Former MasterChef contestant to breathe new life into old Banyo dairy
Ice cream spiders, crab sandwiches and pancakes as large as your head: Get all of the info on a northside cafe soon to open by two northside women - one a former reality television contestant.
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Two Brisbane women have banded together to breathe new life into Banyo’s old dairy, where they plan to offer a modern culinary take on childhood classics such as ice cream sandwiches and fluffy, golden pancakes.
The Ole’ Dairy, set to open on St Vincents Rd in mid to late November, is the brainchild of 2017 MasterChef contestant Benita Orwell and former international flight attendant Katrina Matthews.
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The pair were inspired to open a local cafe after Mrs Matthews was stood down during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was time to chase another dream,” she said.
“So when (a friend) mentioned the lease was finishing at the old dairy we went and had a look and we got really excited!
“It’s got a lot of classic character, it’s cosy, and we don’t want to change that.”
The history of the building harks back to Banyo’s beginnings as a small farming community north of Brisbane.
The pair plan to embrace the building’s former life as a dairy by offering similarly nostalgic meals not readily found elsewhere, such as old fashioned spiders.
Their signature dish will be a crab sandwich featuring fresh spanner crab sourced locally from Fraser Island, while Mrs Matthews pancakes are set to be a big drawcard for the breakfast crowd.
“They’re giant 20cm, inch high, thick, fluffy and soft,” she said.
“They also happen to be gluten free!
“We’ll serve them with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.”
Mrs Orwell said her experience on the Channel 10 television show proved invaluable as the pair worked their way through the test kitchen.
“We learned a lot to do with prepping and presentation, as well as coming up with new ideas and using our creativity,” she said.
“It was amazing.”
The public, more than a thousand of whom have followed the cafe on social media, eagerly await the cafe’s official opening date, which is expected to be announced over the coming weeks.
The Ole’ Dairy will open for breakfast and lunch from mid to late November and plans to offer both gluten free and vegan options, as well as homemade treats for furry friends.
