Perth Voice Interactive

ELMAR’S recently closed one of its outlets in Myaree, so I was worried the sausage kaiser might be in financial strife.

But thankfully their flagship store in Highgate appears to be in rude health and was overflowing with snags, cured meats, pâté and tales of German gymnastics when I visited on Tuesday morning.

Elmar’s is owned by German couple Elmar and Anette Diere, who moved to Australia in 1987 and opened their first shop on Beaufort Street, where they still make all their own produce.

Their smallgoods were a hit with sandgropers and they expanded south of the river and went on to open the award-winning brewery/restaurant Elmar’s in the Valley.

Fast forward to 2023 and their original Highgate store is still a meaty delight, although I can’t see Tash Peterson getting a loyalty card anytime soon.

As I walked in, I couldn’t see anyone serving but heard a thick German accent – “Hello, with you in ze minute”.

Turns out it was Anette, obscured by a meaty thicket, who was working with trademark Germany efficiency on some smoked bangers behind the counter.

It gave me time to peruse the wonderful array of sausages in a cabinet occupying the entire width of one wall – a sort of meaty monolith that made me feel a bit lacking in the trouser department.  

There was everything from curry bratwurst to hot venison with all your varieties covered including kransky, knacker, debreziner, schublig, wiener and liverwurst.

It was an impressive ode to all things snag.

Anette was super friendly and I brought up Germany hosting the European soccer championships next year, but she was more into ice hockey and gymnastics.

She took time to have a nice chat and it added to the feeling you were in a family run-store instead of the rote “Flybuys? Receipt? See ya.”

There was also a bain-marie with cooked snags and meats, and Elmer’s still do their legendary roll and bratwurst on Saturday mornings. 

The shop also had an impressive range of canned and tinned food and I got a half-pint glass of German mustard ($6.25) and a large jar of Bavarian sauerkraut ($7.10).

I bought a selection of snags for  dinner – at the traditional end of the spectrum, the kransky (four for $17.90) were a smoky feast.

Firm and thick, these responded well to being cooked in the oven with a lovely texture and a smooth, smoky beechwood flavour that wasn’t overpowering.

There was a slightly sweet refrain and the skin had a crispiness and wasn’t too chewy.

These snags were a favourite with my wife “Special K” and my two young kids.

My favourite was the venison hot (six for $22.77). You could only get these frozen, but don’t worry they were made with the same loving care and tasted amazing – the gamey meat having a semi-coarse texture and a little hint of heat from the chilli.

A lovely snag with the chilli adding a subtle twist to the strong flavour. These went especially well with the mild German mustard and sauerkraut.

Last up was the spring onion weisswurst, a traditional Bavarian white-sausage made from minced veal and pork (four for $16.50).

You’re not meant to eat the skin and these are best boiled. The mild soft filling tasted pleasant enough, but my taste buds were pulverised into submission by the strong flavours in the kransky and venison, so probably a failing on my part to have these together.

But my philosophy is always try something new, so it was an interesting culinary diversion.

Elmar’s was a meaty hit and lived up to its reputation as the best German small goods outfit in Perth.

Elmar’s Smallgoods
493 Beaufort St, Highgate
elmarssmallgoods.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK