Local Favourite: Provisions Deli & Grocery

With each of our guest houses featuring fully equipped kitchens, there is nothing better than a visit to Braidwood’s gourmet food hub, Provisions Deli & Grocery…

Tell us a little bit about how Provisions Deli & Grocery came to be

It’s amazing what can happen when you have a great idea but think “I couldn’t do that – someone with the experience should do it” -  then they don’t, so you do!  That’s exactly how Provisions Deli & Grocery was born.

Having moved to Braidwood from the Blue Mountains, the now-owners of Provisions were missing easy access to gourmet artisan food and the associated food culture.  After many discussions over copious bottles of red wine and fine cheese purchased an hour away in Canberra, the decision was made to take the plunge from the corporate 9-5 world and open an independent gourmet deli and grocery in Braidwood.  How hard could it be, right? Pretty challenging it turns out!  But three years on Provisions Deli & Grocery has established itself as the gourmet food hub in Braidwood.  Offering local and international gourmet and artisan food products  - from aged Comte to humanely raised local free-range pork to gourmet pre-prepared meals and fresh artisan sourdough bread, Provisions Deli & Grocery has a loyal following of foodies from Sydney, Canberra, Southern Highlands and the NSW South Coast. 

Tell us a little bit about yourselves

We are Colin McLean and Lea Barrett – a couple of corporate refugees seeking a more fulfilling life in the beautiful historic town of Braidwood, NSW.   We’re living the off-grid dream in an architect designed passive solar home on 100 acres with 2 Jersey cows, a flock of chooks and the Lord of the Manor, Baci the cat.  In 2016, we combined our experience in corporate and leisure travel, tourism marketing, financial services and regional economic development with a love of local and artisan gourmet food and took the plunge into small business by establishing Provisions Deli & Grocery in Braidwood, NSW. 

How long have you been in business? 

As of April 2019 a total of three years:  two years as a small deli and gourmet grocery and the third year as the expanded business with the addition of a much larger deli plus coffee, cakes, panini and grazing platters – oh, and a catering business!

What makes your business different?

We offer a gourmet food shopping experience where we know all of our customers by name!  Located in the small heritage listed town of Braidwood, we showcase fine local and imported cheeses, charcuterie and antipasti as well as a large selection of quality gourmet groceries.  We principally source our gourmet food products from Simon Johnson – Purveyor of Quality Food – located in Sydney.  Additionally, we buy from suppliers who specialise in small batch artisan food products selling directly (and only) to independent and gourmet grocers.  But our passion and support for local food producers is really the heart of our business!   We hold a Grower’s Market every Saturday during the growing season in our leafy Courtyard on the main street providing local growers and food producers a free-of-charge venue to sell their seasonal products. This provides the opportunity for consumers to engage directly with the growers of food and to gain a deeper understanding of local food production as well as the importance of eating seasonally.

Our Courtyard also takes on a food festival feel on the weekends with a popular local chef popping up with his hand-made dumplings and east/west fusion curries.  We strive with everything we do to support the local economy and cultivate a feeling of community within our retail space.  Our philosophy is best summed up in our manifesto:

What do you love most about Braidwood?

It’s eclectic mix of foodies, artists, farmers, academics;  our rich indigenous and colonial heritage and above all – the wide open landscape of big skies and rolling hills. 

Talk to us about Provisions dinner packages available when you stay with us at Mona Farm or visit Provisions Deli & Grocery Wednesday - Sunday from 10am - 7pm. 

Find out more here. Follow Provisions Deli on Instagram or Facebook.