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Sasha Simpson, together with her right-hand man Shane Pretorius have been running Prep’ed by Sasha catering since 2009. Sasha describes it as “an expression of our creativity rather than a static mainstream caterer”. A while ago the duo were offered the space in the iconic fire station in Rosebank and they instantly fell in love with the building. “At that point we didn’t have a concept for a restaurant but, to be frank, I knew that if I didn’t sweep up the opportunity I would loath anyone else that got the space!” Sasha comments.
As her career was paved by an instinctive attitude towards food, Brik followed the same path − things fell into place and their philosophy was slowly born. “My mother is very spiritual, my sister is passionate about living a waste-free healthy lifestyle, and my father is involved in bioenergy, so I knew that Brik needed to encompass all those elements,” Sasha says.
They consciously curate each dish, changing it based on the season, the crockery and the decor. They wanted to retain some fire station heritage and blend that with a European street-style cafe. Brik supports local businesses and artisans, purchasing from small farms and growers wherever possible. They also repurpose all of their waste – glass is recycled, soft plastics are made into eco bricks, and plastic bottles are chosen based on their recycling potential and then sent to It’s Not Made In China, an organisation who makes bags and T-shirts from them. Their wet food waste either gets repurposed into syrups, sauces or jams, or gets sent to one of the farms that supply them with produce, who then uses it to make compost.
Since the cafe opened two months ago, business has been thriving, due partly to the foot traffic from businesses operating in the same building. Customers can choose from delicious dishes like pastrami with sweet potato latke, poached egg and burnt butter emulsion, warm cauliflower and pickled grape salad, and Brik’s best-ever grilled cheese (a mix of brie, grana padano, mature cheddar and mozzarella).
Sasha says that in future they plan to expand their retail offering so that customers can enjoy a meal and then leave with a bag filled with delicious handmade preservative-free breads, preserves, relishes and veggies.
“We consciously curate each dish, changing it based on the season, the crockery and the décor” SASHA SIMPSON, OWNER, BRIK CAFÉ
Brik Café | 071 509 3131 | Facebook: @brickcaferosebank | Instagram: @brik_cafe
