18 Jun Milkboy on Fordhams (previously Fordham’s Milk Bar), Camberwell

Milk bars are hard to come by nowadays after the rise of service stations and extended hour supermarkets, but offering a wider array of groceries, food and coffee has enabled some to survive. Fordham’s Milk Bar has been around since 1915, which itself is an impressive feat, and it’s conversion into a cafe was only completed 4 years ago.

Milo Cookie & Cream Milkshake – Ice cream, milk, milo cookie, malted milk powder ($8.50)

Cocoa Supreme Hot Choc ($4.50)

The drinks menu includes an array of milkshakes, which is not so surprising given its heritage. The Milo Cookie & Cream milkshake is topped by half a chocolate cookie that has a chewy, almost brownie-like texture. The Cocoa Supreme Hot Choc is a bit of a DIY affair, the beaker of liquid chocolate delivering its contents into a cup of hot milk to create the belly-warming drink.

Avo Smash – heirloom tomatoes, seedy toast, goats feta, preserved lemon, poached eggs ($17)

Sunny Bircher – rolled rye and steel cut oats, seasonal fruits and honey labneh ($13)

The Milkman’s Tray with granola, avo smash on toast with poached egg, cookie and OJ ($18)

Their take on the smashed avocado sports heirloom tomatoes, goats feta, preserved lemon and poached eggs, scattered with cumin seeds. Plenty of fruits adorn the Sunny Bircher, which is made with rolled rye and steel cut oats, seeds and coconut. Honey labneh provides a bit more flavour, but without the interest from the fruit, the bircher didn’t quite stand out. If you’d prefer a bit of everything, The Milkman’s Tray has a large bowl of granola with yoghurt and poached pear, mini smashed avocado sans cumin, orange juice and a sweet treat in the form of a cookie.

Maple Granola Crumble with rhubarb and blood orange panna cotta, natural yoghurt foam, peach, mint salsa ($15)

Even more granola, yoghurt and fruit is featured in the Maple Granola Crumble, but the drawcard of this dish is the rhubarb and blood orange panna cotta. It’s not smooth and jelly-like, but the light and airy texture and subtle flavour of the rhubarb and blood orange is still enjoyable.

Hash brown scotch egg – grilled asparagus, spanish beans, beetroot relish, halloumi ($18.50)

The highlight of the morning is the hashbrown scotch egg, a dish that’s popular for good reason. Eschewing meat in favour of potato to coat the runny eggs, the feature element of the plate is deliciously crispy and lighter than the traditional version. Grilled asparagus, spanish beans and grilled halloumi come alongside these spiced, golden morsels, and there’s also the beetroot relish, which seems to have the slight flavour and acidity of tomato sauce.

There are plans for expansion and a renovation of the interior in the near future; here’s to hoping they retain the old school charm that made it such a pleasure to visit!

Maple Granola Crumble with rhubarb and blood orange panna cotta, natural yoghurt foam, peach, mint salsa ($15)

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to Fordham’s Milk Bar. Opinions expressed here are purely my own and are based on my experience at the time of the visit.

Fordham’s Milk Bar
116 Fordham Ave
Camberwell, VIC, 3124
(03) 9041 0822