Tucked away on Cleveland Street in Redfern, Aplenty is a restaurant bringing people together through the simple joy of delicious, communal dining.
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Aplenty, founded by chef Michaela Johansson in March 2021, is all about abundance, surprise, and generosity.
Originally from Sydney, Ms Johansson honed her skills as a general manager at a London bakery before COVID-19 hit. She began delivering picnic packs around Hackney by bicycle during lockdown, sparking the idea for her own restaurant. Returning home to Australia felt like the perfect time to make her dream of running her own hospitality business a reality.
Ms Johansson drew inspiration from her mother’s home cooking in Marrickville and from the communal dining experiences of historical supper clubs.
“Whether it’s an intimate dinner, a picnic in the park, a wedding or work event, our ethos remains the same: good food for good times that fill both stomach and soul,” her website explains.
Their food is freshly made in-house or sourced from top-quality local producers, with care taken to craft each component of the dining experience.
They have boxes which feature seasonal salads, slabs of focaccia, barbecue meats, sausage rolls, galettes, and signature spread. But it’s the lively, social atmosphere that makes them stand out. Ms Johansson wants to bring people together over delicious food, ideally with strangers who become friends.
The restaurant’s recent addition of Aplenty Kitchen communal dinners takes the convivial dining concept further. Long tables and shared plates encourage mingling and conversation. The interactive, surprise-filled menus keep things exciting. As the website puts it, “Each dinner will be different, bringing together friends old and new over a delicious meal.”
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With its generous spirit and celebration of human connection through food, Aplenty brings a dash of cosy Hackney supper club culture to Australia. For Sydneysiders seeking both tasty eats and new friends, there may not be a warmer, livelier place to enjoy a meal than this Redfern restaurant.
Published 18-July-2023