Lifestyle

soul food with heart

Heart and Soul Kitchen, serving up mindful meals to the community

 

  

Tired of those standard takeaway meals and craving something more mindful and nourishing? We have the answer to your dinner dilemma – plus a destination to put on top of your list now that restrictions are lifted.

Words Hayley Griffiths

Nestled in the lush green surroundings of Otford and the Royal National Park, you will find the sanctuary of Heart and Soul Retreats. The centre was founded in 2006, with a vision to create a nurturing and nourishing space for the community. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Heart and Soul Retreats temporarily closed the accommodation section but have used this time to focus on their Heart and Soul Kitchen, serving up mindful meals to the community.

Heart and Soul Kitchen has been operating for many years, providing nutritious plant-based meals to accommodation guests. However due to the recent restrictions, project manager Wendy Squires and the team saw a unique opportunity to continue operating the kitchen. “This month has seen us rolling out our menu to the general community, offering home-delivered vegan meals. This means that locals are now able to enjoy our high-quality catering from the comfort of their own homes!”

The vegan menu on offer is created using as many home-grown and locally-sourced organic ingredients as possible. Wendy says, “we do our best to avoid packaged ingredients, preparing our own spice blends, sauerkraut, bread, chutneys, dressings, and sauces”. Being a vegan menu, the chefs ensure meals contain quality protein, using ingredients such as tofu, quinoa, lentils, dal, nuts, and seeds. Each meal consists of an entree, a main, a side, and dessert for $24, with extra entrees, sides, and desserts that can be added for $8 each. Meals can be picked up from Otford or delivered locally within the 2508 area.

What could be better than a delicious home cooked meal delivered to your door? For each meal purchased, the affiliated Heart and Soul Care charity are donating one meal to a person who is experiencing homelessness. The charity also run other projects that support vulnerable people in the local community, including vocational training, providing accommodation and counselling services.

As restrictions are eased and life gets back to some normality, Heart and Soul Retreats reopened on 1 June for groups or individual stays – why not try a staycation right on our doorstep! Specialising in yoga retreats, they provide an inclusive space for people to grow and deepen their experience of health, wellbeing and happiness. As well as daily yoga programs, guests also have access to the Heart and Soul Healing Centre. Be rejuvenated and restored by a team of wellness professionals. Treatments include a variety of massages, Reiki Energetic Healing and Vedic Astrology.

The surrounding scenery enveloping the retreat is also something not too be missed. The Royal National Park is only a two-minute walk from the centre with jaw-dropping coastal cliffs, beaches and bushland. The famous Figure 8 pools in the Royal National Park are also a natural wonder that must be seen for yourself.

To book a stay at Heart and Soul Retreats click here.

To explore the Heart and Soul Kitchen menu, learn more about their home-delivery service, and place orders click here.

 

More Lifestyle related articles:

Meet multidisciplinary artist and Bulli local, Samantha Arnull will present a workshop in tiny sculpture at Woodfest 2024
Direct from its world premiere season at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, The Queen’s Nanny is set to enthrall audiences in Wollongong. We spoke to playwright Melanie Tait to find out about her connection to the Illawarra and what makes this play so captivating.
Red Room Poetry and Wollongong City Council have partnered this year to plant a ‘POEM FOREST’ in Wollongong.
A historic black-and-white photo of the Commercial Hotel in Jamberoo, featuring a two-story building with ornate ironwork on the balcony and several men standing outside.
Over 160 years young, Jamberoo Pub continues to be an iconic part of the historic village and its community
A man and a woman performing Pilates exercises using reformer machines in a bright, airy studio with wooden floors and large mirrors.
Discover the best local experiences and unique buys in the Illawarra with Coal Coast. Dive into invigorating yoga sessions at Kai Yoga & Pilates, enhance your digital presence with We Think Digital, pamper your pets at VIP Dog Club, and manage your finances with GRJ Accounting.
Two men, one older and one younger, smiling and giving thumbs up in front of large stainless steel beer vats at Stoic Brewing.
Co-owner of Gerringong’s Stoic Brewing, Andrew Prosser, talks with us about how his father and him combined their passion, hometown and an ancient philosophy to create one of the most successful breweries on the south coast.
Kangaroo Valley Hampden Bridge
No matter which way you travel, the journey to Kangaroo Valley requires a drive over a windy mountain pass through lush forests and tunnels of trees, before descending into what’s commonly called ‘Australia’s most beautiful valley’.
The amazing beaches, the picturesque escarpment and the coastal lifestyle are amongst the reasons why we love calling the Illawarra region home. Add in a thriving cafe culture, emerging food scene and that we’re only a stone’s throw from Sydney it makes sense why the Illawarra is highly sought after as a place to buy a home.

Jessica Clark of Earth Worthy Bags has founded a visionary enterprise and is on a mission to redefine the way we approach consumption, championing ethical practices and sustainability.

Meet Sarah from Retro Roast, your local coffee hub in Mount Kembla, where quirky meets community, and every brew is crafted to perfection with the Gusto blend from Seven Miles Coffee Roasters.

Explore the heart and soul of Illawarra through our local business spotlight, where we dive into the stories, passions, and community spirit of the region's most inspiring enterprises.

The first all-women's surf comp on the south coast is riding the huge wave of young women now joining the sport, marking the Sunday 5 May event at Woonona Beach as a milestone, decades in the making.

World-renowned stencil artist Luke Cornish, a.k.a. ELK, has found his home – and his peace – in the Illawarra. And now he’s bringing global acclaim to a local canvas.

Like many northern suburbs of the Illawarra, Balgownie was transformed by the discovery of coal.

There is nothing as Aussie as the magical echo of a group of kookaburras laughing in the gum trees. But did you know the laughing is actually their way of marking the boundaries of their territory? To drive off interlopers, kookaburras gather together and out laugh them.
CanConquer's specialised programs in Lymphoedema Therapy, Oncology Physiotherapy, and Exercise Physiology provide crucial support and strength for individuals like Christine, battling Stage 4A Ovarian Cancer, through and beyond their cancer treatment.

The Helensburgh Glow Worm Tunnels are a scientific wonderment, steeped in mystery as a local folklore tale, and the site even features in a soon-to-be-released science fiction action movie.

The humble abode has come a long way from years past, but Sandy Weir from Other People’s Homes has uncovered some of Australia’s suburban treasures through her lens from all architectural walks of life.

Let’s Be Friends

We’d love to send you occassional news and updates of happenings along the Coal Coast to your inbox!

Let’s be friends

We’d love to send updates of happenings along our Coal Coast to your inbox!

Name(Required)
Email(Required)
Privacy(Required)