The first coronavirus lockdowns, in March 2020, were tough for plenty of businesses, but particularly catering operators.
“I remember we had an open day at the Royal Botanic Gardens and our phones were all going off with cancellations,” says Blakes Feast co-owner Neredah Blake. “Overnight, all of our events for the next month, which was supposed to be the busiest month we’d ever had, were cancelled.”
Neredah’s dad, chef Andrew Blake, has been running catering service Blakes Feast since 1992. But, still reeling from Covid upheavals, will call quits on the business at the end of the year.
“It was a hugely emotional decision, because so much blood, sweat and tears has gone into Blakes Feast over the years,” says Neredah. “We are very proud of the fact that this has been our choice and that we get to exit on a high and it hasn’t been forced upon us.”
As Blakes Feast comes to a close, Neredah and the Blake family have fully committed to what was once their lockdown side hustle – a set of retail stores called Blakeaway. With so many catering gigs called off in 2020, the Blakes started selling readymade meals out of their Glen Iris headquarters, supporting staff and locals through the lockdowns. It was an immediate success. “Over that weekend we had about 1500 enquiries [about] our take-home meals and the next week I was there cryovacing lasagnes and packaging curries,” says Neredah.
In December 2020, Blakeaway opened its first physical store in Portsea, fast becoming a favourite with holidaymakers. “No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen when you’re on holiday. It really offered a new way of eating down on the peninsula and it was received with open arms.”
Stores in Brighton, Armadale and South Yarra have followed, selling dishes like Syrian chicken and truffled pecorino chicken sandwiches, along with rotating specials such as slow-cooked lamb with tahini yoghurt, and roasted Bannockburn chickens with chermoula. Bricks-and-mortar stores have also meant the chance to turn Blakeaway into a complete lifestyle brand, peddling homewares from small Australian producers such as Maison Balzac and Cultiver Linen.
Blakeaway will still offer catering, too, but in a new style that reflects the changing ways of entertaining in the community. “Post-Covid, we want to spend more time with each other, and we want to have conversations and really cherish our time together,” says Neredah. Blakeaway’s take on catering offers heat-and-serve packs, with options like crayfish mini-buns, Ora king salmon blinis and rice paper rolls. “It’s a nod to the old Blakes Feast but without the complexities that come along with the staffing element of it,” says Neredah.
With the shift to physical stores, the Blake family has taken the opportunity to become part of its new local communities, donating meals to youth charity Jimmy’s Foundation on the Mornington Peninsula. The plan is for Blakeaway to continue prioritising philanthropy, as well as expanding its delivery reach by leveraging Xero’s digital tools alongside its new e-commerce platform. The Blakes aren’t alone in this – a recent survey by Xero found that over a third of small businesses donate to local community groups or schools, while over a quarter choose to volunteer.
For Neredah and the Blakes, the importance of small business, and becoming part of the community, can’t be overstated. “We have a small group of really invested staff,” she says. “Some of them have been here since we opened the doors in Portsea, and there are some young kids getting trained up – and we look after them. My dad still makes all of the condiments. I work in the shop alongside my sister. All of us are so invested in the product, the customer service, the whole experience. I just don’t think you get that at the big chains.”
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Xero.
