As part of the idea of building a (re)vision society, we teamed up with our pals at (re)vision society for a special event, a brainstorm breakfast to open discussion about issues of inefficiency and sustainability that need addressing in our different fields. They’re the beginnings of ideas to make change in our world. The idea behind these roundtable discussions with other people who have food-for-thought to bring to the table, is that we may link people from a multitude of expertise’s.
We kicked off small – an intimate gathering that seemed more achievable to test out the idea, and we ended up with an kick-ass gathering of great minds, and zinging conversation. And no, we’re not trying to form a group of greenie Avengers to battle all of our world’s problems, but we think that the world could benefit from a heightened sense of mindfulness. So, breakfast was prepared.
But, there wouldn’t be anything to show you without the priceless help from many local providors and specialists. London store Momosan Shop, a showroom of objects selected by Momoko Mizutani whose interest is to link different cultures in practical, resourceful and imaginative ways through their use; Today Bread, artisan bread makers who deliver freshly baked loaves by bike to your doorstep; London Borough of Jam, fusing wild and wonderful flavours into preserves on London’s doorstep; Coleman Coffee Roasters who caffeinated our conversation; add this together with (re)vision society of course who re-think and re-purpose materials that would otherwise go to waste, and we had a pretty psychedelic breakfast ahead of us.
You must be thinking to yourself, ‘well what a hipster-smoothie in the making’, well sure call it whatever you like! The intention is still pretty clear, and all buzzwords aside, this breakfast series is about bringing brains together to talk about some pretty serious issues that are sitting on our doorstep. You decide what label you want to put on it.
So here was the set up. Momosan’s vintage crockery were the perfect vessels for all of this delicious mindfulness, and we wouldn’t have had such a stunning table setting without her contribution. (We in fact may not have been eating on anything at all!) I particularly enjoyed the ceramic cups that looked like pineapples purched on their saucers. At 8am on the morning of the breakfast, our Today Bread was delivered by founder Alex on his bike. He explained to us that they were working on a exciting new recipes that incorporated ‘waste’ into their loaves. Firstly, a rye that gained a deep rich colour from used coffee grinds, and a grain-y sourdough made from boiled grains that are a bi-product of beer making, and simply boiled for 10 minutes to then be thrown away. Awesome. I suppose the crux is in how you package all of it, on one hand it is a bread that is tackling a serious food-waste issue, but on the other it’s bread made from “waste”. So we look forward to trying these new inventions of theirs – who knows? maybe they’ve unlocked flavours that could change the game !
Stacey started on her smoothie bowls (apparently they were trending on the internet last year but I was yet to try one, and very keen to try a spoonful). Locally grown greens, seeds, and fruit were piled into a blender with coconut oil and honey then whizzed up into a fairly thick concoction before serving in bowls topped with homemade granola. Sounds alright? It really was. I prepared my black sticky rice dish with salted coconut milk, a classic PTJ recipe that represented a little bit of home on my behalf, and served it in Momosan’s wide bottomed glassware. A single origin coffee from Guatemala dripped through a cone filter, and a comforting pot of ceylon was brewed in a generous pot. Melu, another (re)vision member set dried bay leaves from the tree outside into each revisioned napkin, a gift to each guest to take away with them and hopefully be a little reminder to be mindful day-to-day.
As guests arrived, we sat over the full table, we broke bread, introduced ourselves, spilt coffee, laughed a lot, and opened ourselves to a discussion on how we can do our bit to improve the efficiency and the impact of our actions on the planet. We talked about our immediate situation, and we talked about potential blossoms in the future. As a thought to take away, I announced my “go straw-less” campaign that will be rolling out in the next few months. I hope to start something that can spark a culture that sees cool-ness in caring. So how about going straw-less today already?
Stay tuned folks.
Stacey, (re)vision society co-founder setting the table with vintage crockery from Momosan Shop.
(re)vision society specially made napkins constructed from manufacturing offcuts that would have ended up in landfill.
Alex of Today Bread came by bicycle to deliver our sourdough bread.
Our very own Ponytail recipe, ‘black sticky rice’ on the boil [ recipe here ]
Stacey prepares her green-out smoothie bowls.
Frank, barista and co-founder of (re)vision society makes coffees with beans from local roasters, Coleman Coffee Roasters.
Lillie O’Brien, pastry chef, business owner, and jam queen makes wild flavoured preserves under the alias, ‘London Borough of Jam’, sold in Momosan Shop.
This breakfast couldn’t have happened without the hard work, contribution, and participation of (re)vision society, Momosan shop, Today bread, London Borough of Jams, Coleman Coffee Roasters, Good & Proper Tea Co., Suitcase Magazine, Denim Dudes, Garek Druss, and a lil bit from us too.
