AFTER more than a year of operating her Flying Chillies cafe, owner and cook Lilly Wright is looking to evolve the business with a new name and new direction.<\/p>\n
Having closed the space as a hospitality offering, the venue is now a hub to focus on workshops and retail as Not Your Grandma’s Pantry.<\/p>\n
Wright said the transition is due to both the pressures of running a hospitality venture, which often entailed “working 70 to 80 hours a week”, as well as a desire to pursue what interests her most.<\/p>\n
“My passion is always teaching and sharing the skills I know to other people,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The focus is to do it in a more authentic way so if you want to learn how to make certain things, we’re going to do it outside with say, a wok and burners.<\/p>\n
“If you want to do chicken satay, it’ll be with charcoal, in an alternative way. It’s about immersing people in that authentic way.”<\/p>\n
After the launch of the Flying Chillies space in December 2023, Wright introduced cooking classes into the venture the following January.<\/p>\n
About four classes have been held since the cafe’s closure a month ago, with plans to run the events about twice a month.<\/p>\n
Wright said the new name is in reference to her unconventional ingredients.<\/p>\n
“When my friends come into my home, they’ll see all my ingredients that they’ve never seen before and I’ll say it’s because it’s not your grandma’s pantry,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The ingredients like salted fish or stinky beans, it’s very unusual but if you cook it right, it gives you so much flavour in your meals.”<\/p>\n
Wright said another aim behind the venture is to continue celebrating culture through cooking.<\/p>\n
The space, located at 6 Coliseum Walk, can cater for up to 15 students for workshops, while pies, other south-east Asian dishes, and Wright’s signature Flying Chillies products will be available to purchase on Fridays and Saturdays from 8.30am to 2.30pm.<\/p>\n
Visit the Not Your Grandma’s Pantry Facebook page for details on coming cooking classes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AFTER more than a year of operating her Flying Chillies cafe, owner and cook Lilly Wright is looking to evolve the business with a new name and new direction. Having closed the space as a hospitality offering, the venue is now a hub to focus on workshops and retail as Not Your Grandma’s Pantry. Wright […]<\/p>\n