The idea of opening another cafe has been on Briar and Jesse Wakelin's mind since they sold their last cafe four years ago.They both started as teenagers in the hospitality industry but have since owned The Axis Coffee Co in Parnell, were involved in Triniti of Silver and even had a little detour into ice cream. 
After a month of designing and building the new fit-out on their own, Peel To Pip opened it's doors in the last days of October last year. Situated at 619 New North Road, the previous owner had been there for 20 years. Luckily Jesse had spent time as a builder and most of the fit-out was just stripping the old fit-out back, aiming to highlight the best of the building and make it more practical.
Unlike your usual cafe, the fit-out continues to grow and change literally with garden beds all down the seating area bringing the outdoors in. The married duo believe the green house-like environment creates a calm atmosphere with edible plants at your finger tips. "Peel To Pip's name came from the idea of using the whole fruit, which is our way of looking at seasonality and sustainability," explains Briar. The cafe currently features a large tomato plant canopy but with the change of season will soon be replaced with sweet peas and broad beans. The seasonal menu is curated by the whole kitchen team, but takes inspiration from the environment around them and what delicious thing grabs them next.
