4 Top Tips for Choosing Event Catering

4 Comments/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Cafes, Bundaberg Region, Catering Bundaberg, Productivity/by Alowishus Delicious

4 Top Tips for Choosing Catering

Planning an event can be hard work. Catering your event can be a daunting task! If you are in Bundaberg or Maryborough we want to make life a little easier. We’ve compiled a list of some important considerations when choosing your menu. Here are 4 Top Tips for Choosing Catering:

1. How would you describe your guests?

think about who you have invited… what do they like? how old are they? what is the purpose of your function? if the majority of your guest list is made up of health-conscious, dairy free, vegans we wouldn’t suggest hot finger food platters (although perfect for an after work get together). Our Pesto Pumpkin Salad Boxes on the other hand, would be a sure winner. Likewise, if your event is about networking then choose smaller food items that are easier to hold and digest mid-conversation.

Fortunately, we’ve be doing this for over 10 years, so our food is designed for all types of functions, guests and food size requirements! To see our entire menu, visit https://orders.alowishus.com.au/menu

2. What time of day is the function?

Are you starting early with a breakfast or perhaps a pre-dinner drink? This may be obvious but no one really wants to have a brekkie yoghurt with a G&T! Once you determine your time of day it is very easy to narrow down your food decisions.

3. How many guests and how long are they staying?

If you are going for an all dayer, it’s important to remember you will need more food over the time. If you’re only doing a pre-dinner drink function you will not be needing such large amounts of food. You can see the number of pieces and recommended guest numbers on our website. 4 Top Tips for Choosing Catering

4. What is your space?

Where will your function be held? What facilities and equipment do you have? What are you prepared to do pre and post the function?

When ordering with Alowishus all your food will arrive beautifully boxed so all you need to do is open the lid.

We hope you found these 4 Top Tips for Choosing Catering helpful.

Order Catering online – Click Here

Handy tips – How To Make the Most of the Alowishus App

How To Make the Most of the Alowishus App

0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Cafes, Uncategorized/by Alowishus Delicious

Lots of our wonderful customers have taken the brave step of embracing technology and are enjoying the rewards that come with using our app.

Now, we know there are some who just want to order and pay the traditional way and that’s perfectly fine.

But… we also know that there are some people who would love to use our app more often but just aren’t sure about a few things.

Hopefully, we can clear some of those up for you.

I’ve ordered and paid for a takeaway coffee on the app. Do I let them know at the register?

No. Just come straight to the pick-up point and wait for your order to be called. We’ll also send a text message to your phone to let you know it’s ready if you happen to get distracted on your way.

Can I ‘dine in’ and pay using the app?

Sure can.

Select ‘Pay In-Store’ when the app asks how you are ordering
You will see a number on your screen that our staff can also see on our system to match up your order
Go to the register and order as usual and let the staff member know you are paying with the app

I can only order drinks on the app when I order ahead – what about food?

You can order food from our Maryborough Location. For our Bundy Grab and Go Locations, just choose what you want in store and pay at the counter with your app. See the answer above to see how to pay with the app and earn points.

How do I make sure the app uses my rewards credit, not my stored payment method?

So long as you have redeemed points for credit, the app will automatically use that before charging your stored payment method.

Speaking of points, there’s no page on the app that tells me what I can get for ‘X’ amount of points…

Every dollar you spend earns you 10 reward points, or part thereof. For example, if you spend $5 you get 50 points and if you spend $4.90 you get 49 points.

Once you get to 500 points the app will prompt you to redeem your points for a $5 credit. If you don’t redeem it, you will be prompted again at 1000 points to redeem for a $10 credit.

Does that help?

If you’ve installed the app but have been feeling a bit uncertain about using it, we hope that clears a few things up and gives you the confidence to go ahead and start earning points.

If you haven’t installed our app yet, go ahead and do it, there’s a nice surprise waiting for you – we’ll give you a $5 credit upfront to get you started.

Of course, as always, if you want to chat with us in person, we’re always happy to help.

Order catering in Bundaberg and Maryborough https://orders.alowishus.com.au/menu

READ about the evolution of our takeaway coffee cups.

READ – 9 Coffee Puns Guaranteed To Spruce Up Your Next Coffee Date ☕️

WATCH – The day we won Triple M’s Best Coffee in Bundy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR9-NjtvtcU

The Christmas Story Comes Alive at Bethlehem Live

1 Comment/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Cafes, Bundaberg Region, Uncategorized/by Alowishus Delicious

Christmas is such a special time of year and over the last few years Bethlehem Live has added another magical element to Christmas time here in Bundaberg.

Held at Central State School, just a short stroll down Barolin St from Alowishus, you could say that Bethlehem Live is like the most elaborate and realistic nativity scene ever, combined with an immersive history lesson and good old family fun.

Many volunteers come together to capture the experience of being in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth. The streets of our very own Bethlehem Market Place are filled with people doing exactly what they would have been doing when Mary and Joseph arrived while on their way to take part in the census.

It is a reminder that the spirit and meaning of Christmas are well and truly alive over 2000 years on.

What Else Is There?

Once you are finished exploring the streets of Bethlehem, there will be plenty of yummy food on offer, including gelato from the Alowishus Gelato Cart. While you enjoy your gelato, you can take in some live music and the various displays by several community groups.

The Details

If you are looking forward to Bethlehem Live as much as we are, here’s what you need to know…

When: 17^th – 20^th December 2019

Times: 6pm to 9pm each night

Where: Bundaberg Central State School

For full details, visit the Bethlehem Live website at www.bethlehemlive.com.au or keep up to date on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bethlehemlivebundaberg/

Bethlehem Live is presented by the Combined Churches of Bundaberg in partnership with SU Queensland. Alowishus Delicious is proud to be a sponsor of Bundaberg’s very own Christmas festival once again in 2019.

We’d love to see you there to help celebrate Christmas!

By the way, if you find that the inn is full, you are welcome to come rest a while at Alowishus after visiting Bethlehem Live. We are open late on the Thursday (9pm) and Friday (‘til 11pm) for a nightcap or a light snack.

READ about WHY we like to be involved in the local Bundaberg and Maryborough communities

FIND OUT HOW you can help some of the most vulnerable members of our community this festive season.

WATCH the 12 Days of Alowishus for a bit of a laugh!

We’re Going Yellow to Help Our Homeless

0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Cafes, Bundaberg Region/by Alowishus Delicious

On Friday, August 9th 2019 Alowishus in Bundaberg and Maryborough will once again be joining hundreds of cafes and coffee roasters for CaféSmart, a united effort to help homeless people in communities around Australia.

CaféSmart is an initiative of the great people at StreetSmart – Action Against Homelessness

Why We Love Being Part of CaféSmart

On any given night in Australia over 115,000 people are homeless – often through circumstances beyond their control. We believe everyone should have a safe and secure place to call home.

The funds raised through CaféSmart come back to local service providers such as Edon Place Women’s Shelter here in Bundaberg. This is a way to make a real difference in our local community at the grassroots level.

We have been involved for eight years now. Last year we raised $1113.70 between both stores which came back to help people in Bundaberg and Maryborough.

It’s Super Easy to Help Out

Do you like to drink our coffee?

We are going to assume that’s a ‘Yes’. So, all you need to do is buy a coffee (or any other hot drink) on August 9 th and we will give $1 to CaféSmart.

Can you afford an extra dollar?

You don’t have to, but we will be asking customers if they’d like to match our dollar with one of their own.

It’s that easy.

What Else Are We Doing?

The theme colour for CaféSmart is yellow, so to help raise awareness we will be dressing in yellow.

But we won’t stop there… we will have yellow cupcakes for sale with $1 from each of them also going to CaféSmart also.

Finally, Post Your Pics on Social Media

On the day, you can help let others know about this important cause by posting your coffee and cupcakes with the hashtag #helpyourhood

Let’s do something together to help the vulnerable in our community. We’d love to see you for coffee, a cupcake, or both on Friday, August 9th 2019.

Follow us on Facebook!

Henceforth: A journey to a new place

0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Cafes, Bundaberg Region/by Alowishus Delicious

The written word has always fascinated me in a way that I possibly don’t even understand yet myself. I remember as a young lad in school that I really enjoyed history, although I must confess, this interest started when I got my first copy of Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, a computer game where you played historical scenarios and learned the historical context around which they happened; a very engaging way to learn indeed. What does this have to do with coffee? Plain and simple – I have no idea! However, this interest inevitably led me, likewise, to have an interest in what people back then were writing about: their beliefs, stories and mythologies. So, a very interesting era for me was the 17^th century when the enlightenment took hold and revolutionised our world forever, but a very subtle factor of that era that I think gets overlooked quite easily, is the language of that time and how people spoke and in this particular case: English. English, in my humble opinion and many others I’m sure would agree, of the 17^th century was at the height of its beauty and eloquence and would beat any hashtag or literary trend we have now: ANY DAY! It’s also the era of spoken English in which Shakespeare wrote his plays and even now still considered masterpieces.

Henceforth Cold Brew – Available at Alowishus Delicious

So fast-forwarding to now, having recently started my journey in hospitality and particularly the coffee scene, I jumped at the opportunity when it arose to take forward a project that involved crafting cold brew coffee and also develop its own labelling. I instantly started thinking about the branding and what inspiration I would draw from. Obviously, I went for the amazing gift we have as humans, to communicate with speech, as my inspiration. Any language, of course, is just as amazing as the next but it just so happens that we live in an English speaking country. At least, for the most part, that is.

After pondering on the name of the brand for a bit, I wanted to come up with something that invoked action, as the Merriam-Webster dictionary states, “…expressing some relation of manner or quality, place, time, degree, number…” (Adverb. (n.d.). Retrieved 14 March 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adverb).

A Cold Brew for Yea-Sayers

And so, Henceforth was born! I loved the fact that one word encapsulated so many things at once but also made a call to action. Henceforth simply means from this point on (Merriam-Webster dictionary). Furthermore, other elements that fit well with Henceforth were a compass and finally – THE COFFEE! With all the elements together, the concept I hoped to convey through the labelling was that ‘from this point onwards (Henceforth) having a cold brew of your choice (THE COFFEE!) will direct your day (the compass) no matter what errand you’re on (YOU the coffee drinker). So with this branding personality in place and the help of David whom I consulted for help on a regular basis and will continue to do as the brand develops, and without whose help wouldn’t have made it possible, we have arrived at what is only the starting point of something special. FIN!

~Heinrich

Watch Now: Alowishus Visiting Local Bundy Farms

We surprised 3 local Bundaberg businesses with some of our delicious, house-made gelato. What’s even better, we made it using their very own produce!

International Sandwich Day

0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog/by Alowishus Delicious

Sandwich

Sandwich Day is observed annually on November 3. The sandwich is believed to be the namesake of John Montagu. He was the 4th Earl of Sandwich, following the claim that he was the inventor of the sandwich.

This day honours one of Australia’s most popular lunch items.

Bundaberg Sandwich

The Earl of Sandwich was a Gambling Man:

While the modern sandwich is believed to be named after John Montagu, the exact circumstances of its invention and original use are the subject of debate. There is a rumour in a contemporary travel book titled Tour to London, by Pierre Jean Grosley. The rumour formed the popular myth that bread and meat sustained Lord Sandwich at the gambling table. It is said that Lord Sandwich was a very conversant gambler and did not take the time to have a meal during his long hours playing at the card table. He also didn’t like holding his cards with greasy meat fingers. When hungry, he would ask his servants to bring him slices of meat between two slices of bread. This practice was a habit which was well known to his gambling friends. They soon began to order “the same as Sandwich,” and from this, the sandwich was born.

N.A.M. Rodger, who wrote Sandwich’s biography, suggests that because of Sandwich’s commitment to the navy, politics and the arts the first sandwich was more likely to have been consumed at his work desk.

Before being known as sandwiches, the food seems just to have been known as bread and meat or bread and cheese.

Some of the most common sandwiches include BLT – Cheese Sandwich – Club Sandwich – Hamburger – Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich (USA) – Reuben – Sloppy Joe – Submarine (Subway)

Every International Sandwich Day, Alowishus will match each Pay it Forward Voucher purchased by our customers with one of our own.

If you can’t make it into the shop, you can purchase online at the link below:

https://alowishus.com.au/payitforward

Need something special for your next event?

Maybe our cure vintage Gelato Cart would fit the bill? Find more here:

http://www.alowishusgelato.com.au

Libbys love affair with ice cream

1 Comment/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Region/by Alowishus Delicious

Ice Cream

Not sure how old I was when I had my first ice cream? ……. I’m not talking about the sort that came out of the freezer at home if and when I had eaten all my vegetables ……. The real stuff. The colourful substance in those tall tins in the cold cabinet at the Great Australian Ice Creamery. Where you could press your nose hard against the cold glass as you tried to make a decision.

In our house, an ice cream was always “the perfect treat”. As a kid, when Dad said “let’s go for an ice cream” I knew it was a “happy day!!” Whether it was a reward, a chance for my sisters and I to ride our bikes to the corner store, a soft serve, the neighbour’s mango ice-blocks, Mr Whippy, or a holiday treat on a hot summer’s day, it didn’t matter. That was until on a holiday to our usual spot, Caloundra, we discovered … Gelato!!

There was just something indulgent about that smooth, delicate, creamy texture. Not icey – and so many flavours, fruity or creamy, in a crunchy waffle cone or a cup. Decisions, decisions – they gave us cute little spoons to sample it before we made our choice. This only made the decision even harder. I’d never been anywhere else where you could sample the food before you bought it! So every visit to Caloundra after that demanded several must-do trips to Milanos.

And so ….. my love of ice cream came from pretty ordinary beginnings but many happy childhood memories were formed in those days. It was just one of those special things my Dad and I used to do.

Starting out in the Ice Cream business ………

When Tracey approached me to become involved in the Gelato making at Alowishus something really excited me. It ignited a passion for Gelato making which continues to flourish. I have thoroughly enjoyed my Gelato journey and still pinch myself that Tracey and Mike have given me the opportunity to experiment and craft this awesome product.

I love matching the flavours with Bundaberg’s extensive fresh local produce to create delicious cups of “awesomeness”. I’ve discovered the combination of flavours is endless and I get really excited about the wide range we have on offer. It has been a real buzz and I somehow think my heart was meant for Alowishus.

I have made it my mission to sample Gelato wherever I go with the aim of serving the freshest, creamiest and best-tasting Gelato around. This ensures Alowishus Gelato is an all- round pleasurable, once-is-not-enough experience.

Come and check out our Gelato cabinet. It’s a celebration of our “love affair” with Gelato. I know you’ll love it too.

And the most asked question… ”which one???”

Choose your favourite flavour here: www.alowishusgelato.com.au

Watch more of Libby’s gelato journey here:

One fine day at Tinaberries Strawberry Farm in Bundaberg

1 Comment/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Region/by Olivia Harvey

Video by FlySocial

Tinaberries

Our passion for fresh, local produce has led us to work with some amazing local farmers, just like Tinaberries, right here in the Bundaberg Region.

During the Bundy season, we source all our strawberries from their local farm for use in our delicious sorbet and gelato.

At Alowishus, we believe that buying local produce doesn’t only help our community grow but it tastes better, too. This is because it can be picked at peak ripeness to ensure the absolute best quality and flavour.

We like to know where our food comes from and love to share the stories of the people who grow it with our customers.

We are truly blessed for having so much amazing produce available right here in Bundy. The Bundaberg Region accounts for around 25% of all of Australia’s produce.

Thank you, Bundaberg! Thank you, Tinaberries!

Tip: Head over to Tinaberries website for some delicious strawberry recipes.

Some berry tips just for you:

To maximise flavour strawberries should be served at room temperature.
Take them out of the fridge one hour before serving.

Too much water will damage the soft fruit and encourage breakdown.
Only wash berries immediately prior to use.

How to hull strawberries
The hull or calyx is the green leafy top of the strawberry, which is generally removed before cooking or serving. Angle a small sharp knife and cut, in a circular motion, around the green leafy top of the strawberry and into the pale flesh directly underneath.Remove the hull and discard. Wash strawberries under cold running water before using.

Have you joined the Good News yet? You should, as you get freebies, straight into your inbox every month. Start now with 2 free coffees. Click the link below for your FREE stuff

www.alowishus.com.au

You might also like: Chai Me – Find Your Own Inner Spice

Meet our Gelato Mestro’s

0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog/by Tracey McPhee

I love checking out the cabinet at the end of gelato making days.

It always looks so fresh and fun, it’s a joy to behold. My other favourite thing to do is taste the new flavours straight from the batch processor, the product is just so creamy. A few weeks back I took some time to watch all the processes again …………….. ok, and maybe to sample some of the product as well. After all, someone has to do quality control! It may as well be me :-)

Afterwards I chatted with our amazing team who bring you all the wonderful flavours in the cabinet each week. I asked them a few of their favourite things about gelato. Here’s what they said

What is your favourite thing, or what do you love about making gelato?

Libby:
I love being able to use the fresh local produce that Bundaberg has to offer in my gelato and sorbet. I like inventing exciting and unique flavours creating a fun experience for our customers.
Georgia:
Everything about it! It’s great fun, I never not want to be on a gelato day! The new flavours are always exciting and gelato or sorbet straight out of the batch processor is soooooo delicious
Nerilyn:
I love the versatility of making new gelato flavours

What is your Favourite Flavour?

Nerilyn: Top Deck or Macadamia
Libby: My favourite would have to be the passionfruit, white chocolate and lime curd gelato. It uses Tina Berries passionfruit and Bundy Limes which we then make into a yummy curd that we swirl throughout the gelato.
Georgia: I love Chocolate Sorbet and Malteser, but most of them are pretty good!

Gelato or Sorbet?

Georgia:
Not playing favourites, I like both, but can’t eat much gelato.
Nerilyn:
Definitely Gelato!
Libby:
Depends what day you have me on. In summer, sorbets are always a hit and very refreshing but gelato would have to be the winner.

What’s Your Worst Injury?

Libby:
No battle scars as of yet.
Georgia:
Squished my finger good and proper once when I was putting the door on the machine
Nerilyn:
Got stitches after busting my finger open while cleaning the machine

Did you know ……

you can purchase take home packs of our yummy ice-cream. One litre and 500 ml packs are available on demand. If you are a true die hard fan of ours, you can also pre-order a 5 litre take home pack in advance. Just see the team at the counter and they can hook you up.

We also have our cute vintage style cart available for hire. It features in the video below and you can find out more about it by clicking the link just above the video. We supply all the cups, spoons and a team member to serve for you. We clean up and leave you to enjoy your event. All you need to do is pick your favourite flavours! We have loads of dairy and gluten free options.

Alowishus Delicious make all their products with lots of love. Try something today. What’s your favourite flavour? You can choose here:

www.alowishusgelato.com.au

Do you know the difference between ice cream and gelato? Watch out for our next blog post and we will let you know.

Yours in all things sweet

Tracey McPhee – owner of Alowishus and eater of all things yummy :-)

Paying it Forward in Bundaberg

0 Comments/in Alowishus Blog, Bundaberg Region/by Alowishus Delicious

Bundaberg people truly have put their money where their mouth is with their support behind a local Pay It Forward initiative. More than 530 sandwich vouchers have been purchased and handed out to people who are homeless or struggling between pay cheques each week.

In November 2015 Alowishus Delicious and IMPACT’s Street Outreach Service teamed up to help those in need. Owners of Alowishus, Tracey and Michael McPhee, promote a strong ethos of community support and so the Pay It Forward voucher ingenuity was inevitable.

“At Alowishus, we believe if we want to see change, we have to be that change. That’s why giving back is a big part of what we do, and helping on a local level means we get to witness that change,” said Tracey. “For the support we put forward though, it is our customers who are the ones that make it happen, we just put it out there. I love that Alowishus is a vehicle that enables the entire community to give back. Mostly, people want to help, but they’re unsure how to do it, I think we’ve made it easy and affordable for people to contribute.”

Alowishus suggest just a $4 donation, which equates to one sandwich or toastie voucher, they subsidise the remaining cost of any sandwich. The vouchers are then handed out to people that the Street Outreach volunteers meet. From the 539 vouchers already paid forward, 388 have been bought in store, 27 have been purchased online, 84 came via donations from Moncrieff Entertainment Centre’s fundraising efforts and Alowishus have put forward a further 40 after the national CafeSmart event in August.

IMPACT Street Outreach coordinator Cristel Simmonds says it is so much more than just a sandwich to the people who receive them. “Yes, it is a meal, often the only one for some people, but it means a lot more to them than just food in the long run. They have a chance to connect and feel part of their community, they get to attend a popular café, they get to communicate with staff where they are not judged, where they are accepted.

Pay it Forward

Many people who use these vouchers are lonely and socially isolated, they benefit greatly from that basic interaction. Something as simple as a sandwich can mean so much more to people who have less than most.” Recipients of the vouchers can order straight off the menu and are welcome to dine in or take away, which ever they are most comfortable with.

The Outreach Van is a vital community service that offers people a safe and trusted contact and gateway to other services and advocacy advice. Volunteers help deliver the service twice a week in Bundaberg with the aim of connection, conversation, and compassion. The van carries Street Swags, blankets, warm drinks, vouchers and essential items such as toiletries and sanitary items that can all make someone more comfortable, especially if they’re sleeping rough.

This article was originally published on the IMPACT Community Services Website on 16 Sep 2016: https://www.impact.org.au/paying-it-forward

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