 

In October 2023 when I was out for a ride I poked my head in longingly on the way home and took this photo.  By then the seating had expanded and reduced the grocery area.  This is a sign of the demand for space to eat in.  When we recently visited on a Saturday earlier this month, it was hard to find a place to sit and eat our meal. 

This photo is of the cafeteria display when I first visited Smith and Deli with my mum for my birthday in early 2022.  It was surprising to see the stews and salads on display.  The old location had mainly offered sandwiches for a meal.  This was so much more. In fact, at first I thought there were no sandwiches before I finally noitced a few in the display and a few more in the deli area.
 

I enjoyed a chickpea and okra curry with rice, a Greek salad and Asian vermicelli salad on the side.   My mum had glazed carrots, roast parsnip and the noodle salad.  The prices seemed reasonable with a "regular deli plate" of a main and two sides for $20 (ir a kids with two half sides for $15 or a large with 3 sides for $28).  I also had a serve of rice with my meal as I wanted a bit more carbs.

I went back in July 2022 during the school holidays with Sylvia.  This time I had a a regular deli plate with mushroom and barley, roasted cauliflower and stir fried greens, plus a bread roll.  This was even better than the last meal.  Sylvia loved her garlic chilli potatoes with parmesan so much that she still talks of them fondly. 

One of the joys of eating at Smith and Deli has always been checking out the groceries.  They are full of fun and novelty.  There are new flavours and vegan alternatives.  The prices make them more of an indulgence than everday purchase but who doesn't give in to temptation occasionally.  Here are a few purchases I have made (clockwise from top left):

• A Smith and Deli cloth bag - they do a stylish range of branded merchandise.
• Salted caramel oat milk chocolate.
• Vegan marshmallows, honeycomb, bread rolls, and dill pickle crisps.
• Pineapple salsa corn chips.
  

The refrigerated goods always look interesting: pasta, garlic bread and tiramisu.  Maybe one day we will sample some.

I wish I had found more opportunities to get to Smith and Deli but it took from 2022 to 2025 to get back there!  When we did, we were greeted by this wall of framed pictures that was reminiscent of the sister restaurant Smith and Daughters decor.  It originally opened in Brunswick St, Fitzroy and moved to Collingwood next to the current Smith and Deli around the same time. 

Those delicious potatoes often got offered as a reason to return to Smith and Deli but weren't there when we finally got back there.  Fortunately she also wanted to try their warming winter drinks and was very happy to see them on the menu.  The food display seemed slightly different with pizzas, big soup pots and a large display of sandwiches.  There are less sandwich options than in the old location where they were always made fresh.

I ordered the miso and butterbean soup ($14) with a small salad plate ($22).  Although I asked for the pesto potato salad, I was told they were low and would take longer to finish making a new batch.  I accepted the offer of having the remaining pesto potato salad with some roast veg salad.  I really loved both salads but was happy I had the roast veg salad as well.  My miso soup was amazing warming comfort food with focaccia on the side.  The salad was delicious but far too much.  I would have much preferred a smaller salad for less money.  It did not escape my notice that the soup and salad cost $36 this month compared with $22 for a main and salad.

 

Meanwhile Sylvia wanted to try a sandwich.  Her choice between the Scramble roll and the Wiggum 2.0 was made easy when she found that the former was only available on weekdays.  The Wiggum was one of my favourite sandwiches on their former menu (I wrote about it in my 2016 Smith and Deli post).  It is now a crispy crumbed slab of tofu with slaw, salsa, pickled red onion and chipotle crema.  I think it is a shame they upped the spiciness.  Sylvia enjoyed her toasted focaccia but would have liked the tofu to be freshly fried and hot.

Her greatest excitement was the gingerbread latte.  She had lactose intolerance symptoms but loves dairy. The vegan whipped cream on top of the latte delighted her.  She told me that whipped cream has a dairy after taste and this was the first vegan cream that had the same taste.  

Sylvia also ordered the Doughnut holes.  She has fond memories of going to the Fitzroy Smith and Deli for doughnuts when she was a small child.  What kid could forget a doughnut covered in caramel sauce and popcorn!  The doughnut holes had not seen the same inflation as the mains.  In 2022 a doughnut hole cost $5 and today it costs $5.50.  Sylvia declared them amazing!.  I enjoyed them but would have preferred them warm.

This month on offer in the sweet section were also Cranberry and white chocolate cookies, Strawberry and chocolate brownies, Biscoff scrolls, Almond escargot, Hazelnut chocolate doughnuts and Cinnamon doughnuts.  If only I could have tried one of each.  But I was so full from my meal that I took home leftover salads.

It is true we are still nostalgic for the days we used to go to the cramped old Smith and Deli with its endless offering of amazing sandwiches and long line of fans eager to eat them.  However it is exciting to see the growth of the little deli into a larger cafe deli.  It still serves innovative and delicious food in a stylish space.  We might not get there as often as we would like but I look forward to our next visit.

Smith and Deli
107 Cambridge St, Collingwood VIC  3066
Open: Tuesday to Sunday: 9am-3pm
https://www.smithanddeli.com/