DOUBLE DELIGHT
Permission to eat ice cream! In a new age of nourishment, this cafe’s high-fat, low-allergen meals are in such strong demand it’s had to open a second store, writes Amber Macpherson
WHERE can you find bone broth, ice cream sandwiches and smoothie bowls all on the same menu? At Brio Emporium.
While this combination of food may sound bizarre, it’s typical of the Broadbeach cafe’s highfat, low-carb and low-allergen options. Owner Atlanta Fowler says the demand for ketogenic and anti-inflammatory food is so great, she’s just opened a second eatery in Burleigh Heads.
“Due to the prevalence of gut health issues, allergies, and people taking on low-carb diets for health reasons, we have people travelling from all over (to visit Brio Emporium),” Atlanta says.
“We have regular customers coming from Brisbane, Tweed Heads, Lennox Head.”
While bone broth has long been touted for its benefits in the paleo world, Atlanta says her range of Meadow and Marrow Bone Broths made from grass fed, free-range meat can help aid digestion and improve gut health.
The raw bowls and smoothie bowls are made on dairy-free milk substitutes, topped with fresh fruit, chocolate or granola
As for the ice cream sandwiches, they’re part of a range exclusive to Brio made from a high-fat, butter-based cream called Fatboys.
“It’s high-fat, low-carb ice cream we make in store,” Atlanta says. “It’s a 200g serve of ice cream in between two of our low-carb cookies. It’s made with a truck load of free-range eggs and it’s sweetened with xylitol.”
Other options on the menu are protein bowls and breakfast bowls, served with premium protein cuts, eggs, rice and salad — all low carb, of course. There are also keto treats of milkshakes, sundaes and bars made from Fatboys cream.
The continued caffeine craze for bulletproof coffees and spice-brewed lattes is covered too.
Atlanta’s eclectic menu was devised after her quest to find something similar came up stumps.
“We originally opened Brio due to my ill health concerns several years ago,” Atlanta says.
“We needed a place where we could find everything under one roof.
“Around five or six years ago, I suddenly became unwell. I had a corporate career in Brisbane. I was having allergies, panic attacks.
“I was starting to get depressed. We were driving all over the place to get things we needed for our everyday health, so we opened Brio.
“The cafe’s food is predominantly low carb and it’s highly anti-inflammatory.
“We have things like bone broth, slow-cooked meat, everything’s grass fed and free range. We’re entirely gluten free.”
Atlanta says she and her husband were able to design the Burleigh cafe from the ground up, a completely different fit out to Broadbeach.
“Unfortunately when we opened our Broadbeach store we didn’t get to build that from scratch,” Atlanta says.
“It has a giant pole in the middle that we had to work with. This one we got to build from scratch. We’ve got a nice alfresco area, our customers get to eat in the sun. It’s a much bigger store, much fresher, all the same staff.”
An express Brio, only serving food and drinks, is set to open in Oasis at Broadbeach in the coming weeks, and a fourth cafe and store is planned for later in the year. Atlanta says there’s a hunger for her brand of new-age nourishment that’s made with heart and soul.
“We are extremely authentic in what we offer,” Atlanta says. “From the products we stock to the ingredients and what we serve, we don’t make any compromises. Hopefully people walk away feeling we are true to our word.”
Brio Emporium, Treetops Plaza, 7 Classic Way, Burleigh Waters