Raw and Wild, Bowral

Thank you all for your kind wishes and positive comments regarding my imminent trip to New York to be with Miss Arabella who now knows, solo-travel is not for everyone.  It’s truly lovely that so many of you have offered to catch up with us, if only we were in your part of the US.  If only we could stay longer we would be able to visit you all.  I’ll have to get Miss Arabella to pull this stunt more regularly.

Raw and Wild

Raw and Wild

Meanwhile, I must tell you about a fabulous organic produce shop and cafe in Bowral in the Southern Highlands, Raw and Wild.  I’ve been there a few times and it is one of the most exciting shops I’ve visited in a long time.

Gorgeous flowers

Gorgeous flowers

Stretching from the main street in Bowral through to the rear lane, the front entrance of the shop leads you to the fresh flowers and organic fruit and vegetables.  All are beautifully displayed, vibrantly coloured and incredibly fresh.

A great range of produce

A great range of produce

Moving further to the back of the shop there is a refrigerated section with organic meats and dairy products with great variety and prices that are reasonable given the farming practices and quality.

Fresh, organic produce

Fresh, organic produce

There’s a large range of honey, grains, nuts and seeds, and all are in containers where you decide how much of product you need rather than having to purchase pre-packaged goods.  There’s also cosmetics, skin-care and a naturopathic dispensary.  Something for everyone to be sure.

A wide selection of produce

A wide selection of produce

As much as I love the look of the shop and as much as I love browsing and shopping in these sorts of stores, I do wish the women on the front counter were a little more friendly.  I certainly wasn’t warmly greeted nor were there any smiles.

So much available

So much available

How to mill flour

How to mill flour

The final third of the premises is dedicated to the licensed organic Wild Cafe.  We’ve had snacks there a few times but haven’t dined.  The cafe is open every day but on Friday and Saturday nights dinner is available from 6pm.  The focus is on shared plates with a casual and informal dining experience.  The cafe uses only market fresh, seasonal organic and top quality natural ingredients.  Organic beer, cider and wine is available but you can BYO wine.

There's a lot of choice

There’s a lot of choice

The cafe is minimalist in style with a polished concrete floor which is a lovely look but with the metal stools and chairs, there’s a fairly abhorrent scraping sound as customers drag their chairs across the concrete.

Streamlined interior

Streamlined interior

Lunch in the cafe serves dishes like celeriac and apple soup, tandoori chicken wraps, pumpkin and sage penne, salmon with ginger sauce and homemade lemonade sweetened with agave nectar.

Raw and Wild Cafe

Raw and Wild Cafe

There’s an outdoor section to the cafe which is very sunny and in cold weather blankets are provided as well as outdoor heating.  No one was dining there the day we were there but we arrived on a day that would be one of the coldest Bowral would ever experience.

Outdoor seating area

Outdoor seating area

Raw and Wild is definitely a shop and cafe worth visiting when in the Southern Highlands.  The shop is clean and tidy with a wonderful variety of products and the cafe is a great place to sit and relax over a warming drink and a delicious snack.  I don’t think anyone could walk into this store and not make a purchase, even if it’s just a coffee. Raw and Wild:  250 Bong Bong Street, Bowral NSW 2576 Ph:  02 4861 3129

The War Memorial in Bowral

The War Memorial in Bowral – across the road from Raw & Wild

If you liked this post, you’re welcome to share it!

Comments

  1. It’s not difficult to be friendly and you’d think if that’s the job they’d select friendly people. Apart from that, I like the look of that shop!

  2. Freshly milled flour? Woa-I don’t think I’ve been to a store here in Atlanta, where I saw that as an option! I love a minimalist setting – this store/cafe is gorgeous!
    P.S. Yes – Arabella most definitely pull her little escapade again – tell her to aim for the south eastern region of the States next time 😉

  3. I love the idea of fresh milled flour. It’s a great looking cafe and store. Perhaps you could get Arabella to aim for the UK next time!? GG x

  4. I think Arabella should try being lonely in Rome next time:) Poor thing it’s a scary thing to be travelling alone for the first time no matter how outgoing and confident you may be. Enjoy your adventure x

  5. I would welcome a place to buy great fresh produce. And this looks so lovely. Sounds like a great find other than the unfriendly staff.

  6. Isn’t it amazing how the behaviour of staff can ruin a perfectly wonderful shopping experience? I am the same way. I love stores like this. We have a few modelled this way in the US and though I buy the bulk products, I’ve never used the flour mill. Love their cafe too.
    Hope Arabella is doing ok until you get there. Have fun!!

  7. Customer service adds so much to any business. What a simple lesson that so many avoid.

  8. Grinding your own flour? You so need to do that even if you don’t need any today. Look at those blue skies in your photos, just gorgeous. I am certain Arabella will be fine but NYC is a big place and everyone is very busy she just needs to find some friends with same interests and hopefully this will help with the adjustment. Safe Travels

  9. What a cool place! I love the name! Too bad you won’t be visiting me here in MI…maybe next time! 😉 xo

  10. What a great looking shop! I’d definitely not be able to walk out of there without spending money. Fun review — thanks.

  11. I could spend hours in a shop like that, I find packaging and bulk offerings so interesting; I usually end up buying something so unusual when I go to these types of stores!
    I’d love to meet you too, but we’ve talked about that.

  12. What an interesting shop, I’m sure I could get lost in there for a while! I do like the idea of milling your own flour, fantastic xox

  13. Such a nice store…I have never milled flour…sounds a lot of fun. Thanks for the pictures Charlie.
    Have a great week dear 😀

  14. Thanks heaps . . . especially for including the War Memorial photo ’cause now I know exactly where the car should stop next time around. Love Bowral but basically get there to see specialist doctors, have X-Rays or in the back of an ambulance when things have really gone wrong 🙂 !! Usually want to leave asap afterwards and have a tendency to stop in Mittagong on the way back for those extra purchases!! But next time around . . . this is ‘my kind of’ shop!! Hope the packing and organizing are working smoothly!

    • Thanks Eha, I hope next time you have to be in Bowral you’re able to make a stop to this store; it’s seriously good. Yes, the packing and organising is coming along – slowly! I hope to put up a post this evening with an update.

  15. Miss a couple of days and come back to find you are going to New York :). I am sure you two will have a wonderful week together 🙂

  16. Sure wish we had a place like this! What a great market/cafe/shop. I could spend all day in there.

  17. That looks like my kind of shop. I’ve been to Bowral once and it’s a fabulous area.

  18. I don’t think I’ve seen freshly grind flour mill in a supermarket! This cafe/market is really cool. It’s definitely a foodie’s favorite spot! I need to catch up on your posts to see about NY trip!?!?!

  19. MY KIND OF SHOP! I am always so excited to see these places featured – the more there are, the more hope I have for yet more into the future 🙂

  20. Oh cool! I don’t know much about Bowral but we are planning a getwaway to the Southern Highlands soon so this is very useful 🙂

  21. I do love Bowral so much, this place looks awesome! Totally have to visit next time I head down 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  22. That’s sad that the service wasn’t friendlier. Usually in these sorts of places the people are really nice! I wish I had a shop like this close by.

  23. Oh what I wouldn’t do to have a raw and wild here although you can keep the unfriendly staff.
    Have a lovely day Charlie.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  24. I love the idea of grinding your own flour and being able to buy how much you want to buy of their honey and other items, very nice. We have Whole Foods and they are a little like that.

  25. What a lovely shop! And freshly ground flour. Wow! Sadly, I believe customer service “with a smile” is a lost art…in every country in this day and age.

  26. Having a nice place like this really makes a town a magnet for me – I’d love to visit

  27. That outdoor terrace looks perfect. I love seating areas like that and the shop is so cute!

  28. what a wonderful thing to have freshly ground grain!

  29. Love places like this a cafe and also organise deli that sells things main stream super market don’t 🙂 Even better when they’re organic!

  30. Argh! Sorry to hear they weren’t so friendly! I went to Raw and Wild and loved their breakfast, but I recall my husband was the one who went to the counter to order, so didn’t experience the lack of friendliness at all!

    • Hi Olivia, I found the staff in the cafe part to be pleasant and amenable but the staff in the shop section showed no interest in being helpful or in providing customer service. Very different to my recent New York experience!

Speak Your Mind

*