Juices and smoothies had always been a big part of Bronwyn Yeldham’s lifestyle. She’d go to
her local market, pick up the produce and create her own, until, about three years ago, she
decided to start selling them. ‘I saw a gap’, she tells me, ‘and the idea presented itself.’
Over time her little business has evolved to include cosy, nurturing breakfast bowls and
porridges, perfect for the cooler weather. Bronwyn started experimenting with different
mixes, ideas gleaned from her extensive travels, using grains like quinoa, oats, chia seeds,
determined to keep it all plant-based. ‘I wanted it to be a little bit new’, she says, ‘but also
traditional.’
Her background in cooking and hospitality saw her create beautiful gourmet toppings such
as pears poached in chai spices, a compote of blueberries and orange, a lacing of maple
syrup and tahini. On the first day she presented her porridge she felt plagued with doubts –
‘homely old porridge people can make at home!’ – but her instincts served her well as
customers responded eagerly to the comforting, nourishing quality of the breakfast bowls.
Most of the ingredients Bronwyn uses are organic and sourced from the market, and her
colourful blackboard menu describes the content of her various offerings under whimsical
names. Her cold-pressed juices (‘Easy Green’; ‘Visionary’; ‘Beetle Juice’) are packed with
vitamin-filled fruit, vegetables and herbs, while the smoothies, called variously ‘Dragon Ball’,
‘A Date With A Nut’ and ‘Blueberry Burst’ are based on coconut milk, coconut water, oat
milk and almond milk. And taste heavenly, far richer and lusher than you’d expect from all
those worthy ingredients.
And while she has other breakfast bowl combinations in mind, Bronwyn is progressing
cautiously. ‘It can be too much for one bowl’, she says – because, after all, often less is
more!
Bronwyn’s Smoothies stall can be found every Tuesdays at the New Brighton Farmers
Market from 8am-11am
By Victoria Cosford
