Culture Cafe & Deli

22/04/2025

Just a quick note to say the biggest, deepest thank you…

The love and support I’ve received since sharing the news about the café has been completely overwhelming — in the most heart-breaking-open, beautiful way. Between Facebook, Instagram, and emails, there are over 200 messages, comments, and notes of kindness… and I’m slowly making my way through them all.

I might not be able to respond to every single one right away, but I will do my best, but I just wanted to say please know that I feel all the love and support, and I’m so grateful. It is a bittersweet transition this, but they really have helped so much.

As a friend reminded me of something once said:
“Don’t be sad that it’s ending — be glad that it happened.”

That’s what I’m trying to hold onto right now. I will do my best to respond in the upcoming days/weeks. Thank you for being part of this beautiful chapter.

So much love,
Ella

16/04/2025

Friends, I don’t know how to even begin to write this post. How do you write a goodbye for something that was never just a business?

This café was my heart on a plate. My soul in a salad. My love letter to plants, the animals, and our community. And now, it’s time to let go. I am sorry to say that Culture Cafe will not be reopening.

I’ve wrestled with this for months. Tried every scenario to keep going. But I’ve been burning out quietly for a long time now. Despite my best intentions, I just can’t carry it all anymore. My body has been in survival mode for far too long now & I don’t want to wait until it’s too late to stop and recalibrate.

Running a small business alone is a quiet kind of storm. It costs so much more than money. You sacrifice rest, your health, clarity, relationships, sanity. This has been by far, my most challenging chapter. People form opinions, judge you, there are financial pressures no one can see or understand if they’ve not been there themselves, the weight of the world on your shoulders every single day & you’re stretched so thin that even breathing feels like a luxury.

But there is beauty, too. The people. You.

You who brought your babies (some that didn’t exist when we opened!🥰) , sent postcards, sat at the window every Saturday, you who told us this was your safe space, where you could just be yourself and feel welcome, those who said our food changed your life. You who came back week after week, who brought friends & family, who let us feed you through breakups, birthdays, pregnancies & grief. You who made us part of your lives. To the customers who became friends—you all made it worth it. You held us (me) up. And you’ll never know just how much that meant to me.

To the beautiful team who came & went—you each brought something to the space that made it what it was. Thank you. I’m sorry for letting you down when I have.

This winter just hit us too hard. With rising costs and a harsh economic climate, we simply couldn’t come back from it. So, this is where our wee chapter ends.

Thank you just doesn’t feel like enough.
Please know that I’ll carry you all with me, always.

To the local business community around us—you welcomed us with open arms and showed us what it felt like to belong. That sense of support and camaraderie was something we hadn’t experienced before, and it meant more than you know.

A few last notes, there’s a fully equipped, ready-to-go café. If you’ve been dreaming of your own thing, please reach out.

And lastly, if I can ask one thing, please please support local cafés & businesses. Looks can be so deceiving, most businesses are not thriving and many are struggling on levels you just can’t see- so please remember they can only exist if you support them.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey.
With so much love & gratitude,
Ella 🙏❤️

26/03/2025

Happy Wednesday folks,

Just a quick note to let you know that we’ll be taking a short break and will be closed for annual leave until the 7th of April.

Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding — this little pause is much needed, and we appreciate your patience while we rest and reset before the busy season hits!

We’ll keep you updated here and look forward to seeing you soon.

With much love & gratitude.

20/03/2025

New addition in the grab & go fridge tomorrow folks!😍

15/03/2025

Happy Saturday, friends!🌞🥑

Brunch & lunch are ON this weekend, as usual, so come grab your favorites!

Big shoutout to everyone who stopped by this week to check out our new deli-style take away concept—we loved seeing your faces and hearing all the positive feedback about the take away deli items! Thank you so much! 🥰🙏

But it’s the weekend now (yay!) so same delicious menu, just a fresh new flow in the cafe! So whether you’re coming in for our avo stack, the banana bread breaky or just an iced vanilla matcha and a good book, come in, sit-down, take a load off and enjoy the vibes. We can’t wait to see you!
10am-3:30pm as always. 🍽️✨✨✨

14/03/2025

What’s on today! ⬇️

13/03/2025

Introducing our new homemade Culture gluten-free, nut-free seed crackers! Packed with protein, fiber, omega-3s and other amazing nutrients, these little powerhouses are as nutritious as they are delicious! Perfect for dipping, snacking, stacking, and cheeseboarding like a pro.

They flew off the shelves today faster than I could say grab & go (which, let’s be honest, I’ve said more times in the last 24 hours than in my entire life). You’ll find them stocked and ready to go- guess where? They’re perfect wee accompaniments to our cheese, chickpea tuna salad or our sun-dried tomato pepperoni pate! Make sure to grab a bag next time you’re in and let s now what you think! 😍

13/03/2025

Big Changes, Fresh Beginnings!

We’re evolving, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this with you! Starting tomorrow (Thursday), we are shifting to a more deli-style, take-away experience during the week, with a fully stocked Grab & Go fridge featuring all your favorites—carrot lox, cashew cream cheese, cashew Parmesan, granola pots, vibrant salad bowls, and a few new surprise items we can’t wait for you to try!

Think of it as your go-to for quick, delicious take away— whether you need a nourishing lunch, a snack for the road or train, or something wholesome to fuel your workday. You can now grab it, take it, and enjoy it—wherever you are headed! You can also still enjoy our soups, cakes, and coffee in-house any day—and yes, you’re welcome to sit in and enjoy your Grab & Go items too, of course.

And don’t worry, we’re still here for those cozy café vibes on Saturdays! We will serve our normal delicious sit-in, brunch menu with some new items coming there too!

Change is a beautiful thing—it’s how we started, after all. From our Left Coast Kitchen days at the farmers’ markets to this next incarnation, we’ve always embraced what works best. We hope you will too! And for those of you that have messaged us over the years still asking for some of those original items, you’ll be happy to know, they’re back. ☺️

So please spread the word—to your office, your friends, your fellow food lovers and travelers needing some road snacks—because our delicious, healthy, plant-based food is now just a grab away.

We can’t wait to see you! Keep an eye out for daily updates on what’s in the grab & go fridge, and come say hi in the next few days to see the changes and grab some treats!

With love and gratitude,
Ella & the Culture Café & Deli team ✨✨✨

07/03/2025

Late-night SOS…

We’re unexpectedly very short-staffed tomorrow (Friday). One team member just called in sick, and my others are unavailable.

So as it stands… it might just be me holding down the fort, folks! 😬 If anyone is available to help out, please send me a DM. Thank you so much in advance! 🙏

06/03/2025

06/03/2025

As many small business owners are also experiencing, this winter has been a tough one—slow trade, long days & a lot of figuring things out behind the scenes. Many of you have been with us from the beginning, and you’ll remember that we started in large part as a takeaway deli. Over the past 2 years, we’ve evolved, tried new things & adapted to what worked. And now, we’re having to do that again.

In order to keep bringing you the fresh, healthy, wholesome food we all love, we’re making some shifts—going back to our roots (do you guys remember our Left Coast Kitchen days?) we are ramping up our Grab & Go section & streamlining how we operate.

This means you will now find in our Grab & Go fridge:
✨ A daily selection of fresh takeaway salads
✨ A variety of sides—perfect for lunch or as an easy dinner addition
✨ House-made staples like pesto, hummus & granola to stock your fridge
✨ A refined weekend brunch menu (more on this soon!)

We’ve also decided to make some adjustments, to the layout - including reducing seating slightly to make the flow & our system work better. Please remember that EVERY decision we’re making is about ensuring CULTURE stays here, serving up the food you love, in a way that’s sustainable.

As part of these changes, we will also be refining our sit-in options for now & making small price adjustments. We make everything from scratch—our tapenade, hummus, cashew cream cheese & of course, our cheeses. This quality is something we won’t compromise on. We hope you’ll understand & support us through these shifts, knowing that our priority is always to provide the best, most nourishing food possible.

How You Can Help
If you love what we do, please help us spread the word. Tell your friends, your colleagues & anyone working in town—if they’re looking for a quick, nourishing meal to take back to the office, salon, or studio, we’ve got them covered!

It’s been a brutal winter friends & your support is truly needed to keep us going. I can’t thank you enough for being part of this journey, it means the world to me.

Please do come by, check out the new offerings, say hi & grab something delicious.

Much love & gratitude,
Ella & Team

20/02/2025

🚨 It’s back, folks! 🚨

Our Carrot Lox (aka smoked carrot "salmon" for the uninitiated) has officially returned to the menu! 🌿✨ Served with our house-made cashew cream cheese, fresh dill, capers, and your choice of having it on our new protein-packed bagels or sourdough toast.

Speaking of bagels… we trialed them today, and the feedback has been unanimously positive! High in protein, full of flavor, and with a texture that hits just right. We're rolling them out in small batches for now, but if you love them and want more, we’ll happily keep ‘em coming. Working on a gluten-free version too! Watch this space!

But for now, if you like big lox and you cannot lie 🎶 …you know where to find us. 😉 (sorry had to, just came to me 😂🤷🏻‍♀️)