Bunker Coffee has spent the majority of its lifespan filling a need. That need? Serving Milton locals with what many regard as the best coffee in town. As any caffeine craver will tell you, the morning cup (and sometimes a supplementary post-noon pick-me-up) is an essential part of their day. Its this notion of ‘necessity’ that is a particular point of interest for Bunker Coffee owner Marcus Allison, whose hospitality portfolio also includes fellow caffeinery Bessa Coffee and inner-city cafe-bar hybrid John Mills Himself. Having capably catered to the Milton community’s coffee needs, Marcus and his wife Rhianna have sought to further enhance the availability of other essentials with Neighbour, the couple’s newly minted providore and salad spot. As its namesake hints, Neighbour is located next door to Bunker at the base of the Aura apartment building on Railway Terrace but, perhaps more important than its proximity, its name also alludes to the provisioner’s neighbourly, community-oriented convenience. With Neighbour, the Allison’s are looking to ease the load on time-poor individuals, be it workers seeking a nourishing (and quick) meal on their lunch break, those after a simple heat-and-eat dinner option or picnic goers on the hunt for sips and snacks on their way to the park. Neighbour’s cosy and contemporary interior has been designed by Rhianna (who is an architect with Conrad Gargett), working with fit-out specialists Unita on a build using light Tasmanian oak, travertine bench tops and Austral Brick tiles. A salad and cake cabinet greets customers as they enter, while a wall houses shelves and a fridge stocked with assorted provisions. Neighbour’s arrival has also allowed for a reclamation of some of the streetscape, with a scattering of low-set stools and tables giving Bunker and Neighbour’s clientele the ability to enjoy their coffee, salad and cake on site.

Neighbour’s offering can be broken down into two streams. First is the all-day offering available from its salad and cake cabinet. The Neighbour team has collaborated with Sam Pethely from Florence Cafe on its initial 20-strong roster of Ottolenghi-inspired salads, five of which are showcased daily with one swapped out each weekday for another variety. Options like cauliflower-and-kale tabouleh, beetroot salad with apple, sumac and red onion, chickpea salad with prunes and hazelnuts, and potato salad with cornichon, mustard seeds and shallots can be loaded into takeaway boxes of various sizes, or selected as part of a lunch box. These nourishing packs feature your pick of salad as well as a dollop of hummus and up to three hot sides including honey-herbed haloumi, house-made pea felafel or a lamb kofta. The baked-goodies cabinet is filled with an assortment of covetable gluten-free confections made in house, with miniature cakes, vegan brownies and a six-inch flourless chocolate ‘take’ cake (perfect for taking to a dinner party or picnic). Beyond the grab-and-go nosh, Neighbour’s other specialty is its tight provender offering, boasting quality goods sourced from local suppliers. A curated selection of butchery goods from Meat at Billy’s can be purchased to take home and cook in the oven or on a barbecue, while picnic-perfect meats like its truffle salami go sublimely with an ash brie from Woombye Cheese Company and a French baguette from Crust & Co. Carb lovers can also pop in and grab a full-sized or baby sourdough loaf from Riser Bread as well as a circular slab of Pepe Saya butter. Neighbour’s drink selection includes Hrvst St juices and a selection of boozy beverages for take-home consumption. The punchy selection includes a mid-strength pale ale from Black Hops Brewing, Willie Smith apple cider and Heaps Normal’s Quiet XPA, as well as a tight array of new-age and natural vino from Jilly Wine Co, Wedded to the Weather, Konpira Maru and some select Granite Belt wineries.

Neighbour is now open to the public – operating hours and social media links can be found in the Stumble Guide.