A vegan haven
A baker and teacher combine their talents to offer plant-based eating and learning in a Palmy café.
Walk into Wholegrain Organics in Palmerston North and you will find it’s not your average eatery. A haven for vegans and non-vegans alike, the open plan design was specifically chosen to encourage social connections and the café hums with conversation. Customers can see their meals being prepared in the kitchen and café staff can see their food being enjoyed.
Robert and Naomi Hall opened Wholegrain Organics, a vegan café and shop, in 2017 after recognising a growing need for freshly prepared plant-based food in the community.
A baker and a technology teacher respectively, the couple combined their passions. Their vision was to provide an affordable option for people looking to eat for a healthy body and to teach others how to prepare vegan food, using real raw ingredients. They started out selling fresh wholegrain bread at the Feilding Farmers’ Market 14 years ago and back then, Robert says, people looked at the breads a bit funny, because they were so healthy.
“There has been a huge shift over the past 10 years or so. I think that’s because everybody knows someone who is not well, and people are far more aware that what they eat has a huge impact on their health,” says Robert.
Dishes are mindfully put together to meet customers’ nutritional needs and while they buy in some produce to support
the local economy, ingredients such as lettuces, kale, green beans and herbs are grown and harvested at the café’s farm.
“We never thought we would be farmers, but it goes hand in hand with our philosophy.”
The plant to plate approach means they use the freshest seasonal ingredients. The ever-changing daily selection of fresh salads is very popular, as are warming dishes such as chickpea curry and roasted capsicum and tomato soup. There are also sweet treats including slices and cheesecakes.
They don’t sell coffee, instead offering caffeine-free options, such as Teeccino, freshly brewed herbal teas and smoothies.
“We are quite alternative in that sense, but I think people are more open to it than ever before,” says Robert.
Educating youth is a key part of their mission and so the Hands-On Food programme was created. Lead by Naomi, high school students gain experience preparing vegan food in the café’s commercial kitchen – knowledge they can then share with the wider community. As a not-for-profit organisation, every item or meal sold supports the Hands-On Food programme.
After nourishing your body with a spring vegetable pizza or a sunshine smoothie, you can fill a shopping basket with everything you need to create vegan dishes at home, from sprouted grain bread to pasta and organic produce. There is also an online shop and recipes on their website.