Lentil as Anything
Encyclopedia
Lentil as Anything is series of pay-as-you-feel, organic
, vegetarian restaurants in Melbourne
, Australia
. There are currently four restaurants, the first of which opened in 2000 in St. Kilda, the largest is located in the former Abbotsford Convent
, in Abbotsford
, an inner eastern suburb of Melbourne. Other restaurants are located in the Collingwood
College and the most recent opened in Footscray
in December 2009. Lentil as Anything is a multicultural and refugee friendly organisation. Opening hours are roughly 9am to 9pm.
Live music, world music, films, and artworks are often performed and displayed at the restaurants, particularly at Abbotsford, where the restaurant has become a public meeting place with many patrons traveling from the inner north and east. Food is sourced from local organic food suppliers, prepared on site and often served in buffet style allowing guests to choose their own meals. There are also a small range of vegan options. Some locations also feature coffee and cakes. Lentil as Anything also offers a catering service and notably catered for the Green New Deal
conference in Melbourne in 2009.
The restaurants rely on the generosity of their patrons, volunteers and suppliers to operate. Patrons are asked to "pay as they feel" by donating an amount of their choice into a box at the counter. The Abbotsford and St. Kilda locations initially faced large financial debt due to mismanagement and other factors, many of which have since been resolved. The introduction of week-round buffet at Abbotsford saw a significant boost in patronage during 2009.
In 2010, a documentary on the restaurant The Naked Lentil was aired by SBS.
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
, vegetarian restaurants in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. There are currently four restaurants, the first of which opened in 2000 in St. Kilda, the largest is located in the former Abbotsford Convent
Abbotsford Convent
The Abbotsford Convent is located in Abbotsford, Victoria, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The Convent is in a bend of the Yarra River west of Yarra Bend Park, with the Collingwood Children's Farm to its north and east, the river and parklands to its south and housing to its...
, in Abbotsford
Abbotsford, Victoria
Abbotsford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. At the 2006 Census, Abbotsford had a population of 4,327....
, an inner eastern suburb of Melbourne. Other restaurants are located in the Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
College and the most recent opened in Footscray
Footscray, Victoria
Footscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....
in December 2009. Lentil as Anything is a multicultural and refugee friendly organisation. Opening hours are roughly 9am to 9pm.
Live music, world music, films, and artworks are often performed and displayed at the restaurants, particularly at Abbotsford, where the restaurant has become a public meeting place with many patrons traveling from the inner north and east. Food is sourced from local organic food suppliers, prepared on site and often served in buffet style allowing guests to choose their own meals. There are also a small range of vegan options. Some locations also feature coffee and cakes. Lentil as Anything also offers a catering service and notably catered for the Green New Deal
Green New Deal
A Green New Deal is a report released on July 21, 2008 by the Green New Deal Group and published by the New Economics Foundation, which outlines a series of policy proposals to tackle global warming, the current financial crisis, and peak oil. The report calls for the re-regulation of finance and...
conference in Melbourne in 2009.
The restaurants rely on the generosity of their patrons, volunteers and suppliers to operate. Patrons are asked to "pay as they feel" by donating an amount of their choice into a box at the counter. The Abbotsford and St. Kilda locations initially faced large financial debt due to mismanagement and other factors, many of which have since been resolved. The introduction of week-round buffet at Abbotsford saw a significant boost in patronage during 2009.
In 2010, a documentary on the restaurant The Naked Lentil was aired by SBS.
Locations
- AbbotsfordAbbotsford, VictoriaAbbotsford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. At the 2006 Census, Abbotsford had a population of 4,327....
- Abbotsford Convent, opened 2006 - BrunswickBrunswick, VictoriaBrunswick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
- Sydney Road, opened 2000, closed 2008 - CollingwoodCollingwood, VictoriaCollingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
- Collingwood College, opened 2008 - FootscrayFootscray, VictoriaFootscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....
- Barkly Street, opened 2009 - Lentil Africa - Victoria Street, Brunswick, opened 2005, closed 2007
- St. Kilda - Blessington Street, opened 2000