Photography courtesy of Henry Brodbeck of Newy Digital

This big-hearted Mayfield takeaway café is carving a niche with its roast of the day and old-school burgers.   

Gaining a dedicated following, the roast of the day (available from 10.30am) alternates between pork and beef and is served with gravy in a toasted buttery roll with a choice of toppings, or in a lunch box with roast veg or chips.      

Generous serves of brekkie burgers and hot breakfast boxes, classic beef and chicken burgers, fish and chips, and fresh-cut sandwiches are available all day. A milk bar menu includes coffees, milkshakes, and iced drinks.

Run by Mayfield locals Ben and Ange, the takeaway café concept was born out of the 2020 lockdown, when the pair saw local takeaway businesses thriving.

“We’re both hospitality veterans so had always talked about opening our own place. With our third baby on the way, we wanted to open something that worked for our family life and suited a trend we noticed in lockdown of people wanting café quality takeaway,” said Ben.

“The menu is the kind of comfort food we love to eat and cook for our friends at a backyard BBQ. We wanted to create a welcoming place for locals to come for a wholesome and good value meal,” Ben said.

Ben is a trained chef with a resume fit for royalty, having cooked for functions at Buckingham Palace and in high-end kitchens, like Bather's Pavilion in Sydney. He’s also run catering kitchens in Melbourne and specialises in coffee, having worked for a national cafe chain for many years.  

“Good quality coffee is an important part of our offering. We’re the only venue in Newy serving Colombian Coffee Connection, a boutique brand who works directly with farmers in Colombia to source ethical and sustainable coffee beans and support indigenous communities.”  

Custom graffiti boards by local artists are the hero of the shop’s otherwise clean and simple fit-out.

“We moved from Sydney’s inner west a few years ago so Mayfield’s character appealed to us. We wanted to bring a neighbourhood feel into the shop, as well as a nostalgic nod to the Aussie takeaways we remember as kids.” 

Mayfield Canteen is located at 436 Maitland Rd, Mayfield West. It is open Tuesday-Friday, 6.30am-2.30pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 8.30am-2.30pm. Workplace and private catering is also available.