At the moment it seems the café scene in Kalamunda is rather like waiting for a bus. You wait ages – then two perfectly fine busses come along at once! I’ve enjoyed a couple of brunches at Mason and Bird around the corner and now at Chatford & Co too.
Chatford & Co’s Head Chef Gavin Charter was formerly the Head Pastry Chef at Rockpool no less. I’d also heard that he trained at the legendary Loose Box, under Alain Fabregues. So I had high expectations for our brunch and it didn’t disappoint.
My Mum and I entered the cosy café, tastefully decked out with pressed tin wall features and we were greeted by a friendly waitress. The brunch menu is available all day long (7.30am till 2pm) and there are additional lunch options also available between noon and 2pm. Starving, we quickly ordered and though their signature dish of bacon and egg doughnuts with maple syrup tempted me, I made a more conservative choice.
First, we enjoyed a couple of big mugs of coffee. The roast used at Chatford & Co is Five Senses, which is a coffee I can never fault.
I chose the Chorizo omelette, $17.50 . The picture below shows a humble omelette, but I can tell you this was absolutely packed with flavour and it was perfectly made too. I savoured the flavours of the delicious omelette, filled with chunks of chorizo, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes and red onion. On the side are two buttered slices of organic wood fired sourdough. The toast was a welcome extra and was perfect for mopping up those eggy juices – I could only manage one slice before I became too full though.
My Mum chose the baked eggs, $17.50, which I also loved the sound of. The two baked eggs sat on a bed of creamy leek, tasty eggplant and well seasoned sautéed greens with a side of organic wood fired sourdough toast. I had a little bite and it tasted just as good as it looked. Mum raved about it and reminisced about a similar dish my Nanna Ruby used to bake for her family of 9, over 60 years ago in England. The fresh bread is baked by The Wood fired Baker in Maylands.
As you can imagine, with a superstar Pastry Chef in the kitchen, the cabinet is brimming with cakes, pastries, tarts, cream-filled doughnuts and lots of other scrumptious delights. This month Chatford & Co began serving high tea – so I have yet another reason to revisit this excellent little café again soon. The food and service is on point and Chatford & Co comes highly recommended.