Indigenous Australian-Owned Food & Restaurant Directory

From avocado toast and bush tucker, to craft beer infused with native ingredients and where to buy finger lime trees, here's a list of products, cafes and restaurants from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island business owners.

First Nation Australians have been in business for some 60,000-plus years, yet for many, it took the Black Lives Matter movement filtering through from the United States to start paying attention. The best way to get behind Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses is to put your money where your mouth is, and what better way to support and learn than through food. This directory of Indigenous Australian food and beverage businesses is by no means extensive, but it's a start. If there's one you think should be on here but isn't, please email me.

Victoria

Mabu Mabu: Torres Strait Island-owned all-day cafe and caterer making native ingredients accessible from Yarraville. Condiments and damper packs available for sale online.

GLaWAC Bush Cafe: an Aboriginal cafe and art gallery in Kalimna West, East Gippsland, run by the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation. The cafe provides employment access and hospitality training for Gunaikurnai people, with local produce and bush tucker on the menu.

Cooee Cafe: Mornington Peninsula cafe and caterer in Rosebud with an Indigenous Mezzanine Gallery.

Dumu Balcony Cafe: a social-enterprise cafe in Bright providing young Indigenous Australians with hospitality training.

New South Wales

The Tin Humpy: Redfern brunch cafe from Bundjalung woman Yvette Lever, previously from Grounds of Alexandria.

Mirritya Mundya: catering company and food truck parked at Callala Bay from Wednesday to Saturday, that also sells dinner boxes, rolls up at markets and hosts pop-up meal experiences.

Kawul: offers organic breakfast, lunches and dinners (think pepperberry hummus on ciabatta and fried zucchini flowers with lemon myrtle goat's cheese) with a stunning Hunter Valley outlook.

Queensland

The Lillipad Cafe: a Cairns favourite since 2003 with hearty breakfasts (eggs range from huevos rancheros to Turkish-style plates) and wholesome lunch platters.

South Australia

Tandanya Cafe: this 100-seat cafe is located in Tandanya, an Aboriginal-owned and managed cultural institute and arts centre. Native produce stars on the menu, courtesy of Indigenous-owned food businesses. There's even a 'roo pastrami sandwich.

DRINK

Mount Yengo Wines: based in the Hunter Valley with estate-grown chardonnay; Riverina sparkling, shiraz and pinot grigio; and new-release premium Barossa Valley shiraz and McLaren Vale cabernet sauvignon.

SPINIFEX Brewing Co.: Aboriginal and veteran-owned craft beer infused with native ingredients

SOBAH: non-alcoholic, small-batch beers like lemon aspen pilsner and boab and wild ginger lager.

Waddi Springs Specialty Coffee: 1kg bags, Nespresso-compatible coffee pods, tea, drinking chocolate and syrups available online.

SHOP

Something Wild: buy Green Ant Gin, native game meat and more at the store in Adelaide Central Market. Enquire for online sales.

Game Enough: this small shop opened in Banyo, Brisbane, in December 2019 selling raw game meats, pre-cooked meals like crocodile meatballs and wattle sticky date puddings and more. Visit the Native Food Pantry section to buy products online.

The Unexpected Guest: muesli bars, granolas, health bars and pancake mix spiked with ingredients like wattleseed and lemon myrtle, available online.

Goanna Hut: native teas and spices available to purchase online.

Maningrida Wild Foods: sells native food and seafood at the Maningrida market and neighbouring communities, as well as to restaurants and wholesalers. If you're too far to order fish, buy kakadu plum powder or spice mix online.

First Food Co.: a wide selection of spices, herbs, jams, relishes and more sold online. Go straight for the all-encompassing spice kit.

IndigiEarth: spice blends, chutneys, dukkah, condiments, native herbs, hampers soaps and even hand sanitiser available online, all sourced from First Nations communities.

Native Oz Bushfoods: jams, syrups and bush blends including fresh mountain pepper and more at this online store.

Mr Wagyu: Australian wagyu beef usually found in fine dining establishments, now sent to your door in Sydney and Melbourne.

GROW

Plant some native herbs, root vegetables and fruits instead of carrots and tomatoes this year. You can buy bush food plants and native Australian fruiting trees from nurseries like IndigiGrow (NSW), Bili Nursery, VINC and CERES (VIC).