Organisers of Sydney's pop-up avocado cafe say its success has exceeded expectations, attracting thousands of visitors in just a few weeks.
With Australia's growing love for avocados known across the industry, the Good Fat Cafe was about capitalising on that demand, while at the same promoting the versatility and value of avocados. It was launched this month, and will only remain open until the end of November.
"The pop-up is all about embracing Australia’s love of avocados and encouraging Aussies to eat even more of the delicious fruit, by inspiring them with dishes they can recreate at home," a cafe spokesperson said. "Sydney’s avo–fans have turned out in force. It’s been amazing and far beyond what we expected. Australians love avocados and love a pop-up food experience, so (we thought) why not combine both."
Good Fat Cafe has been funded by Australia’s avocado growers and is also out to dismiss suggestions that the fruit is a high-value or luxury item, with nothing on the menu is over $20.
"The menu showcases avocados in dishes from breakfast, lunch and dinner meals to drinks and delicious sweets," the spokesperson said. "The avoconetto, an avocado ice cream dessert has been a crowd favourite, as has the avoshetta, which is a pistachio dukkah encrusted avocado take on bruschetta and the Good Fat burger with zesty avocado salsa and chermoula chicken have been the most popular dishes. And you can make all our dishes at home with recipes available on our website."
Australians eat on average 3.1 kilograms of avocado each year and have at least three different ways of using it in meals. But it is not just at the consumer end where the industry is thriving, with this season's crop forecasts originally expecting record volumes, until that figure was revised down due to some bad weather in growing areas. But that has not stopped the level of demand.
"We live in a country that produces amazing quality Avocados that taste delicious and are good for you," the Good Fat Cafe spokesperson said. "There’s also been a real shift to healthier eating - like eating more fresh produce that makes you look and feel good too. People also have a much better understanding of the importance of good fats which avocados are rich in."
Photo: The Avoconetto, a popular dessert item on the menu
The Good Fat Cafe has gone through more than 120kg of avocados each week to keep up with demand, with the cafe so popular it even sold out of food on its first weekend.
"Our menu uses avocado in surprising ways for instance, in green breakfast smoothies or in chocolate brownies," the spokesperson said. "Smashed avo is always a favourite and people are loving the chance to try something different, such as the avo-conetto ice cream which has been very popular and has been our Instagram star."
For more information, or recipes, visit: www.goodfatsydney.com