Seasonal Dinners, Guest Chef Pop-Ups and So Much More: Aplenty Calls Redfern Home

When you think of catering companies, reheated pies, egg salad sandwiches and daggy pastries may spring to mind. This is not the case with Michaela Johansson’s Aplenty though, which has just opened its first bricks-and-mortar store in Redfern. “I have always worked in hospitality and had a passion for cooking and feeding people and bringing people together over food,” says Johansson.

Johansson’s passion for feasting comes through at the new space. Expect seasonally and sustainably driven offerings that are bursting with colour, Mediterranean flavours, and comfort. Dishes rotate, but you can expect things like stuffed mussels, fried olives filled with lamb, a chickpea twist on polenta chips, and poached rhubarb mille-feuille for dessert. These are generous and uncomplicated servings – exactly the kind of food you want to share with your nearest and dearest.

From humble beginnings in Johansson’s mum’s kitchen, Aplenty has moved on from the early days of picnic hampers and homemade pasta packs. Out of its new venue, expect a lot more from the growing company, such as intimate dinners and events, in a space that’s a cross between a restaurant function room and a small apartment dining room. Aplenty’s team consists of head chef Ava Stangerlin and events manager Charis Lynn and combines the expertise of local suppliers like Muck Floral, Amelia Park Butchery and Giorgio De Maria Fun Wines, all businesses that carry a similar ethos to Aplenty, seeking to minimise waste.

Located on Cleveland Street in Redfern, the space may feel familiar to you – it was once the site of Vietnamese restaurant, Nourishing Quarter. Johansson was drawn here because of its location and feel. “[It’s also] quite iconic, like every time people come here they’re like, “Oh my god, I’ve come here before,” she says.

The renovation journey began a little over a year ago, with the site operating as a trade kitchen for Aplenty in the meantime. Johansson embarked on a crash course in renovating and sugar soaping and enlisted friends and family members to knock out some walls, paint, plumb and assemble some fresh fixtures – and four months later, the space was ready for business. A constantly rotating set of smells are the backdrop to the fit-out, that is patiently awaiting evenings of warm chatter, good food and thoughtfully styled tablescapes. Suitable for 25 to 80 people, it’s a cosy dining-come-cocktail space nestled between a private courtyard out back and an unassuming street entrance.

Beyond its use as a private dining space, Johansson has plans for a range of events, from interactive dinner experiences and wedding tastings to guest chef pop-ups, brand launches and special occasions. A series of intimate seasonal dinners are first up. These offer guests a taste of the team’s favourite dishes and the food they find joy in cooking, with the initial centrepiece a theatrical salt-backed fish. There will be a winter solstice evening, or you can sign up for a wedding menu tasting evening to trial Aplenty’s signature dishes. “It’s a really beautiful way to meet couples and for them to experience what their day will be like,” says Johansson.

Johansson ensures ingredients are selected from thoughtful suppliers, and decor items are often natural or recycled objects such as used scallop shells, which she reuses for tiny serving vessels. Aplenty may by definition stand for “abundance”, but this is not the approach Johansson and her team apply to their event offerings. “You can be abundant but without being wasteful and that’s a big thing that I try to drive home at all of our events,” she says.

See more information to plan your next event with Aplenty or see the upcoming schedule.