Café and grocer, Aproneers prides themselves on sustainable, local and ethical product.
They’re keeping the food miles low, sourcing up to 90 per cent of what they use and sell within 50 kilometres of their premises. Some of it is grown in Lindisfarne backyards. All their eggs and meat are free range and they have some organic meat too.
Pretty much the entire Eastern Shore knows about Aproneers, but on the other side of the Derwent River we can get a little stuck. The Two Girls and Lady P now 13, braved the bridge and went for brunch.
The thing about eating in the burbs is that rock star parking is almost guaranteed.
Walking into Aproneers, is like opening the door into a vibrant village vibe. Aproneers abounds with energy; café clientele, shoppers and staff alike. This is no tranquil space but surprisingly, it isn’t hard to let it wash over you. Contemplating why, I’m thinking it’s because it’s evident when you’re there that you’re part of something different. It’s also because the wait staff are all enchanting and courteous to a fault, they help smooth the transition into their sustainability enclave.
Anyway, it wasn’t long until the first breakfast shift was moving on and a little calm had descended on the café. We ohhed and ahhed and turned ourselves into knots over the weekend brunch menu which is two pages long.
This Girl chose Huevos Rancheros (Aproneers’ Rancher Eggs) $16.50, a large tortilla served pizza-esque topped with their tomato sauce, two eggs and cheese and accompanied by sour cream, chilli and avocado. My shared table neighbor had the same but with a side of bacon.
It was a delicious meal and I’ll be preparing my Huevos Rancheros in a similar style from now on. And if I was let lose in their kitchen, I’d add a touch of cumin, more garlic and a squeeze of lime juice to the tomato sauce, and go a little easier with the cheese. A little gratuitous suggestion that could make a great breakfast, a perfect breakfast.
The Other Girl had The Vego breakfast, $19.50, poached eggs, tomato, mushrooms, the best wilted spinach in the world (what is the secret??), avocado and the vegetarian’s nemesis, a side of bacon, all on toast.
Lady P chose the Brekkie with the lot, $19.50, with poached eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon and pork chipolatas on toast. She was a bit miffed at the absence of a marshmallow with her hot chocolate, but once our food arrived she retracted her declaration that she was ‘Never coming here again!’ (sound of foot stomping) and dug in with gusto.
They do really good Villino coffee and This Girl had a freshly squeezed orange juice as well.
The Two Girls were full from our 10.30 am brunch until about dinner time. These meals are not for the faint-hearted and are tremendous value. We chose some of the more expensive menu items but there are many other options for less than $15. You can see the menu at the end of the post.
We give Aproneers our seal of approval. The meals and staff were wonderful. Manager John stopped awhile in the middle of his busy schedule to tell us a bit about their real food perspective.
After brunch we took a stroll around the grocery aisles. Their products are not cheap, but when you shop here you buy more than groceries. You make an investment in a better way of producing food: that treats animals humanely, keeps carbon emissions low, is not so hard on the land, and gives producers better value for their goods.
Visit them at 145 East Derwent Highway, Lindisfarne between 7.30 am and 7.00 pm.
This place is pumping so make a reservation on 6243 4720.
