OZHARVEST & GRATIA Cafe Collaboration

Rebecca Varidel
3rd Jul 2018

"You keep that up and you can have a job here" Executive Chef Travis Harvey touted OzHarvest Founder and CEO, Ronni Kahn as she carried plates of 're-purposed' food to the first cafe guests this morning. 

From today, the Gratia Cafe at 372 Bourke Street, Surry Hills will have a splash of yellow including a big yellow heart on the door with a new look menu as OzHarvest co-host the pop up - OzHarvest Café.

Believe us, as we've tasted the menu, when you reconsider 'leftovers' in the hands of OzHarvest’s Executive Chef, Travis Harvey they couldn't be tastier. Take as example the Lazarus bread (leftover bread crumbed and repurposed into a fried fritter). The OzHarvest Cafe zero-waste inspired menu uses donated food from Brasserie Bread, Black Star Pastry and Select Fresh and ingredients that often go to waste. 

Just as good, every $1 spent helps to deliver 2 meals to people in need.

Other ideas we love that carry the social conscience even further include 'Adopt A Mug', re-purposed ceramic cups replacing disposable paper/plastic take-aways. Or if you don't already have a Keep-Cup you can grab your own at OzHarvest  

OzHarvest Founder and CEO, Ronni Kahn is delighted to be working with like-minded partners Gratia and Folonomo who share a vision for a better world. “This is the perfect partnership as it brings together passionate people and delicious food for a great cause. For the next three months Gratia customers can support OzHarvest through the simple act of buying a meal to give a meal. We believe that food is love and what better way to show you care than investing in brunch with purpose!

Gratia Co-Founder Nicolas Degryse said their philosophy is about fostering gratitude and empathy in our day-to-day lives. “We’re all about community and compassion and are excited to bring the OzHarvest Café by Gratia to life, serving gourmet food that will help feed people in need across the country.”

The OzHarvest Café by Gratia will be open for breakfast and lunch from Wednesday to Sunday 8am – 3pm at 372 Bourke Street, Surry Hills from now until September.

INTERESTING THINGS ON THE MENU:

BABY PANCAKES | spotty banana curd | walnuts | pepe saya mascarpone.
This delicious banana curd uses over ripe bananas added to egg yolks donated by Black Star Pastry leftover from their Strawberry Watermelon Cake of which they make 16,000 portions every week!

BREAD & SPREAD | cultured butter | melon rind and rose jam | peanut butter | vegemite | honey.
Fruit peel donated from commercial food production is a great opportunity to create marmalades, jams and vinegars. Using Black Star Pastry’s watermelon rind off-cuts (from their famous Strawberry Watermelon Cake) and orange peel from Select Fresh’s prepped fruit & veg range, combined with dried rose petals to make a tasty and elegant jam.

SPICED LENTILS | baked eggs | smoked yoghurt | fried Lazarus bread.
Named after the biblical story where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, excess Brasserie Bread Sourdough is toasted, crumbed and added into the dough to add extra flavour to this poori-style flatbread.

AVOCADO TOAST | salad greens pesto | marinated feta | pumpkin seeds | overbake
Bagged salad is another commonly wasted food in Australia, but can be made into a delicious pesto with pumpkin seeds saved from food production rather than the traditional pine nuts used in pesto. What is overbake? Due to the lengthy pre-production phase of breads like sourdough and brioche, bakeries forecast their bread production ahead of time which often leads to excess called overbake. All bread served at the café has been rescued from Brasserie Bread. Brasserie Bread overbake if not collected by OzHarvest goes to pig farms and into the
production of bio-fuel so nothing goes to waste.

CRISPY MUSHROOMS | corn miso porridge | cultured cream
The cream is cultured to extend the shelf-life and is packed full of pro biotics, so great for gut health.

BLT | scrambled eggs | kombu aioli | chillied pickles | overbake
Pickling is making a comeback in the fight against food waste. This age-old preservation method is a great way to use in season veggies, stems and stalks.