Mums bring delicious delights, welcome vibes to new café

Brooke Humphreys and Tara Sutcliffe have set up a relaxed haven for Nambour food lovers.

Business Writeup by Janine Hill

TWO mums with a shared background in hospitality have combined heads, hands and hearts to open a new café in Nambour.

Brooke Humphreys and Tara Sutcliffe opened Muffin Whole opposite Quota Park three months ago with a vision to provide tasty food in a welcoming, relaxed space.

“We both worked in hospitality in our teenage years and wanted to create a really nice atmosphere for everyone, especially mums, to come and get some yummy cakes and feel really comfortable relaxing with the kids,” Tara said.

“It’s not a gentrified café. If there’s a level of pretentiousness in the air, you can’t really relax.

Easy going venue next to park 

“We’re pretty easy-going here and the park is opposite. It’s a laidback space and we think people have responded to it really nicely.”

Tara, a chef by trade, takes pride in the quality of food on offer.

“We make everything from scratch – the bread, the pickles, the cakes. A friend brings in beautiful home-grown vegies from her garden and we get other produce from the markets,” she said.

The two women manage what could be an overwhelming workload by keeping the menu simple, with one or two daily specials, but also switch around the menu to ensure it does not go stale.

Brooke’s handmade earrings are also sold through the café and Tara keeps a rack of vintage clothes for sale.

Tara and Brooke’s partnership had its beginnings four years ago when Tara’s clothing designer sister opened a pop-up shop in Nambour. Tara snared a corner of the store for a creative space.

“Brooke was walking past, looking fabulous as always, and wanted to put some earrings in the shop, Tara said.

The pair struck up a friendship, sharing interests and trading tips and tales about motherhood.  

Tara’s son, Ocean, is now four and Brooke’s daughter, Arnica, is almost eight. Running a small business while juggling small children is not easy but the friends manage. 

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