Samuel J Fell
Opening only a month or so ago, Elements Café, in Byron’s industrial estate, has hit the ground running. ‘Be The Hero Of Your Temple’ is their slogan, and it shows in their range of superfoods, organic and fresh, sourced from the local region and prepared with care by chef and owner Rafael Camargo.
As Camargo writes on the cafe’s Facebook page, ‘Our unique… menu gives your entire being just what it needs. We have a passion for creating great tasting food that is vibrant, wholesome and nourishing. We are strong believers in the power of conscious food to help us live life fully and to heal many of the diseases created by poor food choices.’
Tucked away inside the Extreme Mixed Martial Arts gym on Centennial Circuit, Elements grew from Camargo’s market stall, which became so popular that the next step was obvious. ‘We’re [now] able to bring more to the health industry; I can add more and manage more, rather than just being a single [stall] at the market,’ he explains.
Setting up shop in the industrial estate was a targeted move, given the myriad businesses based out there, and the limited access to healthy food. ‘We wanted to support the community around here,’ Camargo says. ‘It’s a business area; everyone is so busy, that they can’t really take the time to see what they put inside their body. So we’re trying to offer not fast food, but slow food, giving them the opportunity to come here, so we can look after them.’
The menu boasts such items as Savage Green Lasagna, with roasted zucchini and eggplant layered with green Napoli sauce and fresh mozzarella; the Sun Dancer, featuring Amazonia raw multi- and maqui-berry, blended with organic almond milk, mango, banana and blueberries, topped with activated gluten-free granola and fresh seasonal fruits; and hemp protein sticks, made with organic cacao butter, organic raw cacao, organic hemp protein, organic hemp seeds, organic coconut nectar and fine celtic salt.
The shire is rife with organic food cafes, but Elements is a little different. ‘I’m from South America – Brazil – so I have that influence, which is what is making it unique, I think,’ Camargo says. ‘We’re putting our [own] touch into the little café.’ With plans to bring in local live music as well, Elements is a feast for all the senses.
• Elements Café. 12/74 Centennial Circuit, Byron industrial estate. Phone: 0404 346 972.
Opening Hours: 8am–3pm, 4pm–8pm.
www.facebook.com/elementscafebyronbay
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