Our Story
Rewind back to 2015, when craft gin, matcha and fermented foods were gaining momentum, Robbie and Rebecca Bell were working at Melbourne's restaurant institution - Rockpool Bar and Grill.
Robbie was the executive sous chef and Rebecca (Bec) worked in the front of house and was deep in wine sommelier training. It was December and Robbie made some terrines to put in a Christmas Hamper for all of the staff to take home. Being a chef sometimes means that your love language is to cook and feed others, especially in times of feasting, family and friends.
Needless to say, the gifted terrines were a hit. No better critiques than a throng of food loving 'hospos' who can give it to you straight. Those terrines spawned an idea and the entrepreneurial spirit in Robbie that had been waiting dormant in him since he was a wee boy living in Redcar (UK) selling sandwiches to make a few pence was reignited.
City Larder was born after seeing a gap in the market for high-end, traditional French-style, restaurant quality Charcuterie {shar-ku-tuh-ree}. Handcrafted in Melbourne using premium, free-range pork and chicken and utilising local ingredients in its recipes. City Larder Charcuterie is known for its delicious; terrines, pâté, rillettes and pickles. They are served and sold at more than 250 locations around Australia including some of the nation’s finest restaurants and also through independent grocers and deli’s.
Alongside City Larder Charcuterie, Robbie and Rebecca have also established City Larder Distribution that supplies retailers and food service restaurants throughout Victoria with their own City Larder brand products as well as a plethora of Spanish, Japanese and gourmet brands sourced from all over the world.
Awards
Australian Food Awards we have been awarded include:
Chicken Liver Pate - Gold Medal 2018
Pork & Pistachio Terrine - Gold Medal 2015
Pork, Hazelnut & Apricot Terrine - Gold Medal 2015
Chicken, Leek & Truffle Terrine - Gold Medal 2018
Chicken Liver Pate - Gold Medal 2018
Duck & Cherry Pate - Silver Medal 2018
Duck & Prune Terrine - Bronze Medal 2015
Pork Rillettes - Bronze Medal 2018
Robbie Bell
Robbie Bell is our head Charcutier (one who makes Charcuterie). Incredibly passionate about great food, British born Robbie Bell started his culinary journey with an apprenticeship as a young chef in a restaurant near his home town in England before spending the first few years of his food career working for Michelin-starred chefs Terry Laybourne in Newcastle upon Tyne and Paul Heathcote in Manchester. Robbie also had a stint at michelin-starred restaurant The Village Bistro in Jersey in early 2000's before he landed a role at the globally renowned Fat Duck Restaurant under Heston Blumenthal.
In 2008 Robbie and his wife Rebecca landed in Sydney with backpacks on their back and chefs knives in tow dreaming of the beach and the sun, excited about the abundance of fresh local produce and a twinkle of adventure in their eyes. Whilst in Australia it was hard not to fall in love with the lifestyle and exciting food scene. Robbie was at Quay (Sydney) then joined the opening team for the Rockpool Bar & Grill (Sydney) before eventually landing at Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne as their Executive Sous Chef.
Not one to sit still, he has also since become somewhat of a TikTok sensation with his passionate and fun videos with tips and easy to try recipes. He also hosts Cooking the Books, a hospitality podcast taking you behind the curtains to hear the tales and journeys of interesting people from Australia’s food industry.
Passionate about cooking, feeding and finding incredible ingredients, he is a cheeky, passionate, loveable character that advocates and showcases so beautifully our incredible Australian Food Industry.
Rebecca Bell
Whilst Robbie is passionate about the food, flavour, ingredients, and cooking, Rebecca (Bec) loves to consider and breakdown the experiential details that create an exceptional culinary experience.
Bec herself, also has an incredible hospitality wrap sheet to be envious of. She has worked at; 21 Hospitality Group (UK), Quay Restaurant (Sydney), Rockpool (George St, Sydney), Rockpool Bar and Grill (Melbourne) and was the first Front of House person offered a Stage at The Fat Duck (UK).
It was working in Australian restaurants and living in Melbourne, so close to the incredible wine regions that gave Bec the taste (pun intended) for working in the wine industry. After a couple of years on the floor at Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne, she was lucky enough to be given the chance to work with the wine team, learning from some of the best in the industry.
These days, Bec is the operational mastermind who prides herself on exceptional customer experiences and rock solid supply chain. It excites her to be providing restaurant quality service to a largely wholesale business.
Charcuterie
French in origin, the term ‘Charcuterie’ can refer to cold, cooked meats, as well as the store from which they can be bought. In years gone by, the art of charcuterie began as a way of preserving meat by curing, drying or canning, and the tradition has continued across the world in many forms. In France, products are prepared by the ‘Charcutier’ and can include terrines, pâtés, rillettes, sausages, cured meats, duck confit as well as the lesser known ballotine.
City Larder uses classic French training and recipes combined with years of restaurant experience to produce a range of charcuterie that is restaurant quality for you to enjoy at home and in the restaurant. Our range of cooked charcuterie products including; terrines, pâtés, and rillettes can be served as a lunch on their own, an entrée or as part of a charcuterie board; perfect with pickles, chutney and fresh bread.