AYE LOOK OUT! The deadliest café on the South Coast is now open in the heart of Nowra, NSW.
BLAK CEDE GUNYAH
Heart, soul, and tears went into establishing the Blak Cede Gunyah café, which is part of Waminda’s social and cultural enterprise. We are so proud of what we have achieved whilst staying true to our purpose of creating new employment opportunities for Aboriginal women who seek a culturally safe workplace that respects and understands their commitments to family and community whilst offering training and further education pathways.
Walking into the café, you’ll notice many beautiful design elements that have been purposefully selected to create a unique dining experience for our community. For instance, the seven hand-woven light pendants from Yinarr Maramali, kangaroo hide seating upholstery from Art Trim, solid mahogany bench tops, charred timber and furniture by Kimberly Klau, signage by Shoalhaven Signs and Shoalhaven Trophies & Engraving Centre and the incredible fish trap and digging sticks specials board crafted by Michael Robinson (Doolagartefacts).
Dan Edwards, from Papesch Architecture, has been instrumental in bringing our design ideas to life, along with the expertise of Clayton and his team at C.M Donovan Constructions and Jono from JForm. Our deadly Waminda Maintainance Team have also been integral throughout the entire renovation and build process, and we are always grateful for their continuing support of our Blak Cede program.
The Blak Cede team, under the mentorship of Angie Prendergast-Sceats, owner of Angie’s Food in Kangaroo Valley, and Blak Cede lead chef Rod Finlay, designed and engineered a menu that privileges Aboriginal knowledge systems. Tony and Monique from the Kangaroo Valley General Store have also provided essential training and mentorship to our front-of-house Blak Cede staff. We can’t wait to share some delicious nyully using ingredients from our Kareela Ngura community permacultue garden, local suppliers, and other Blak-owned businesses.
You can find an array of retail goodies for sale both in-store and online, including beautiful jewellery made by South Coast Aboriginal woman Rebekah McLeod, who owns Ngabu’z Creations, hand-crafted keep cups by Currumbene Clay, the Blak Cede/Waminda merchandise range, and our famous Deadly Medley Granola, Gudhu Citrus Salt, and Rocky Chocky Medley. We’ll also be showcasing artworks by local Koori artists, which will be available to purchase in-store.
We would also like to acknowledge and show appreciation to Alicia and Callum Birch from Smiling Sun photography for beautifully capturing the essence of Blak Cede in the photos and videos displayed on our website and throughout our social media. And last but certainly not least, thank you to Amit, the owner of the previous cafe at 39A Junction Street, for his constant guidance and support during our establishment.
