Coffee, toasties and family history are on the menu at Courtyard Kyneton. To really get the lowdown on Courtyard Kyneton, you have to go back in time to when the Barry sisters were children.

Charlie and Maddie’s beloved grandmother lived at the end of the same Kyneton street and, in the way of children everywhere, they would spend hours riding their bikes up and down.

Fast forward to adulthood and they were taking a nostalgic drive to their nan’s old place when they spied the ‘for lease’ sign on the property.

“Definitely one of our main inspirations was that nan used to live at the end of the street. We took it as a sign,” says Charlie, now 26 (her sister is 28). “It really gave us the inspiration to take the leap and open our cafe.”

Courtyard Kyneton is suitably named. Situated just off Piper Street, Kyneton’s thrumming hospitality business epicentre, it’s an idyllic, silver birch-shaded outdoor space with two rustic corrugated iron sheds. One is used as a café where Coffee Supreme and toasties rule the roost. Crunch across the gravel to the other side, where its counterpart doubles as a shop for the sisters’ clothing label, Barry Made, which they also wholesale to other retailers around Australia.

“One-of-a-kind casuals made in limited numbers from beautiful natural fabrics where possible,” as their brand philosophy goes. The clothing label also harks back to the rag trade history of the Barry family, with the sisters’ father and aunt once running a fashion shop in town.

But let’s talk about the toasties. Opened in 2023, Courtyard Kyneton came about when Charlie and Maddie decided to buttress the fashion biz with their family-favourite snack. “Growing up, toasties were such a staple in our family. We always made them with our dad,” says Charlie. “He was so meticulous in his approach, but we also love how simple it is – you just need great bread, good meat, a side of crisps.”

Made with Zeally Bay sourdough, the toasties cover the bases of a ham, cheese and tomato and a Reuben, complete with speared pickle, that’s their biggest seller. A triple cheese waits for those who like it oozy, while salami and pesto puts in a solid Italian performance. There’s also a mortadella version jazzing things up with chimichurri, mustard and Swiss cheese.

The pastry support act depends on the day of the week. Monday to Thursday means cinnamon and sugar morning buns and Danishes from Rustica, while Friday celebrates Sicily’s favourite whipped ricotta-filled pastry from Cannoli Bar. Weekends are a chance to grab a cinnamon twist from Moonee Ponds’ Ocab Bakery

In their (limited) downtime, they have their fellow businesses of Piper Street to explore. “I always love a knock-off drink on a nice sunny afternoon at Piper Street Wine Company or a spritz at the Botanik,” says Charlie. “There’s always somewhere great to head to in town.”

Story by Larissa Dubecki
Images by Chris Turner

Courtyard Kyneton
96A Piper St, Kyneton (enter via Wedge St)
Open 7 Days @courtyard.kyneton @barrymade