Linke's smallgoods in German tradition gain fame for Nuriootpa's shop in Barossa Valley of South Australia
Graham Linke and the traditional-recipe German smallgoods that made the family business in Murray Street, Nuriootpa, in South Australia's Barossa Valley, a food destination.
Linke’s Central Meat Store in the South Australia Barossa Valley town of Nuriootpa became famed for its ham, bacon, mettwurst, lachschinken and other wursts made from traditional family 19th Century recipes brought from Silesia to South Australia. It was forced to close in 2022 due to staff shortages.
The Linke ancestors left Silesia in northern Europe and landed in South Australia in 1838. The family established a farm at Freeling until 1928 when George Linke, sold it and moved Nuriootpa, between First and Third streets, and opened a small shop next to their home. Their smallgood business also made house-to-house deliveries by horse and cart.
The family moved to an old cordial factory at 27 Murray Street, Nurioopta, in 1938, and eventually became the “smallgoods butchers of the Valley”, specialising in naturally-smoked meats including bacon, mettwurst and lachshinken.
Graham Linke began working in the business with his father, George’s son Edgar, after leaving school at 15. Both his father Edgar and mother Alma were butchers and other family members were involved in the business. Graham Linke and his wife Lola took over the business in 1978, after his father became ill.
At its prime, Linke’s Central Meat Store had eight staff, who also did their own slaughtering. Graham Linke used family recipes to cure and smoke traditional Barossa smallgoods in a wood fired smokehouse behind the store. They also sold fresh meat and poultry. The small shop, with long sticks of mettwurst hanging on butcher hooks behind the counter, always has a queue of people waiting to be served.
Linke’s Meat Store became a food destination, being named experience No.41 in Australian Traveller’s “100 greatest Australian gourmet experiences”.
In more recent years before it closed in 2022, the business was operated solely by Linke and one other non-family staff member, while his wife took of the book work. Their children had pursued other career paths.
