Canteen Barossa Serves Up Nostalgia with a Twist

After carving a unique place in Angaston’s hospitality scene, Marlo Grocke – the name behind popular cafe Hive – is bringing her signature dishes, warmth and Barossa hospitality to a brand new space.

Canteen Barossa is a reimagined café and retail offering at Marananga School, part of a creative collaboration which includes Staguni restaurant, Goldie Pottery Studio, New Wave Wines, the Hidden Flower Farm and Barossa Gin Lab.

Canteen takes its cues from the old schoolhouse, retaining original features like the blackboard, classroom ‘sitting circle’ and timber school desks.

Coffee, wine and cocktails add a sophisticated touch to the family-friendly setting, which overlooks a playground and beautiful countryside.

Marlo says the success of Hive as a cafe and co-working space has built a solid foundation for diversification, supported by talented chefs Allisha Stevens and Halle Barney.

“Our ability to diversify and extend into another venue is partly because we have such a strong team in our Hive group,” Marlo says.

“The thing we love so much about Hive is that sense of community – we are so close to our customers and share so much with our community through that space, and we’re already starting to build those connections with the Western side of the Valley at Canteen.

“It just brings us a lot of joy.”

Canteen’s gourmet menu is a playful nod to schoolyard lunches with an elevated twist, featuring artisan sausage rolls and Breaking Bread sourdough toasties, highlighted with fresh flavours of local produce.

Marlo says both the Canteen menu and space itself have been influenced by feedback from customers.

“Like anywhere, you need to spend some time in a place to know what it truly is,” says Marlo.

“We’re continuing to elevate our offering – think long breakfasts on the weekend and gourmet lunch offerings – and that will be reflected in our winter menu.”

The north-facing alfresco timber decking merges seamlessly with the expansive lawns, while a winter makeover is set to include outdoor heaters, cosy couches and rugs.

Marlo says the thoughtfully restored schoolhouse has been a hit with both first-time customers and former students who remember the space intimately.

“We’ve had quite a lot of people who attended the school as students or taught at the school, and that’s been quite fascinating,” says Marlo. “People remember where they used to sit and the green circle on the floor, which was the sitting circle – for some people it’s been quite an emotional experience.”

Marlo attributes the success of the space to the vision of co-owners Nick Radford, Kirsty Kingsley, Luke Edwards and Renee de Saxe, who have transformed the schoolhouse from forgotten relic to a thriving community enterprise.

“They are real visionaries when it comes to communal spaces, really activating and bringing everything together, right down to the small touches.”

Alongside husband and business partner Mark Pennington, Marlo has plans to expand the retail offering and introduce special occasions and events, and says she feels humbled to be part of something larger.

“Every time I come here and look at this beautiful space, I think what a magical opportunity - spaces like this don’t come along very often.”