Catalyst for conscious consumption
A wholesome eatery dishing up local, organic and sustainable produce.
Most cafés or restaurants have a signature dish but Dunedin’s Catalyst is a little bit different. Since opening on Princes Street in November 2019 it’s been a buzzing hub for office workers where the menu has been the star.
“I feel our menu is our signature,” says Catalyst owner Tom Addis. “It’s honest nutritious food that tastes good and is free from dairy, preservatives and artificial ingredients. It’s predominantly plant-based with all the meals being gluten-free or having that option. We make nearly everything in-house, giving us control over our ingredients, how those ingredients are packaged and where they come from.”
A modern eatery in a historical building, Catalyst offers mezzanine dining and an outdoor eating area. Its red-brick walls, honey-coloured timber floors and house plants create an inviting atmosphere for business meetings, or as a destination for a guilt-free, nutritious yet deliciously filling brunch or lunch.
The counter cabinet is stocked with healthy options for takeout, and you can have Otis oat milk with your porridge if desired.
Food options include the Buddha Bowl, filled with falafel, edamame, quinoa, mushrooms, seasonal leafy greens, pickled veg, avocado, kimchi, beetroot hummus and miso tahini dressing; and The Hemp Project – a hemp-based flatbread with romesco and oil, oyster mushrooms, confit garlic and seasonal leafy greens.
Local craft OCHO dark chocolate is a happy addition to the buckwheat waffles, which are drizzled with organic maple syrup and served with spiced maple walnuts, seasonal and freeze-dried fruit and coconut whip.
Drink options include kombucha, Kokako organic Fairtrade coffee and Nutra Organics Ayurvedic superfood lattes.
Catalyst is Addis’ first restaurant venture. Prior to opening Catalyst he worked in the construction industry for eight years and over that time became passionate about health, wellbeing and the environment. He also took a year off to study Sport and Exercise Prescription at the Otago Sports Institute.
“I believe we should be eating food that is not only good for us but good for the planet; meaning whole, nutrient-dense and unprocessed foods that can be sustainably grown without the need for pesticides and synthetic fertilisers,” says Addis. “We should know where this food comes from, how it’s been farmed, what it’s been eating and what impact it has on the environment.”
The café’s purpose is to showcase wholesome and sustainable foods with the hope it becomes a catalyst for people to be more conscious of how they consume and how that consuming impacts the people and environment around them.
Those who like dairy milk with their coffee or porridge are catered for, too.
Catalyst work with Spout Alternatives (@spoutmilk) who supply 10-litre kegs to farmers at Balclutha’s Windy Ridge Farm. The kegs are then filled with non-homogenised whole milk and delivered direct to Catalyst three times a week.
The kegs are then connected to Catalyst’s tap system (like beer) and poured into a jug when needed, the empty kegs are collected on delivery day, sterilised by the farmers and refilled meaning Catalyst eliminates the need for any recycling or waste.
Catalyst also works closely with Doubt Not (@doubt_not_compost). Doubt Not is a conscious composting collective offering a solution for hospitality green wastage in Dunedin. They collect all of Catalyst’s food scraps, coffee grinds, napkins and compostable packaging three times a week turning it into rich bioactive compost.