It was quite by accident that we discovered Riversmith during a recent break away in Margaret River – and boy, am I glad we did.
The cafe was only three days old when the girls and I wandered in, tempted off the main street by the little store located at the back of the cafe, which was just visible from the street – but also by the amazing interior and stunning vases of King Proteas! As we were on our way to dinner, we decided to go back for brekkie the next day ahead of our wine tour.
The atmosphere, decor and ethos (not to mention the food and drink) of Riversmith cafe is just inspirational. In-fact, the family run business located in the heart of Margaret River is not just a cafe – it is also a produce and lifestyle store, showcasing “the abundant resources of the Margaret River region and beyond”, where people can enjoy good food and celebrate local farming.
The Riversmith concept was developed by the Macdonald family, who have always been very passionate about local, sustainable farming. Local artisan produce, seasonal ingredients, beverages and hand crafted wares such as gardening gear and homeware adorns the Riversmith shelves, and the family also hope to run seasonal workshops within the space, where local artists and the community can gather.
It’s easy to see why I felt Riversmith justified a blog post of its own – and you haven’t even seen all the pictures yet!
You’ve only got to take a peek at the Riversmith Instagram feed to see how community-orientated this family business really is. With posts from as long as 85 weeks ago (and counting), Riversmith vowed to support local and Western Australian produce, and illustrated their vision with photographs of local Kalamata olives which would be pressed to make their stocked olive products, snaps of the coastline to represent the fish and crayfish that would be sourced from local South West fisherman and (I’m not sure I liked this one), pictures of cute, fluffy lambs enjoying the saltbush at Gracehill Farm before they… well, you get the picture.
Oh, and have I mentioned the iconic location? You will find Riversmith located at the old renovated garage on the main street of Margaret River (you might know it as the Bussell Hwy BP station). Whilst the original garage was retained, an extension was added to bring the store closer to the footpath – along with an outdoor communal deck, where me and the girls actually sat to enjoy our delicious breakfasts on the very first Saturday of trading!
If, like me, you’ve never known any different to the current building, I urge you to check out the Riversmith Facebook and Instagram feeds, both of which brilliantly document the changing history of the location prior to it transforming into the present Riversmith. The owners even managed to get their hands on a super retro shot of the original garage in it’s hay-day, which was then owned by a Mr Bob Wise back in the 1950’s.
As for the food? It was absolutely delicious! And it arrived super quickly. Their breakfast menu ranged from a light granola, yoghurt and poached rhubarb bowl to a more substantial Farmhouse leg ham and fried free range egg roll… but all four of us girls opted for the smashed burnside organic avocado, koonac farm feta and herbs on woodfired bread, with beetroot and blood orange relish. Deeeeeeeeeelicious!
Oh, and the cold pressed Riversmith juices were just amazing, – and the coffee brewed to perfection.
We just loved everything about the place! I think I’ve captured the feel here… Enjoy!
So, if you’re passing through Margaret River anytime soon, make sure you stop by at Riversmith – you’ll be so glad you did.
STYLED & PHOTOGRAPHED BY: KATIE REBEKAH, JO TAPODI
2 Comments
OMG – that’s insane – I had no idea they knocked down the old garage on main street – my poppy used to work there. Great pics – love your blog!
No way, that’s awesome! You’ll have to show him all these photos – or even take him there as a surprise! Thanks for commenting π