This Little Piggy Stayed Home
There are a lot of Coasties who travel great distances to bring home the proverbial bacon.
But some little piggies, like Nicole Shires, have figured out a way to stay home.
The born and bred Coastie always wanted to own a cafe and for the last two years she has provided a homely hub for the Point Clare community at This Little Piggy & Co.
This Little Piggy & Co, Point Clare
It’s quite incredible what Nicole has done with the hole-in-the-wall space at the local shops. It’s more like something you’d find in a Melbourne alley or in the heart of Surry Hills, than Point Clare.
Long black tables line up under pretty pendant lights, and the back wall pops with colour thanks to a flying pigs mural by Point Clare children’s book illustrator Sarah Davies.
The cafe’s shelves are laden with freshly baked bread, artistic bio cups and a selection of delectable sweets and raw treats by Nicole’s baker friends – Just a Piece of Cake and Love Raw Creations.
If you look closely you’ll see the cafe’s garden is actually a thriving herb and veggie patch, and continuing the spirit of sustainability, the menu tells us the cafe is run on Tasmanian hydro electricity.
Two peas in a pod at This Little Piggy, Point Clare
From humble beginnings of smashed avo, the all-day brunch menu has grown to offer everything from smoothie bowls to eggs every which way.
Thankfully the smashed avo is still there, with lemon, salt and pepper on toasted organic sourdough or you can ‘make your own’ with yummy extras including heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto, marinated feta or beetroot relish.
Avocado is at the heart of many of the cafe’s dishes, also starring in the breakfast board amongst other lovely things like lemon-infused ricotta and smashed peas with feta.
It also provides the creamy base for ‘two peas in a pod’ – a delicious cacophony of peas, snow pea tendrils, goats feta, beetroot relish, avo and dukkah on sourdough.
Berry coconut smoothie at This Little Piggy, Point Clare
With so few cafes in the petite suburb of Point Clare, This Little Piggy has a real community feel and it’s not just because of the great coffee or smoothie jars.
Its location across the road from Aldi and the train station makes it the perfect pit stop for commuters grabbing their early morning fix, mums (or dads) needing to fuel up ahead of the weekly shop and generally just a cool place for locals to hang out.
It’s one of those treasured places where the baristas, a troupe of girls who are as pretty as they are friendly, know your name and coffee order the moment you walk through the door.
While it’s best known for its coffee by day, it’s now becoming just as famous for its cheese and wine nights.
Every Friday and Saturday evening, the café opens for dinner serving up generous antipasto platters brimming with the State’s best cheese, cured meat and condiments.
This Little Piggy, Point Clare
While Nicole runs the cafe, husband Lee owns the health practice next door, and they’ve now expanded even further to a deli.
The Fake Italian Deli has just opened a few doors down from the cafe.
This is in addition to their other business – Cheese To Meat You – offering antipasto platters and cakes made from cheese wheels.
All day brunch at This Little Piggy, Point Clare
While the swine moniker is apt for a place specialising in antipasti, Nicole says it’s actually inspired by the Davistown couple’s favourite Hunter winery, Piggs Peake.
Nicole prides herself on offering regional gems, like boutique wines, that aren’t necessarily available anywhere else.
To ensure they have only the best wines, meats and cheeses, these little pigs recently went to market (a road trip around the state). It’s unlikely they cried all they way home with a car load of cold cuts and cheese.
