Sprout turns its pastries into proper brunch at its chic Newstead cafe
Brisbane favourite Sprout has taken the next step, opening a light-filled, design-led cafe on Skyring Terrace that puts its acclaimed pastries on the plate. The menu is simple, seasonal and built around the bakery’s best-known creations – think croissant scramble, brioche French toast and a must-try croissant-crumble Mont Blanc …
Bakery–cafe hybrids aren’t new to Brisbane, but they tend to fall into two camps. Some venues run a fully fledged dine-in menu alongside their baked goods, while others simply offer a few extra seats to enjoy a pastry and coffee.
Sprout Artisan Bakery’s shiny new nosh spot sits somewhere between those two formats.
Nestled at the base of Mirvac’s LIV Anura development on Skyring Terrace in Newstead, Sprout’s cafe looks to showcase its acclaimed pastries and breads in new and inventive ways, building a menu of brunch plates with the bakery’s best sellers as the foundation.
“That was the one must-do,” explains Rebecca Foley, who co-founded Sprout alongside partner and pastry maestro Lutz Richter in 2014. “At its core, every item had to hero our products. That kind of goes without saying – if you’re a bakery, you showcase what you do best.”
After a soft opening last weekend, passers-by have been drawn in by the gleam of the pastry cabinet and the steady hum of the coffee machine. Step inside the 22-seat space, however, and it quickly becomes clear this is more than a grab-and-go operation.
Designed by Collectivus in collaboration with construction specialists Lowry Group, Sprout Newstead is a clean, high-ceilinged space that juxtaposes a chic material palette of neutral-toned terrazzo and polished concrete with timber furnishings.
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Coupled with views clear across the park towards the Brisbane River beyond, Sprout nails the all-important mix of aesthetics and atmosphere.
“I’ve never really felt as happy in a space as I do here,” says Rebecca. “It’s not just the vibe with staff or customers – it’s just such a pretty little spot.”
“It’s quintessentially Brisbane. You see the CityCat go by, the sun comes up over the river.”
Perched either along the wall-hugging banquette or at the street-facing breakfast bar, diners can peruse a menu that Rebecca says boasts humble, yet heartfelt, inspirations.
“One of the things we do – especially on weekends, and the bakers do in the mornings – is cut open a croissant, add scrambled eggs after a long shift, and sit around the table and eat it together,” says Rebecca.
“A lot of what’s on the menu now comes from what we already eat as a team – things we’ve been refining for a long time. Like the croissants – we’re basically just sharing how we enjoy them ourselves. It’s not fancy, but it’s just joy that’s really united all of us.”
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Extrapolating that sense of joy, Lutz and Sprout’s product head Richard Valentine, have crafted a tight menu that leans with the seasons, serving up classic crowd-pleasing dishes with a Sprout mainstay as the central building block.
“[Lutz] has a North Star, and that is that it has to always taste good. It doesn’t always matter if it’s not aesthetically perfect,” says Rebecca. “[Richard] really understands the essence of what we’re about. He knows we lean more classic.”
You’ll find classic sourdough toast with spreads, scrambled egg croissant with house dukkah, herbs and chilli jam, brioche French toast with poached rhubarb, vanilla cream and elderflower anglaise, and miche tartine – topped with your choice of smoked salmon and labneh, or heirloom tomatoes with labneh and sherry vinaigrette.
“It’s about keeping it simple – creating a menu that showcases the product we already do,” says Richard. “All the sourdoughs and pastries – incorporating those into something easy, fresh and seasonal. Let the breads and pastries come through, and then use seasonal ingredients to support that.”
If popping in later in the day, there’s also a burger boasting a juicy beef patty, onion jam, cheese rocket, house pickles and black-garlic aioli, and a ploughman’s plate with double-smoked ham, aged cheddar, soft-boiled egg, pickled and seeded mustard. Over in the cabinet, Sprout’s heralded range of pastries are available alongside fresh sandwiches and the bakery’s signature croissant sandwiches.
The dine-in menu will evolve in the coming months, with the team toying with ideas for new plates and cabinet additions.
“We’re still very new, and once we settle in, we’ll be able to push boundaries a bit more – explore what’s new and exciting and start putting more interesting ideas on the menu,” says Richard. “There’ll be more grab-and-go options, and potentially things like cookies or cakes coming through.”
Drinks, too, have had a thoughtful expansion. Coffee Supreme anchors the offering, joined by blueberry protein smoothies, sparkling lemonade, iced teas and matcha, as well as the indulgent Croissant Crumble Mont Blanc – a dessert-like drink topped with twice-baked croissant pieces.
The Newstead opening caps a significant period of growth for the brand. With its Albion production hub running at full tilt, Sprout is now turning its focus to empowering its team, refining the next phase of its offering and helping cement its place atop Brisbane’s pastry pyramid.
“We’ve spent so much time, effort and money developing our team – double shifts, coaching, constant support. It takes a long time, but now we can step back and say, they’re amazing.
“At the core of everything, we just love great food. We love the craft. We want to showcase it, and showcase our team.”
Sprout Artisan Bakery Newstead is now open to the public. A grand-opening event is taking place this Saturday April 18, featuring a new pastry special and $3 coffees – proceeds from each sale with be contributed to the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust. Head to The Directory for operating hours and more info.
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