Visiting Source Café is a special experience. It’s not just about the great coffee, food and friendly service, but it’s about the stories around this ethical and sustainable business.
And now Source has a full liquor license, you can enjoy evening meals there on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
The café was opened in November and is owned and operated by business partners,
Nik Webb-Shephard, Michelle Pratt and Nicola Prendergast.
The two women also own the neighbouring childcare business, New Shoots. Nik is CEO for the New Zealand’s Child Labor Free (CLF) – an organisation with the vision of creating a world free of child labour.
The CLF Team has also been involved in establishing an early childhood centre in Kolkata for
children whose mothers have opted for freedom from the sex industry.
This project is in partnership with a group called Freeset, who make the Source Café uniforms as their new source of employment.
Inspired by unique innovations and sustainable efforts the three partners saw on an overseas trip with CLF, they decided to launch the café together.
Everything from the food through to the furniture at Source is, ethical, upcycled, recycled,
Fairtrade or organic. “We try to be as sustainable as possible,” Nik says.
Source’s menu (printed on recycled paper) includes a rundown on the origin of their key
products – such as honey from Longhill Farms in Waiomio, bacon from Freedom Farms in
the South Island and artisan breads from Sean Armstrong’s Loaf.
On this menu are some exciting breakfast options such as The Elvis Waffle (crisp waffle, caramelised banana, peanut butter, bacon, maple syrup and vanilla mascarpone) or Source Granola (house baked granola with ginger turmeric, cinnamon, nuts and fruit served with Raglan coconut yoghurt and stewed fruit).
The lunch and dinner menus are also innovative, while the all-day Kids Menu has some real
winners. The cabinet food is prepared on site and has some fascinating takes on old favourites.
The wine list features a selection from Byrnes Wines of Kerikeri, while the beers are sourced
from McLeods Brewery in Waipu and spectacular hard shakes include a delicious chocolate
milkshake spiked with whisky and a vodka blended banana milkshake.
In a lovely setting with a good parking area, Nik describes the décor as “raw, exposed, inviting, warm and honest.” And with upcycled chairs from an old hall, mismatched knives
and forks, and lots of lush green plants, this sums it up.
And there are stories everywhere. On the cutlery containers, a story details how many of the
tables as well as the walls and counters of the café have been made from macrocarpa – the
most eco-friendly timber produced in New Zealand.
There’s also information about L’affare of Wellington who supply Gusto Blend Fairtrade coffee
and Matakana’s Morris & James who made the special light fittings from hand-dug clay.
Yes, Source Café really is an experience. While it is already well embedded in the local community, Nik and the team have great plans for more community engagement activities there.
Source Café
149 Cascades Road,
Pakuranga Heights.
Phone 869 3712.
www.sourcecafe.co.nz
