It all starts with Poppy. This small dog was the first big commitment Jesse and Elise Teh made together. A couple of worldly foodies, they adventured to Hong Kong in 2013, where they found their beloved Poppy. They made the vibrant seafood district of HK their home for the next three years, embracing Jesse’s Chinese background and enjoying the many culinary delights of the exciting city. When their love for their extended family called them back home, the dream of opening a family run business started to brew. Together with Elise’s younger sister Kristen Adams, the well known ‘three musketeers’ waited for an opportunity to join forces and delight customers with a venue that reflected their love for warm hospitality, and really good food and coffee.
In pursuit of the dream, Chef Jesse cut his teeth under the legendary Peter Doyle at EST, and later at the award winning Jonah’s in Whale Beach, before becoming a seafood king working as one of Josh Niland from Saint Peter’s head chefs. However it was while heading the kitchen at Mecca Coffee that Jesse really fell in love with the cafe lifestyle.
Meanwhile, Elise clocked some serious years in the hospitality game. Managing bars, restaurants, large scale events, and FOH teams in renowned theatres Glasshouse and The Concourse. She literally did it all and is now an expert when it comes to catering to the customer experience. Kristen can attest to this, they’ve worked together as a hospo sister duo for many years - they are a well oiled machine.
Kristen has been in the speciality coffee industry for over a decade, managing cafes in Sydney’s Inner City and North Shore, roasting and expertly brewing coffee, improving cafe systems and travelling inter-state training baristas for wholesale accounts. With Kristen and Jesse’s long relationship with Mecca Coffee it was a no brainer that they’d eventually link up again with the industry titans of sustainable coffee…
Now Elise, Jesse and Kristen can finally open the doors to their first venture together, and where else but in their hometown of Galston. The sisters grew up in the Hornsby District and Elise and Jesse now live locally with their three gorgeous children, two chickens, and three dogs, including of course, old Poppy (who’s still a very good girl).
Today the trio are at their very best. Jesse is creatively foraging, fermenting and experimenting with flavour profiles from all over the world. You’ll see his global influence in Poppy Lane’s deliciously cross-cultured menu along with killer daily specials he concocts seasonly. Come by for lunch, you won’t be disappointed. Kristen is expertly brewing the best coffee Sydney has to offer, and is always down to have a good ol’ chat. And Elise is making sure the whole thing runs like clockwork.
Poppy Lane embodies the love these three have for each other, for cafe culture, and for constantly riffing ideas to serve up something incredibly tasty. This cafe will hopefully be the beginning of many endeavours with a focus on flavour, great service and a sense of family.
Poppy Lane is also set to open for Friday night trade in the very near future.
So stay tuned.