Taking some time to give back to the community, Steve has most recently been running Espresso Train at Nundah for the past four years and travelled around South America working with indigenous communities to learn the art of quinoa to improve his gluten- and dairy-free baking skills. Calling on friends to make the work load lighter, the pair stripped back the Gaythorne space by hand, filling the cafe with recycled wooden tables, metal school chairs, vintage frames and hand-painted wall murals. Steve’s mum gifted him a Japanese tea set from World War II when he was young – just one of the retro sets that sits around the cafe, along with meaningful relics from overseas jaunts.

The inventive menu at Hansell & Gretel Espresso and Breakfast Bar is available all day and draws inspiration from regions as diverse as Argentina, France, Vietnam and America. The woodchopper’s breakfast is the heftiest brunch option – featuring fried egg, pulled pork, tomato, smoked brisket, chorizo, bacon, smoky beans, chimichurri, portobello mushrooms and grilled haloumi – while the Persian veg fritters with beetroot coulis and tzatziki satisfy a healthier appetite.

Taking traditional burgers to the next level, the steak & philly baguette is made with beef that’s been smoked for four hours and braised for 12 hours then topped with manchego, philly cheese and dill pickles. Cabinet items at the community-driven cafe also include a motley of tempting treats from gluten-free chocolate brownies to homemade savoury waffles, croissants, Turkish sandwiches and wraps.

Hansell & Gretel Espresso and Breakfast Bar
Corner of Samford and Pickering Streets, Gaythorne
Ph: 0411 685 340
Open: Monday to Sunday 6:00 am to 2:00 pm