Sharon Greenaway

A Caravan in A Cafe!

The Caravan…

Where would you never expect to find a caravan? What’s that I hear you say, inside a cafe? Well think again, ‘cos T’Hooft cafe in Bendigo has a full sized circa 1960’s caravan inside the front door. Coffee and drinks are prepared and served here by the friendly staff.

Ryan Lynch, who co-owns the cafe with wife Kim, purchased the caravan off EBay.
He got the idea after chatting with a customer who had set up a coffee machine in a caravan in a warehouse in Melbourne.
“I just sort of thought what a cool idea,” said Ryan. “I had a few things I needed to sort out…with needing to build a bar, it [the caravan] ticked a lot of boxes…it solved a lot of problems [here] being an old building [for example things such as], where the sewerage points were.
“We didn’t have to close, [we] rolled it in overnight; we traded on the Wednesday without the Reno. done and then Thursday morning we opened with a caravan in the shop.”

For six weeks prior to the caravan being installed at T’Hooft, Ryan had worked on renovating the interior to ensure it would be ready for the shop.
Last November the caravan was winched in on an A frame after the front windows were taken out for the installation. The power and plumbing had already been set up prior to this happening so it was just a matter of positioning the caravan and getting the necessary tradespeople to connect it all. Ryan then stayed all night filling it up ready to go. The retro feel to the caravan suits the decor within the rest of the restaurant too, while from the outside there is no hint of what went on. The caravan has generated lots of interest with T’Hooft customers.

The Cafe…

The reason for the Flemish name of the cafe, T’Hooft, (literally meaning The Head) Ryan explains is that it is his wife’s maiden name. Fittingly Belgian waffles and Belgian beer are served at T’Hooft as well as a wide range of cuisine that can be inspired by customers’ needs and suggestions, as well as sales. Most of the food offered on the menu can also be served gluten free for people who want/have to have this choice. Ryan’s sums this up well: “We’re making good food for everybody and it just happens to be gluten free.” (I can testify to the flourless chocolate cake that is offered here – it is one of the best I have ever tasted.)

The restaurant has been opened for five years, and before that the couple operated a catering company from their home in Quarry Hill. When the couple opened the shop (formerly a delicatessen) they thought it would make a good shop front for the catering business.
“I never thought [at the time] we’d be such a big cafe and breakfast scene,” explained Ryan. “The catering [business] I don’t drive that any more, I just take what comes…we just do the cafe it’s just so big, seven days [a week].
“We’re really proud, it’s a bit of a journey with what you think you are going to do, you just put it in the hands of your customers and let it take its ride and go along with it, it’s been so much fun and you end up being something completely different to what you ever dreamed you would be.”
Ryan said that when he refers to ‘we’, he regards his staff as being part of a family. When a new staff member comes on board he explains to them that what he wants “is the best way, not my way as my way is not always the best way, so if you bring something to me then let’s do it, I love change.”

Best and Worst part of running a restaurant…

“The best part [of running T’Hooft] is definitely the people, being exposed to so many different stories every day – both customers and staff,” Ryan answered. “You feel like when you are in a home and the kitchen is the central part of a house, so you feel like [that] when you are in the cafe you are in the central part of people’s lives.

“The worst? I love what I do; I suppose the only worst part is that I am always accountable. Even when I am not here I’m here.”

Advice for anyone else thinking of importing something large or unusual into their own cafe or business…

Ryan’s answer is simple: “Just do it. Don’t even ask; if you have a dream then you should do it! The way I approach everything in life is that there are only two options, you either make it or you don’t and not trying is you don’t make it.”

T’Hooft is located in Lyttleton Terrace Bendigo.
Opening Hours are Monday–Friday 8am–5.30pm, Saturday 8am–4pm, Sunday 9am–3pm

Magnificent Coffee roasting machine pride of place next to the caravan.

Gluten Free Ham Roll-brekky idea or sunday night tea

Gluten Free Ham Roll – A different brekkie or Sunday night tea idea.

Preheat your oven to a hot temp of around 220 C or so (the same temperature that you would cook your scones in.)

Making a basic scone dough:

Sift together into a large bowl:
2 ½ cups of SR gluten free flour, a tblspn of Xanthan Gum (can be found at the local supermarket in the gluten free/ health food area) and a pinch of salt.

Add a pinch of pepper or any herb that you may fancy such as oregano or basil and mix through with a fork.

Mix through 3 -4 tblspns of olive oil (instead of rubbing butter through) and then mix to a firm, semi-moist dough with enough milk – you will need probably at least a cup of milk, but just add a little at a time until you get the right consistency, using a knife to mix this through is easier than a spoon. (Gluten free flour requires a lot more moisture than wheat flour).

Roll out onto lightly gluten free floured board or better still a sheet of baking paper, into a rough rectangle shape, to about 2 cm thick.

Brush tomato sauce all over,sprinkle 1/2 cup or less of grated cheese evenly over, sprinkle roughly chopped ham or your favourite pizza type meat over, but do not make the layer too thick, in this recipe less is better than more.

Roll up like a Swiss roll; you might find it easier if you are using the baking paper to lift this to start the rolling. Roll slowly and tuck in food if it should escape the sides.

Slice into 2.5 cm thick rings and place onto baking paper, allowing about a finger width between each one.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until the base is golden.

Serve with your favourite tomato sauce or chutney or serve it with a homemade gluten free vegie soup.

Serves four.
Note: don’t forget to ask at your deli which ham is Gluten Free as many are not!

Gluten Free (GF) Trifle.

Mums best food

This time of the year brings back memories of all sorts and for many it is the food we ate as kids.

The food that springs to my mind was my Mum’s specialty – her ‘Port Wine Trifle.’ It always tasted so good.

The history of the Trifle in Australia dates back to at least around 1920 (according to Kraft Australia. ) I think the creation of the trifle was due to the housewife’s need for frugality when times were hard and the trifle was a dessert created out of leftovers, such as day-old sponge cake that was turned into a layered dessert that everyone enjoyed, (a bit like the reason for lamingtons I think, correct me if I am wrong.)

Here is my own version of it, GF style.

You will need:

1 small plain GF cake or leftover cake from a few days ago. (Either homemade or shop bought. If you want to be very decadent, T’Hooft in Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo, makes a chocolate mud cake (GF) that is to die for! Or simply and more cheaply make a GF butter cake from GF flour, eggs, skim milk, sugar, butter.)

I packet of jelly crystals –Port wine or Strawberry flavour.

½ cup of Port wine (if serving only to adults) or Fruit juice if there are children present.
GF Custard powder.

Small tin of fruit salad or your favourite summer fruit.

Cream for whipping.

GF Chocolate for grating over the top. (For those who are new in the search for GF food, many of the chocolate that is available in supermarkets etc. are not GF, so you need to check the labels carefully).

Method:

This is best commenced in the morning if you plan to serve it at night, or the night before if it is for Christmas lunch.

Make up the jelly according to directions and place in the fridge two to three hours before you plan to put the trifle together. Check the jelly every hour and when it starts to set, break it up with a fork so that the jelly doesn’t set into one solid mass.

Once the jelly is ready, make up 2 cups of custard according to the pack directions. Allow the custard to cool for 15 minutes. Take the cake and roughly cut it up into 2cm cubes. Cover the bottom of a glass serving dish with the cake. Evenly sprinkle over the cake the port or fruit juice. Follow with the custard, then the tinned fruit or a layer of fresh fruit, end with the jelly. Cover with lid or plastic film and refrigerate until 10 minutes before serving time. Whip the cream and spread a layer over the jelly, sprinkle the chocolate over the cream and you are ready to serve the trifle.

Be warned, your guests will probably come back for seconds, and they will never guess it is Gluten Free!