Longtime chefs and life partners Phillip Gameson and Hayley Sinkinson have partnered up to create a workspace where their love for food can flourish, yet escapes the usual strenuous lifestyle a head chef would face.

Originally from Darwin, 41 year old Phillip has been in the industry for over 25 years. After studying overseas and living in the hustle and bustle of London, he managed to land himself a job cooking for the Queen! (Mind you, this jaw dropping achievement only came to my knowledge thanks to his partner Hayley blurting it out, while Phillip remained humble as anything and brushed it under the rug!) Whilst working at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, he was awarded the top chef in the UK for two years running.

“Look I have picked up a lot and learned a lot. At the time it was everything, but now I just love cooking, but I don’t necessarily love the lifestyle that comes with it, hence having a café that will just run through the day.”

Phillip and Hayley both moved to Newcastle about three years ago with hope to continue their dream of starting up their own business.

“When I moved to Newcastle, I was here to focus on helping my best childhood mate Dave start up Bao Brothers!”

Since growing up in Darwin together, it’s a nice feeling for them to both have success in the food industry in the same town, miles away from home. Lucky Newcastle!

“...But since then, I have fallen in love with the coffee side of things! Once I got on the machine, this is where I have stayed.”

Partner Hayley has been cooking since she was just 16 years old. She also worked in some pretty fancy places and has cooked for lots of celebrities before moving to Newcastle herself. Lucky Hayley, managed to score a gig cooking at function alongside Adriano Zumbo!

The pair also hope to see where they go with the ‘Huskee cup’ scheme. Huskee cups are a new movement, stepping forward to help the environment. The concept is to try to reduce the waste of coffee as tonnes of coffee husks (the shell of the coffee bean) are wasted and go into landfill every day. To do this, every Huskee cup is made from a combination of coffee husks and other natural substances. Of course, all reusable cups reduce our eco-footprint, but they are generally made from either glass or plastic. By creating a reusable cup out of all the unwanted coffee waste is a true point of difference. Not only are the Huskee cups great for the environment, but the scheme also focuses on a swap in and out ideology with other cafes that support the arrangement.

“We are pushing for more cafes to get on board with it, especially in Newcastle so we can build a community where everyone can swap and go.”