From Bush to Plate

From humble beginnings as a small artist co-op out of Brown’s Mart, Aboriginal Bush Traders (ABT) now offers a beautiful café space, catering service, and retail gallery, all directly supporting the Indigenous community.

^{By Jenna Kirkham}

LOCATED ON THE ground floor of the Charles Darwin Centre, you will find a treasure of Indigenous art and homewares, native jams, teas and spices as well as a tasty bush inspired menu.

“It’s quite a simple menu, not over the top fancy or anything but every single food in here will have a bush spice or some sort of bush food element,” says Belinda Foster, ABT Gallery Coordinator.

Their signature pepper berry sausage rolls are a delicious take on an Aussie classic that incorporates pepper berry, native thyme and bush spices. ABT Café’s cakes and muffins often feature wattle seed or lemon myrtle, and their rosella iced tea is the perfect refreshment for a hot Darwin day.

Sourced from around Australia and featuring seasonal produce, ABT is conscious of from whom and where they source their materials.

“As long as we’re getting it off a native grower or Indigenous business, we’re still showcasing bush food provided by Indigenous mob,” says Foster.

“Everything in the gallery, at some point in the supply chain, an Indigenous person’s paved … It might be a collaboration where growers are providing the food to the producer, and a lot of that is showcased here in the café.”

As a non-for-profit organisation ABT is committed to ensuring proceeds directly support community Art Centres and Indigenous artists. All art within the gallery is ethically sourced, with a strong focus on Top End artists.

“We’re trying to educate tourists as well about the Indigenous art sector … showing as many different styles as we can.”

As the gallery showcases all things art, the kitchen is also not afraid to step things up with the introduction of the tacodile. Created as a special request for music sensation and NIMA award-winner BARKAA, the tacodile is a spin on the Mexican dish using crocodile as the filling.

ABT’s catering menu also shows off some of the best of their unique bush inspired cuisine. Bite into their tasty selection of sandwiches, hot foods and antipasto, or enjoy roast kangaroo sliders with a side of savoury damper and bush tomato relish.

The space is a great multi-purpose setting for the community to connect, offering an ideal location for the public to enjoy. Open to after-hours events, corporate breakfasts and workshops, it’s the perfect place to embrace culture in the CBD.

With its central location, traditional tucker inspired menu, a plethora of catering options and delicious tasting plates at the ready, ABT is ready and waiting to delight both your eyes and your tastebuds.

AT ABORIGINAL BUSH TRADERS
INFO aboriginalbushtraders.com

^{Thumbnail & Inset: BARKAA & 2024 NIMA host & rapper Nooky tuck in to a tacodile}