Alejandro Cancino has opened a new venue on the Sunshine Coast. Lola’s Pantry — located in the suburb of Kuluin — will provide a range of vegan dishes, with Argentinian-born Cancino eager to champion plant-based cuisine.
“We don’t advertise this as plant based or vegan, there is nothing on the sign, we just want it to be good food that happens to be vegan,” says Cancino.
“It will be food that I am proud of in terms of the flavour and the ethics behind the ingredients.”
Cancino’s cafés will work hand-in-hand with local producers and his existing company Fenn Foods, which produces vegan cheeses and condiments.
Formerly the executive chef at Brisbane’s three-hatted restaurant Ubrane, Cancino has worked in some of the world’s top-ranking restaurants, including Spain’s Mugaritz.
Cancino is also considering making a return to fine dining, not ruling out the idea of opening a vegan fine-diner on the Sunshine Coast.
“It all depends on what the response is, but I want to do more to develop and research what we can do with plant-based food,” he says.
Lola’s Pantry is open for breakfast and lunch from 8:30am to 3:30pm, Tuesday–Saturday, with a feast-style menu also available on Saturday nights and a Friday night comfort food menu also on offer.