About Us
Heeeey 👋 We're Scotty and Beth and welcome to Manna, our breakfast and lunch cafe here in the McLaren Vale wine region. We've been serving up seasonal food and coffee since July of 2020, but our story started long before our doors opened...
Seasonal on purpose, local where we can.
About Manna today...
We've always run a seasonal menu, partly because it gives you a reason to keep coming back and try something new, and partly because it keeps things fun for us too! We serve elevated classics and breakfast favourites done differently. We use local Fleurieu produce wherever we can get it, and make most of our elements in-house, from our focaccia, to our chutney. None of it happens without our team...Every single day we get to work alongside chefs and staff who bring real skill and real heart to the kitchen and the floor, and we try to never take that for granted.
Our coffee comes from b3, another local Adelaide business we've partnered with since day one. Not only are their beans high-quality, they're made with ethical, sustainable practices, and they're transparent about the whole process too (something that can't be said about a lot of beans out there). They care about every step in the process of making coffee... but they also care about every person involved too, like actually making sure their growers are paid a liveable wage. And in our book, that's the kind of business we want to partner with!
A butcher, a baker
And a dual cab ute turned coffee van?
There's nothing like starting a cafe in the middle of a global pandemic to figure out whether this really is your dream... spoiler: this story has a happy ending!
Scotty had always dreamt of owning a cafe. It's what led him to do a baker's apprenticeship after school, and what drove him to convert his dual cab ute into a mobile coffee van. Turns out, free help isn't hard to find when your girlfriend wants to tag along to all your events. Most of our early date nights were spent serving up coffee at other people's weddings and events, and loving every bit of it.
Eventually though, we decided to get serious and have a wedding of our own (so it was time to park the ute and get a real job!)
That "real job" was in his dad's butcher shop, Brighton City Meats where he worked alongside his dad and two brothers. While he managed to get a butcher's qualification out of the role, what he actually took away was much bigger...
A front row seat to real, old-fashioned customer service. Authentic, personal, feels-like-family conversations that last long after the sale goes through. In a world of cheap deals and fast food, people will linger longer for an experience that makes them feel seen. And from the other side of the counter, serving others is what gives your job meaning, and makes your work count.
Starting the cafe
(At 23 and 25 with no clue what we were doing)
When we moved to McLaren Vale in 2019, we decided to turn this cafe dream into a reality. We found our current location (which had been empty for a few years), and signed the lease in February of 2020. We called our cafe Manna, meaning food from heaven. It comes from a bible story about God's provision, and little did we know, we'd need His help a lot over the next few years! A month after signing the lease, the world shut down. We delayed our opening until May. Then June. Then finally, July.
We figured, it had been months, surely this pandemic thing would be over by July?! Boy were we wrong. They say most hospitality businesses don't survive the first year in normal conditions. Our first year came with the usual challenges, plus shut downs, capacity limits, mandates, and so much more. We thought about throwing it in a few times, but in all honesty the thing that kept us going was our community...
Before
A tourist town, built by locals
That's what makes our region so special
The McLaren Vale and wider Fleurieu Peninsula community is something else. Honestly, we survived those first few years in spite of ourselves! It was the locals who kept coming back week after week, and who told their mates to do the same. That's who kept us showing up and pushing through.
Eventually, we learnt a thing or two about running a hospo business and came out the other side stronger. We also learnt what we stood for and what we needed to let go of to become the business we wanted to be. In 2021 we picked up Best Cafe at the Onkaparinga Business Awards, which felt like a very good sign we were finally onto something. That same year we opened Manna Studio, our function room out the back. To this day, we've hosted hundreds of birthdays, baby showers, workshops, playgroups and events (and it's only growing from here!)
We adore food and coffee,
But to us, Manna is about something much bigger.
It's about creating the space you want to come to after a sleepless night with your newborn. A place for you to celebrate Grandma's 85th birthday. A spot to come on your own and never feel lonely. A post-wedding breakfast you'll remember forever. A space for you to shout mum a slice of cake and coffee (because she probably deserves it).
Whatever the occasion, from a birthday to a Tuesday, we care about you having good service, good food, good coffee and a good time right here.
We started this cafe as clueless 20-somethings with a few less greys and a few less kids (we've got 3 of them now!), and we're as passionate as ever about this little business today. It really is a dream come true. So, if you've ever supported us, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And if you're thinking about popping in - please do!
We're ready to fill your cup and your plate (and hopefully make your day a little better).
See you here,
Scotty & Beth
Partnering with Locals
Here's the Fleurieu and wider Adelaide-based businesses you support when you dine with us:
The Springs Free Range Eggs
