What is a Milk Crate Kitchen you ask? Exactly that, a mobile kitchen completely structured out of milk crates. The set up includes 2 small gas bottles, milk crates stacked upon milk crates for a pantry or dry store, a foot pump with running water and an ice bucket used as a cold room.
Sounds crazy, right? So crazy it might just work… Established in 2010 by partners Nathaniel and Louis, they have been setting up their deconstruct-able kitchen along bustling Sydney footpaths cooking food that is anything but typical street food ever since.
They whip up something different every time including 6kgs of baby squid, pigs ears and pork dust. People walking past soon become part of the installation as they welcome them to try their food and take a seat on…you guessed it, a milk crate. They don’t charge anything for their food, rather have a tip jar for donations.
“When we started our audience comprised only of passers by that stopped for the spectacle, then stayed once they tasted the food. Now we have return customers; people come and wait for the food to be ready, knowing that 7.30 Thursday night they can get a dinner and a show for only a donation. We’ve had couples come to the kitchen on dates, young families have stopped and eaten with us. The people love it, they love the spectacle, they love the food and they love that we make them a part of it.”
What is in store for the future of Milk Crate Kitchen? The boys hope to create a recipe book showcasing their recipes from the last six months and perhaps a Youtube Channel!
To experience this unique dining concept head to the ‘I Have a Dream’ wall on King St in Newtown on Thursday 28th August. If you miss this you will have to wait until September to see them ‘perform’ every Friday and Saturday night at Oxford Art Factory where they will create colourful concept cuisine for consumption by cooking the colour wheel. Confused? You’ll have to see it to understand.
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