IT was 11:30am on a Thursday and the place was absolutely heaving.

Burly tradies were brandishing conti rolls like giant spanners, ladies in activewear were hobnobbing over coffee, office workers were carrying trays of sushi and discussing interest rates, and I, a scruffy bloke from the Herald, was caught in the middle.

The Chook was in the General Store, a popular addition to the little row of shops on the corner of Marmion St and North Lake Road in Myaree.

The store has gone down a storm with locals and my plan to beat the lunchtime rush failed miserably, although the service was quick and efficient, so it wasn’t a big deal.

The General Store is an all-in-one deli, a bit like Scutti in South Perth, and in addition to selling fresh fruit, veg and small goods, it does pre-prepared meals, salads, pastas, cakes and sandwiches.

There’s even a decked area out the front where you can enjoy hot drinks and toasted gourmet sandwiches from the hole-in-the-wall coffee shop.

The place is immaculate and the fresh produce is beautifully presented, showcasing the vibrant colours of the fruit and veg.

But its pièce de résistance is the delicatessen, where they have a lovely range of goods including meats, salads, arancini and olives, and make rolls to order.

There was a nice range of hot fillings including variations on chicken schnitzel, steak, brisket and pork.

There was also a decent range of cold treats with hot Hungarian salami, mortadella, prosciutto and ham (I previously tried the conti and it was packed with high quality ingredients. The banh mi with pork belly is delicious too).

But today I was here for the coveted Hot 2 Trot roll ($12).

You could get it with roast beef or slow cooked brisket, but I went for the porchetta.

The ladies behind the counter had the roll-making down to a fine art and powered through the queue.

It wasn’t long before I was tucking into a long soft roll crammed with hot pork and “old school” gravy.

There was just enough gravy to saturate the roll with flavour, but not make it a soggy mess.

The star of the show, the porchetta, was delicious and had a sweet refrain with tons of flavour.

It wasn’t overly salty and every now and again you would hear a reassuring “snap” as you bit down on a piece of crackling.

The gravy was just the right consistency, complementing the meat and not overpowering it.

At $12 the porchetta roll was super filling and great value.

Meanwhile, my wife “Special K” and my two young kids were tucking into some pre-made goodies – Sicilian pasta, country style potato salad and citrus broccoli salad (all $26.99 per kg).

The pick of the bunch was the broccoli – a zesty and crunchy affair with bacon, cranberries, almond flakes, red onion and sunflower seeds.

The country potato salad was a close second – a hearty dish with a gourmet twist courtesy of the sun-dried tomatoes.

I really enjoyed my visit to the General Store and will be back to try their coffee and cakes on the bustling deck outside (I’m not wearing activewear though).

General Store Melville
6/446 Marmion Street, Myaree
www.thegeneralstoremelville.com.au