Photos from Be Free by Jessica Wyld.
In mid 2024 we welcomed Be Free onto the Farm to bring our cafe space back to life. Prior to this, Be Free had been running their organic cafe in Subiaco where they were well loved by locals for their nutritious food and commitment to community. Be Free have now moved completely to Perth City Farm and are open Monday to Saturday serving delicious seasonal dishes made from organic and locally sourced ingredients.
Over the past few months, the Be Free team have been busy renovating the cafe space, giving it some tender loving.
We have enjoyed watching the transformation and couldn’t be more excited about having such a warm and inviting space at the Farm.
The co-founders of Be Free, Caillan and Alessia, are the dream team when it comes to this renovation project. Alessia is a registered architect by trade and designed the space herself, focusing on adaptive reuse, preservation and sustainable design to create a space that is both functional and kind to the earth. Caillan has carried out most of the renovations himself, carefully installing elements that have given new life to the space while honouring its history.
The beautiful space that is emerging will allow for more connection, reflection and pause. It’s a meeting place where creative ideas can be exchanged; a place to notice your surroundings and be nourished by wholesome food; a place where relationships matter.
And it’s also a place where we all, cafe and Farm, try to practice the principles of circular economy, keeping materials in circulation rather than being discarded as waste. A great example of this is how the cafe uses some of the produce grown on the Farm to create seasonal dishes, and we take any food scraps and coffee grounds produced by the cafe to be turned into compost that feeds our soil and enables us to grow more produce. Be Free have also put the values of reuse, reduce and recycle to good use in their renovations.
Photos from Be Free by Jessica Wyld.
Here are some of the earth-conscious elements of the renovation that we’re excited about:
1. Recycled jarrah timber paneling, which covers the walls and ceilings and is simply stunning. Hidden under the fresh ceiling paneling is some environmentally friendly insulation which is keeping the space cooler even during the heat spells.
2. Recycled cork flooring that feels amazing underfoot and gives a gentle, natural texture to the floors. We love this one, especially because we collect cork to be recycled in our recycling hub. It’s inspiring to see one way that cork can be given a new life.
3. Preloved vintage chairs. The iconic bentwood chairs, originally designed by Michael Thinet, offer a timeless, vintage charm to the space. Why create unnecessary demand for new things when reusing what already exists makes more sense?
Come and check out the renovations for yourself sometime. Soak up the atmosphere on a Saturday morning when the Farmers Market is on, or enjoy a quieter pause midweek.