Specialty Coffee, Zero Waste

By Alasdair McClintock on October 11, 2019 in Food

Lenka and Jacob are making a difference, by James Hutton.

If you’re wandering down to the corner of Clovelly Road and Gilderthorpe Avenue to do your laundry anytime soon, you will be sorely disappointed. Gone is the laundromat and in its place, Cat & Cow Coffee, a fine little café that isn’t just about making great food and coffee, but also the world a better place.
Cat & Cow are the real deal, on a mission to “reduce our reliance upon single-use plastics and offer re-usable solutions for your everyday coffee experience.”
They’re also very much about the community, with locally sourced food, Sydney-roasted coffee beans and staff that actually smile and chat to you when you enter. Sure, that can be annoying when you’re hungover and just want your coffee, but that’s on you, not the friendly team at Cat & Cow, my friend.
The vibe was laidback and calm when I went there. Given it was near closing, there were only a few people seated, so I can’t speak for the busy periods, but I got the feeling this wasn’t much of a place for yelling or passive aggressiveness. It’s in Randwick after all, not Bondi.
I ordered a large flat white and a pulled pork sandwich with kimchi and avocado. Twenty bucks even. That may sound like the higher end of the price spectrum, but this was no ordinary sandwich, and I’m happy to pay a couple of extra bucks for sustainability.
The coffee was great. It was strong, which I like, but I daresay it wouldn’t be too bad for the strange folk who don’t like strong coffee either.
The sandwich was incredible. My only criticism? It reminded me I have no self-control and I devoured it like a ravenous Cocker Spaniel. It’s not often one is shamed by a sandwich.

Cat & Cow Coffee
Specialty coffee, zero waste
Web www.catandcow.coffee
Address 49 Clovelly Road, Randwick
Open Tue-Sat 7.30am-3.30pm; Sun 8am-3.30pm; closed Mondays