Today I’m talking to Bartek (Bert) Glinka & Brendan D’Amelio at Uncle’s Smallgoods. Bert and Brendan are friends, brothers-in-law and the charcuterie makers supplying many Melbourne cult institutions. You’ll find their pastrami at places like Hector's Deli, Nico's and Hugo's and their bacon is fried in cafes like ST ALi, Rustica, and Earl Canteen. Bert and Brendan’s smallgoods journey started when they decided to sell kranskys at the Polish Festival and wondered how they might go about making their own. Eventually, after proving their commitment by chopping a pile of wood, they convinced a Polish husband and wife team, Marian and Nora Poprawski to sell them their Polish Deli in 2013. They now have two sites in Dandenong, a dedicated state of the art Smokehouse and the flagship Deli Cafe Foodstore. I had a full tour of the small but super efficient factory with the main attraction being the two large woodfired smoke ovens where they use red gum wood that they light early in the morning and then add wood chips to for the smoke. It is the artisan way of doing it and Bert and Brendan are particularly proud of this. I got to eat kransky warm out of the smoker and went away with a very generous ham bag filled with some of the best smoked salmon, smoked chicken, bacon and polish sausage I have ever tasted. Bert and Brendan’s passion for creating the best possible product is palpable and they were so lovely to talk to. They are putting out over 10 000 Christmas hams this year and if you miss out this year, mark your 2025 calendar because this ham is 100% free range, treated with so much care and love and is delicious.