On a recent trip to Byron Bay we came across a couple of unique garden setups fuelling and inspiring the kitchens of two great local café/restaurants.

The first was the ‘Roadhouse’ located just outside the main town on Bangalow Road. It was a social hub of activity and the café doubles up as a whisky bar in the evenings! The morning we were there they were clearing out old crops in preparation for spring. Although the garden doesn’t supply a great deal of vegetable for the kitchen (most of this comes from down the road at a local farm), it does give the chefs the opportunity to duck directly out the side door to hand pick herbs and garnishes for their tasty creations.

The Roadhouse, Byron Bay

The second was the Harvest Café in the quite leafy town of Newrybar. It comprises a café/restaurant located in an early 1900´s historic cottage, a deli (for the prosciutto, cheese and bread lovers… yum) and a refurbished 100 year old bakery to the rear. The veggie garden is located behind the deli and supplies fresh organic + seasonal produce to the Harvest kitchen daily. It was a real treat being able to take a stroll through their setup and even steal borrow a few unique ideas for my garden back home!

Harvest, Newrybar