Pittwater Life June 2017 Issue

Special Local Promotion
Our local cafes serve
as community hubs,
not only refuelling
our bodies but often our
hearts and souls.
And while coffee is
king and quick customer
catch-ups and turnovers
are inherent parts of the
industry, owners also
understand quality food is
an essential ingredient in
encouraging customers back.
Local proprietors report
our interest in health and
our busy lifestyles continue
to influence what our cafes
offer, with many refreshing
their menus to cater for
different dietary requirements
plus dishing out convenient
take-away options.
But that doesn’t mean you
can’t still linger over a couple of
coffees, a warm plate of bacon
and eggs, fluffy pancakes
drenched in maple syrup or a
big bowl of colourful veggies
at your favourite local – in fact,
winter in Pittwater is often
the busiest season for sit-
down brekkies, brunches and
lunches.
Colourful creations are the
order of the day at Jeremy
Drayton’s Café Racer in Mona
Vale.
“These days customers
have an expectation of
healthier food choices within
presented menus, more scope
and flexibility and also daily
blackboard specials featuring
in-season produce,” he said.
“If your diet is all white in
colour you know you’re not
investing in your health… you
will always see a lot of colour in
our food.”
Their Buddha Bowl (on this
month’s cover) is a case in
point.
Regular seasonal menu
changes mean soups are
back at Café Racer as well
as a selection of ‘winter
warmers’ including a
gluten-free pesto penne.
Responding to
customers’ desire for less
sugar, most of the choices
in Café Racer’s desert
fridge are now made in house
– try the sugar-free, gluten-free
protein balls.
And coffee?
“Coffee is community and a
really important part of what
we do,” says Jeremy. “It’s a daily
ritual that lets you engage with
people’s lives albeit for a quick
smile catch-up and start to their
day.”
Orders for coffee at Swell
Café in Avalon pour in from
5.30am, with the machine not
resting until late afternoon.
“Good coffee is absolutely
essential,” said owner Barry
Blyth.
The menu at Swell reflects
The Greedy Goat’s flourless peach
and strawberry slice; Cinque
Cucina e Caffe’s tasting platter;
& coffee remains king at all cafes!
Barry’s personal interest in
healthy, nutritional food and is
tweaked regularly to mirror the
season and to stay on top of the
game.
“Expectations and
standards have to be higher
due to constant change and
competition in the market place,”
he explained.
“The most challenging thing
about running a café is doing
your best every day and hoping
that everyone will appreciate
your efforts, keep coming back –
and tells their friends.”
Local flavour also shines
through in Swell’s relishes,
chutneys and cakes, made
in-house with bread delivered
daily from La Banette, an Avalon
institution.
Home-style cooking is what
keeps people coming back to
Palm Beach’s The Greedy Goat
says co-owner Vicki Monteith.
“Everything is cooked here
on the premises utilising quality
fresh local produce, which is
important to northern beaches
customers,” says Vicki.
The Greedy Goat is the café
the locals choose, she says.
“There’s a friendly community
vibe and we feel part of the local
fabric which makes running the
café much more than just a job.”
During winter, locals are loving
the $20 per person lunch special
of the week, which includes a
Continued on page 36
Cover Story
Celebrating 25 Years
JUNE 2017 35