Saltbush, Geraldton wax, lilly pilly, wattleseed and lemon myrtle … there’s nothing more uniquely Australian. And yet, at Hearthe (think “art” meets “heart” meets “hearth” meets “Thé”), you can happily have an eggs benny and flaky croissant breakfast without really pondering a native foods foray. Pastry master Christopher Thé’s homage to Indigenous ingredients is just part of your brekkie to lunch to morning or arvo tea adventure at this recently opened inner-west cafe/bakery. 

Hearthe is a sunny Federation corner store, with oversized windows opening wide onto a generously large footpath and a light-filled indoor area. It’s lined with simple white-topped tables and light-wood stools, leaves and plants in vases, a classic terracotta Federation tile floor. A pretty, friendly spot.

Related story: The founder of Black Star Pastry is opening a cafe and cake shop in Stanmore

On weekends, a patient queue forms around inside and outside seated brunch- and lunch-ers. They might be after a good drink-in latte or maybe something yummy to go. Sitting down orders might include those eggs benedict, served with spinach-y warrigal greens, hollandaise and ham, followed perhaps by a slice of the signature paperback dacquoise – cream and custard-lined sponge layers with a distinctive eucalyptus caramel, smoked chocolate ganache, saltbush and wattleseeds and kunzea honey (infused with citrussy leaves from an eastern Australia shrub with bottlebrush-like flowers). 

A true inner-westie (he grew up in Haberfield where his parents ran a pharmacy), Thé is an acclaimed pastry chef who honed his craft in some of Sydney’s finest bakeries and fine-dining kitchens (now-closed stars such as Belmondo and Claude’s, and more recently, Quay). And yes, then he opened Black Star Pastry and created that strawberry watermelon cake, a gift to instagrammers everywhere. And now, there’s this truly lovely local, just by Stanmore Station. 

The native flavours angle is something Thé is keen to promote, along with a strong sense of sustainability in everything from the serve-yourself water cooler to experiments with truly biodegradable packaging. (He’s working on a sugarcane-based cake box, for example.) You can bring your glass juice bottles back for a refund and menus are printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based inks. You get the sense that he’s on a mission. 

“I don’t expect everyone to like everything,” says Thé disarmingly. “Native ingredients can be challenging. But we want to hero them, along with a goal to be a 100 per cent carbon-neutral business.”  His aim is to integrate his food with our country and climate. Things that go together, naturally. 

Meanwhile, you can simply enjoy the … er, fruits of his labour. A very pretty fruit tart, for example, turns out to be based on dehydrated fruits (avoiding waste) including persimmon, Illawarra plums, peaches or apricots, and topped with edible flowers. We try another, topped with orange pulp. Glorious. 

As we head out, waving goodbye to Thé hard at work in the kitchen, we grab some bread to prolong the pleasure: an olive baguette, a couple of crusty ciabatta triangles (so good) and a terrific fruit loaf. Eat-in or take-home, sweet or savoury, sourdough or native-flavours based, Hearthe does justice to its name, whichever way you take it.

Related story: Meet the watermelon cake with cacao fudge frosting