We’re huge fans of smooth coffee, flaky baked goods and a stacked all-day brunch menu, so when we find a cafe that ticks all of those boxes and they’re sustainable—well, we’re straight up in love. But where can you find these tasty gems that put people and the planet at the forefront?
We teamed up with Momentum Energy (FYI they’re 100% owned by Hydro Tasmania who are Australia's largest generator of renewable energy) to ask you guys where your fave eco-friendly cafes are, and you absolutely delivered.
So, gather your brunch crew and add these awesome cafes to your foodie hit list.
Moon Rabbit, Preston
For top notch brews, affordable tasty eats and good vibes aplenty snag a seat at Moon Rabbit, the community cafe with heart. The social enterprise eatery works alongside not-for-profit Bridge Darebin, creating a workplace that employs and empowers young people with additional learning needs. When it comes to the environment, their menu is garden to table (and freaking delicious), aiming for zero waste with anything left going into an enrich360 Food Waste Dehydrator that converts unavoidable food waste into nutrient-rich organic fertiliser.
Cassette, Kensington
We take our brunch game very seriously—as does the crew at Kensington eatery Cassette boasting a menu brimming with knockout dishes that celebrate local, seasonal produce. Think: house baked beans in a tomato sugo with flatbread, jalapeno cornbread with chorizo, and levantine mezze (house shanklish yoghurt balls, fried eggs, pickled and fresh veg with house whey flatbread). Wash it all down with a mimosa, spritz or local vino on tap. But what makes this spot so special, is their commitment to being a 0% zero waste cafe, and what little is leftover goes directly into their onsite compost. So you can tuck in knowing you're keeping your carbon footprint small.
STREAT Cromwell Cafe, Collingwood
Housed in the iconic 150-year-old Cromwell Manor is STREAT, a social enterprise cafe that trains young people experiencing homelessness. The industrial chic fit out—which was partially paid for via crowdfunding—includes a sun-soaked courtyard, lush edible garden, original brick walls, and an onsite bakery that casts drool-worthy scents of croissants and sourdough throughout the venue. Sip an ethical cuppa roasted on site, and devour a Japanese brekky bowl or avo toast knowing that your coin is going directly to funding STREAT’s efforts—they’ve trained more 1,100 disadvantaged youth since starting out in 2010.
Merri Cafe Ceres, Brunswick
Nestled in Brunswick East, this solar-powered community hub is serving up a delicious seasonal organic menu. The open plan kitchen at Merri means customers can—and are encouraged—to have a yarn with the chef about the food and where it comes from. Most of the veggies on your plate are sourced from neighbouring Honey Lane Farm, with the rest of the produce from the local area. Sip a cup of fairtrade coffee, and tuck into one of their soul-nourishing salads, wraps or cakes.
Industry Beans, Fitzroy
A cafe, roastery and brew bar all under a skylit warehouse, Industry Beans Fitzroy is a must visit. Known for serving a banging all-day brunch menu (order the wattleseed panna cotta), the sleek, minimalist space is kitted out with recycled timber tables and hanging greenery. The centrepiece of the space though, is the Modbar coffee machine which can whip up five smooth brews at the same time. Rooted in sustainability, all of the venue’s coffee grounds are sent to community garden programs via Reground, while the packaging is 100% recyclable. And, as part of a carbon offsetting program, a tree is planted in Australian regeneration forests for every 1,000 cuppas they roast.
Friends of the Earth, Collingwood
Feeding the bellies of hungry locals with their delicious organic lunch bowls since the early 90s, Friends of the Earth is a sustainable icon on the Melbourne cafe scene. What started out as a way to reduce food waste from the bulk food co-op morphed into a cafe with a loyal following. As well as vegan pies, pizzas and sweet treats, their mixed plates (from burger bowls to miso curry) change daily but are always organic, vegan and gluten-free. And food waste from the kitchen (which is always minimal) is collected by Fitzroy Primary School for their kitchen garden program for composting and chicken feed. Together, Friends of the Earth have diverted 15 years of kitchen waste from landfill.
Pickles Milk Bar, Carlton North
Bask in some serious nostalgic vibes at this cute meets cool eatery. Perched on Lygon Street, Pickles evokes all of the things you grew up loving about your local milk bar—flaky pies, moreish dim sum, lolly bags, milkshakes that feel like a full meal, and loaded sangas that require two hands to eat. Best of all, the entire menu offering is 100% vegan so you can chow down sustainably—and trust us you won’t miss the meat. Case in point: the Damn Caesar sandwich—fried enoki mushies, house smoked tofu bacon and lashings of dill chimichurri on a Blanc Bakery roll. No notes!
Angela’s Bakery And Cafe, Huntingdale
Sweet tooths will want to make tracks to this Huntingdale haunt for their decadent cakes and cookies in a kaleidoscope of colours and quirky flavours. Think: match macadamia and pandan almond chunky cookies - as well as classics like red velvet and oreo. When it comes to the cake, the triple layer works of art can be bought by the slice or treat yourself to the whole thing. Innovative flavour bombs include Early Grey yuzu, matcha strawberry, ube and lotus biscoff. Everything is made fresh daily in-house, from self-made baker and owner Angela, who ditched her full-time job to invest in her passion—crafting treats and creating a welcoming space for the whole community to enjoy.
When we’re all crunching the numbers, choosing the right spot for your daily coffee is a decision you want to nail. Choosing the right energy provider? Even more essential. Sign up to Momentum Energy and you won’t just get great value, you’ll know you're investing in a company that's 100% owned by Australia’s largest generator of renewable energy. Momentum Energy offers customers GreenPower—a government accredited program that matches your electricity usage with accredited renewable electricity and is added to the grid on your behalf. Adding GreenPower to your electricity plan works by adding a little extra to your power bill that helps support Australian accredited renewable projects.
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