Homestay cooking classes with a nonna in Italy’s Puglia have heavily influenced the ethos of Michaela Johansson’s Aplenty. The Sydneysider spent some time learning the nonna’s homely, rough-style cooking, and uses that experience to inform her catering business, Aplenty, and her food boxes made under the name Aplenty Spreads.

Aplenty Spreads are beautifully presented, ready-to-serve boxes you just open and pop on the table for a dinner party or a get-together – or on a picnic rug.

“I like creating food with interesting flavour combinations and different textures,” she tells Broadsheet. “The boxes are filling but not heavy, handmade, a bit rough, uncomplicated and fun. Lots of crunchy salads, freshly made breads, interesting dips, all made with good seasonal veg so the menu is always changing.”

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One of the highlights in the packs is her super-creamy taramasalata. “The trick [to making it] is using fresh mullet roe and not curing or smoking it for too long, otherwise it can become too dry and gritty. Then whipping [it] together with a good quality grapeseed oil,” she says.

Johansson makes everything in the packs except the cheese and cured meats. All meat and seafood is free-range and ethically sourced.

Johansson says she’s always loved cooking and putting on big lunch spreads for her friends and family. She worked in the office at Cornersmith and was general manager at London’s Violet Cakes (the bakery by Claire Ptak, who made the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding cake).

She launched Aplenty while in London but came home because of Covid. “I made a snap decision to return to Sydney and relaunch Aplenty. Since launching in February, I’ve been continuing my picnic-style spreads and also catering to lots of shoots, events and work lunches, with weddings and collaborations booked in [too].”

And on the horizon is a supper club. “Really fun, intimate little dinners with a family-meal-style vibe, super casual and communal with big bowls of saucy pasta, some nice wines. I want it to feel like you’re having dinner at a friend’s house – fun, loud, messy.”

Spreads are available for collection or delivery on Saturdays. Collection is in Leichhardt and delivery is available Sydney-wide. Book by 5pm Thursday for collection from 10am to 12pm, or for delivery from 9.30am to 12.30pm. A small spread is $80 (a meal for two or snacks for four); a large is $150 (a meal for four or snacks for eight).

aplenty.com.au