The Dispensary Cafe and Gift Store

Post

Subscribe

Don't be discouraged by the road works on the way to 270 Highett Road as you will not be disappointed. Parking is easy to find although the 1 hour restriction could be a problem once you get swept up in all that The Dispensary has to offer.

Stepping through the corner door, you will be hit with an incredible aroma of coffee, chocolate, tea, herbs and flowers all colliding at once that will get you salivating.



Visually there was so much to take in and I wasn't sure where to start so I made my way to the left, there were handmade cards, stamps, children's games and toys, children's and adult books scattered all around the shop, journals, diaries, art and craft supplies, makeup, jewellery, soaps, oils, balms and clothing.

There was a common theme to all the gifts in the store and that is each has been carefully selected to ensure it was morally coming from a good place. A fair portion of the gifts are made by owners Robyn and Aaron and mostly the remainder of gifts are scouted locally with the exception of a couple of items coming from credible manufacturers abroad.

Dispersed around the shop there are subtly and not so subtly interesting messages to make you smile and make you think.



Moving on to drinks and treats, if I had more time I could easily have tried one of everything but alas I had to decide on what to tantalise my tastebuds with.

The Dispensary prides itself on sourcing only fair-trade coffee, tea and chocolate and its signature drink is the Red Chai Latte which boasts more of a burst of zing than a stock standard Chai Latte. It is very tasty but also very easy to drink for those traditionalists previously only exposed to regular tea and coffee.

The Mocha on offer was rich with full flavoured nutty driven coffee and chocolate that had a nice balance of tart creaminess finishing with the sweetness of fruit flavours such as apricot and sultanas. The added drawcard to the Mocha is that the chocolate used is sourced locally in Far North Queensland in the Daintree Forrest as a result of a former Cadbury employee wanting to create a locally grown crop of Cocoa so the labour and quality could be better controlled.


The Chico is a caffeine free blend of chicory and dandelion to create a balanced flavour of nutty and floral, sweet and sour. This liver tonic is the answer for all us hardcore coffee drinkers to balance out our intake of coffee with this out of the ordinary drink.

Left with many other options on the menu, this would require a very prompt return trip.

Moving to the sumptuous treats on offer which according to the owners are varying and expanding more and more, the first option were vegan slices made by a local business, the second option were flavoured brownies and a chocolate and beetroot muffin, the third option were a variety of Phillippas treats and the final option was a number of cookies and biscuits.

Tasting the beetroot and chocolate muffin to which seemed all too wrong but the taste sensation was all too right, the beetroot being sweet in its own savoury way is perfectly complimented by the sweet yet tangy chocolate flavour.

Next biting down into the Goji berry slice my mouth was filled with seeds of joy. The chocolate, the seeds, the berries tasted delectable and not disimilar to a headgehog slice but with more attitude.



The dispensary claim they absorb the cost of sourcing their coffee, tea and chocolate ethically rather than passing on the cost to their customers and by looking at the prices I tend to agree which makes it even easier to become a regular customer here.

There are a number of titillating treats to take away, such as apple and strawberry juice, vinegar, red wine jus, chocolate, chocolate treats, lollies, cookies and there is also a gift wrapping service and they can even assist with bonbonnieres for your wedding.

The fabulous thing about this place is that there will always be different gifts, food and drinks on offer because owners Robyn and Aaron are always changing to wherever their heart may lead them. So do yourself a favour and follow your heart to The Dispensary Cafe.

#tea
#south_east
#highett
#fair_trade
#coffee
#chocolate
#cafes
%wnmelbourne