Evolve Fair Food Store

Evolve Fair Food Store is set on an acre at the base of Sherbrooke Forest. With coloured bunting adorning the wrap-around verandah and the aroma of Proud Mary coffee, passersby are drawn inside. Work by local artists hangs on every wall and a dedicated children’s playroom makes a coffee legitimately relaxing.

Owner Chantelle Kostogski bought the business from founder Denise Sangster-Greenwood in 2016. Not much has changed at the former blacksmith’s studio – Evolve continues to use suppliers that match its ethically driven, locally produced philosophies, and grow its own herbs and vegies on site.

Happy Valley Pork (2014 Livestock Producer of the Year), Bonnie View eggs, Lievito organic bread all make the generous plate of bacon and eggs delicious and guilt-free. The lentil, millet and walnut falafel with rainbow slaw is a fantastic start to a misty hills morning. Dishes such as goulash nod to Kostogski’s Macedonian heritage. The recipe comes from her dad – one of eight family members who help run the cafe.