19 June 2023

First Looks: Salters Cafe at Dirty Janes

| Lucy Ridge
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Salters cafe counter and sign

Salters will take over the space formerly occupied by Billy T’s. Photo: Supplied.

Antique shopping with a side of lunch is set to get a bourgie boost with Salter’s Cafe opening at Dirty Janes in Fyshwick next month.

The team behind Salters is the High Cow Group, which is based in the Southern Highlands and has already launched the first Salters Cafe at Dirty Janes Bowral.

Jarrod Cascarino is the managing director of the High Cow Group and is excited to bring their signature style of elevated cafe dining to Canberra.

“Salters at Bowral has been an absolute hit. We’re becoming known for some of the best coffee in town, and we like to say that ‘we’re a cafe that tastes like a restaurant’,” Jarrod told Region.

corn fritters on pink plate

The Salters menu is designed to be a cafe that tastes like a restaurant. Photo: Salters.

The menu is split into two compact breakfast and lunch menus featuring a respectable selection of dishes. Jarrod says their vegetarian lasagna is well loved, and for breakfast, people love the eggs Benedict.

“Eggs Benedict might sound standard but we serve it ‘the Salters way’ on our homemade cheese-infused hash browns. The cheese is just melted all the way through, so when you cut in, it’s so delicious.”

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‘The Salters way’ is prevalent throughout the menu. Rather than pigeonholing themselves into one particular style or cuisine, the chefs draw from various influences, including their own cultural backgrounds. Dishes like the wild lime and macadamia satay chicken skewers reflect the modern approach the team is taking to cafe dining.

Man wearing apron smiles with coffee

Managing director of the High Cow Group Jarrod Cascarino. Photo: Salters.

The interior space has been decorated to reflect their close relationship with the Dirty Janes brand. Every inch of the wall – and a decent amount of the ceiling – has been adorned with antiques, retro knick-knacks and nostalgic bric-a-brac. Jarrod expects that, initially, people will visit the cafe as a convenient place to pop in for lunch or coffee after perusing the antiques, but over time he envisages people will visit the cafe as a dining destination in its own right.

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Salters is deeply connected to the Dirty Janes business, founded by the titular Jane Crowley and her father, Athel Salter.

“We were more than happy for Jane to name the business – after all, it saves us the trouble of thinking of something ourselves – and it was really special for Salters to be a nod to her father Athel,” Jarrod said.

Cafe interior with antiques on the walls

The interior of Salters is bedecked with knick-knacks galore. Photo: Supplied.

The cafe will host a grand opening celebration on Saturday, 1 July, but the doors have been open since 9 June. The cafe is teaming up with Bentspoke Brewery and a yet-to-be-confirmed local winery for the grand opening. Festivities for the day will also feature a live performance from Ollie McGill, formerly the keyboard player for The Cat Empire. Jarrod explained that Ollie McGill lives locally in the Highlands and has performed at their Bowral location on a number of occasions.

They’re hoping to host live music regularly and take advantage of their large outdoor space to involve food trucks and other local businesses for monthly events.

Salters is located at Dirty Janes Fyshwick, 80 Collie St, Fyshwick, behind the Domayne building. They are open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm. Visit Dirty Janes or follow Salters Canberra on Facebook or Instagram.

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