Mornington Peninsula's 'Best Cafe' Award

Commonfolk’s cafe was humbled to win the Leader Newspaper’s ‘Best Cafe on the Mornington Peninsula’. The title was awarded by popular vote so it’s safe to say the entire Commonfolk family are humbled by the support of our community.

We caught up with Casey Holmes, Commonfolk’s head of hospitality, to discuss the award and why she’s excited by what’s next for the Commonfolk group.

Firstly, congratulations on taking out the Leader Newspaper’s ‘Mornington Peninsula’s Best Cafe Award’ you must be proud of your team. Why do you think Commonfolk won? I think it’s simple. People are after amazing coffee and food, but also want to hang out with friendly staff who make them feel welcome and part of a family. We’ve got customers that have been visiting us everyday since we opened. They’re not just a coffee order, they’re family. We’ve literally been to birthday parties, weddings and even funerals of our regulars.

The award was voted on by the public. How does it feel to be recognised by your customers? It feels amazing! They’re the reason why we do what we do. It’s such an encouragement to the team that the people who matter most think we’re on the right track and are prepared to back us in.

You’ve worked at Commonfolk on and off for 8 years now. What’s been the biggest change since Commonfolk opened its doors in 2013? It’s hard to pick just one thing. One of our values is ‘pioneering’ so Commonfolk has constantly been pushing the boundaries about how good we can be. We’ve definitely become increasingly professional and stepped up our game with both our food and coffee programs. Having said that, we’ve still got a long way to go.

Commonfolk recently welcomed Ryan Spurrell on board as head of culinary. How has it been working with him and where is he taking the Commonfolk kitchen? It’s been a pleasure working with him. He’s a bit of a cheeky rascal but that doesn’t take away from his contagious passion for food. He’s so serious about how our ingredients are sourced and the techniques that the kitchen uses. He considers every step from farm to plate. I think you’ll see a renewed focus on seasonal and local produce on the menu. In terms of where we’re aiming to take our food offering? The sky is the limit and we’re not putting any boundaries on what we can achieve. As long as it’s ethically sourced and delicious it’s on the cards.

What does the future hold for Casey Holmes? I started at Commonfolk as a dishy, worked my way up through the kitchen, moved into coffee and trained as a barista, before working in venue management. As a manager I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of taking all the moving parts that make up a hospitality business and finding that perfect balance that makes it successful. I’m really looking forward to growing Commonfolk’s venues ***wink wink*** with a fresh perspective of an owner.

New venues… Can you tell us more? Mmm not really. Just watch this space.