Plenty Cafe Pennant Hills

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Posted 2020-10-12 by Andrea Penze ⇒ follow

Plenty. Cafe Pennant Hills

The landscape of Pennant Hills is evolving. No longer does one have to travel to the inner-city suburbs of Surry Hills and Newtown to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee in an effortlessly chic space. The cafes are popping up here, in our midst. Welcome, Plenty. Open 7 days a week, from 6:30am-4pm, kitchen until 3pm. Plenty is the newest addition to the cafe scene in Pennant Hills -- from the trio of Harvest Cafe in Beecroft. If you know, you know. They know coffee, they know food, they know style.

For those that don't know, Harvest Cafe Beecroft was founded by Jake Burn and Rowan Van Heeswijk. Transforming an old florist into a stylish and functional cafe, Jake and Rowan created the best coffee shop in Beecroft. About one year into their venture, Graham Beattie joined as a partner. COVID-19 came, and still, the cafe flourished. Such was the reputation that Harvest had harnessed. Customers of Harvest still needed their caffeine fix, me included, and Harvest consistently produced outstanding coffee.

The trio found a space in Pennant Hills that used to be a cafe/takeaway shop and put their creative minds together to transform the space. A lease was signed, and they got to work -sharing their progress on their Instagram account.

The name of their new venture, Plenty, just makes sense. The cafe has Plenty of mouth-watering food and coffee, Plenty of space, Plenty of friendly staff and Plenty of style. Plenty operate on a staff first approach. They take care of their staff, who in turn take care of their customers. This philosophy radiates through their workers and creates such a wonderfully welcoming space.

What was once a dimly light cafe was gutted and given a total facelift. The cafe is now bright, airy and inviting. Space has been maximised. Coming through the front entrance from Yararra Road, entry is wheelchair and pram accessible via the ramp. There are tables and chairs on the front deck. Once inside, you are welcomed by a space that is both welcoming and minimalistic in style. The ceilings are high, and windows wrap around this corner block positioned cafe, allowing light to pour in. Running along your right-hand side as you enter is where the magic happens. The coffee machine lies here, and just beyond it, the kitchen. There is a display window, showcasing the day's freshly baked treats - including dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan options.

Wooden shelves run along the wall to your left holding delicious beans and merchandise. Plenty offer their own seasonal blend called Phew Coffee. The beans are used for their in-house speciality coffee, 7 days a week, and is full-bodied and smooth. Better yet, customers can also grab a bag to take home for themselves to carry you through between cafe visits. They also sell black chord caps and blue tees with the Phew logo. With the year we have had, I can see Phew branded clothing taking off. (Phew. We made it.) I'm calling it now. They also sell beans by Small Batch Roast, Made of Many Coffee and Legend Coffee & Culture.

One reason I knew Plenty would be successful, is the reputation preceding them from their previous establishment, Harvest. Harvest prides themselves in their coffee culture, and Plenty follows suit. They offer the usual caffeine fixes and a few special extras, including a nitro cold brew. Nitro cold brew is cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen. This creates a smooth, sweet black coffee that looks like a glass of Guinness. For those interested in the science behind it, read here . Plenty also offers a vegan hot chocolate, alongside traditional Belgian hot chocolates. There is loose leaf tea and chai lattes, and basically, every hot drink has a cold alternative; iced latte, iced chai, Belgian iced chocolate and Nitro earl grey peach iced tea to name a few. Plenty is licensed, which means they offer a few beverages on tap including Willie Smith's Organic Apple Cider, Capital XPA and Capital Coast Ale. They also sell M&J Becker chardonnay and rose for those who want to lift their brunch game.

The space opens up beyond the entrance into a seating area. Tables and chairs are scattered to accommodate couples to small-medium sized groups (COVID-19 restrictions allowing). A bar runs along the window on the left, lined with stools. Plenty has also made a space for those who want to immerse themselves into the magic, with the workbench that houses their coffee machine and on-tap beverages extended to seat a small group around it on stools. From here, you really feel part of the action. Out the back, there is a large deck for semi alfresco dining. Bench seating runs partly around the perimeter of the deck, and there are tables and chairs scattered around to dine at. The deck is gloriously sun-filled on blue sky days and provides a great vantage point down leafy green Hillcrest Road. Plenty has considered every detail in the creation of their cafe.

Plenty provides an All Day Menu that has something for everyone, without being overwhelming in options. Plenty cater to dietary restrictions with Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan options available. Ask the friendly wait staff if what you want can be adapted for your diet, even if it doesn't state it. The food at Plenty will tantalise your tastebuds. Running the kitchen is head chef Natalie Reid. Natalie has worked at The Boathouse Shelly Beach, Bill's Bondi and The Sheraton in Port Douglas. Her experience shines through the menu which creatively combines ingredients in fabulous ways, such as the Spiced Cauli Salad, a combination of Hawaij roasted cauliflower, turmeric dressing, caramelised red onion, quinoa, red kraut, spinach, rocket and fried chickpeas.

As someone who suffers dairy allergies - developed late in life - a good burger is something I no longer have the pleasure of indulging in but constantly crave. The Beef Burger at Plenty has both dairy-free and gluten-free options. It satisfies my cravings so well, I forget that it is dairy-free. It comes with a side of crispy smashed potatoes which tastes as though hot chips and wedges combined to make the perfect crispy creation. You can even get these as a side with aioli. I have dined at Plenty several times in the short amount of time they have been open. The food and drinks at Plenty always delivers, and are reasonably priced with generous serving sizes. I have even brought along a couple of friends without dietary restrictions who tell me the regular beef burger is also delicious, and the B&E roll stacked with avocado and a hash brown is the only way a B&E should be served. The Brekky Plate is also dairy-free. With sauteed green vegetables, sunflower seed hummus, house pickles, half avocado, soft boiled egg, pistachio dukkah and served on Emmer sourdough with a slice of lemon, it is filling, nutritious, delicious and aesthetically pleasing.

In fact, everything about Plenty is aesthetically pleasing; the decor, the food, the coffee, the happy and friendly staff. There is so much to love about Plenty. The fact that it is transforming Pennant Hills by raising the standards, and is just around the corner from my house, makes it that much more lovable. If you live in the area, check it out. It should be your new favourite. For the non-locals, this is one worth travelling across town for. Located a short two minute stroll from Pennant Hills train station. Plenty of parking nearby on the street and in car parks. There are also toilets on site.