Chef Marie Robertson is a familiar face around Adelaide – she’s worked in some of the city’s most popular cafes.
“I get that a lot,” she says, laughing, when I say I recognise her. You might too; she’s worked the kitchens at Pickle in the Middle, The Loose Caboose, Market Shed on Holland and Crack Kitchen.
Now, after 19 years of cooking, she’s launched her own cafe: Two Sparrows in Forestville.
The space will double as a community hub for cheesemaking, sourdough bread baking, and pickling and fermented food workshops.
Probiotic-rich fermented foods are gaining popularity because of links to gut health and “rebalancing [the body’s] microbiome,” says Robertson, who – when not in the kitchen – studies health science and nutrition. She co-owns the cafe alongside Pilates instructor Irene Pearson who brings “a wealth of health and fitness knowledge” to the store’s focus.
Over gins by the pool in Bali, the “two birds” dubbed themselves the “Two Sparrows” and the shop was born.
The pair gutted the Leader Street premises and did a total refit with help from Boscobel Built. The result is a kitsch and cosy space filled with indoor plants and paintings by local artists.
The brunch menu is largely plant based with a selection of fermented condiments and pickled side dishes. You’ll find the standard eggs and smashed avocado, but you’ll also find twice-baked brioche French toast with chocolate mascarpone, strawberries and caramelised pear. And buckwheat pancakes with house-made kimchi, fried egg, sesame and a fragrant Asian salad.
Locally sourced produce includes Fleurieu milk, free-range eggs from pasture-raised hens at Hood’s Earth Eggs, and cheesecakes from The Rolling Pin Bakery and Patisserie. Coffee beans are from Caffiend Coffee Company in Hahndorf.
Two Sparrows
64 Leader Street, Forestville
(08) 7120 2467
Hours:
Mon to Fri 8am–3pm
Sat & Sun 8am–2pm
