6 April 2022

Hot in the City: Sylvie & Bruno’s poffertjes find the sweet spot for coeliacs and foodies alike

| Michelle Taylor
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Get your poffertje and coffee fix at Sylvie & Bruno Photo: Kazuri Photography.

Before you even bite into one of their luscious poffertjes, a traditional Dutch dessert, you can feel the joy radiating from Sylvie & Bruno’s coffee bean-shaped food van. This is a vibrant, new family-run business, and they are all just happy to be working alongside each other.

“I was a teacher working in disability and early intervention for 10 years and needed to do something different,” owner Siobhann says.

She also wanted to spend more time with her four children before they became adults.

“When I told my husband, Paul, that I wanted to run a coffee van, he was like, ‘what?!’

“We sold our house in the Blue Mountains and bought a coffee van in June. The kids have all had barista training at Seven Miles. We love the family time we spend together. The poffertjes are fantastic and so easy to make. And our whole van is coeliac-friendly.”

Part of the family team of Sylvie & Bruno. Photo: Kazuri Photography.

Siobhann had long made poffertjes at home for the family. Being a coeliac, she’d always made them gluten-free. That got her thinking. As a coeliac, she realised she couldn’t get hot desserts at a cafe. Every option was made from almond and lemon, a cold dessert. Siobhann knew her hot, fluffy poffertjes would bring joy to Canberra’s coeliacs and everyone else!

Siobhann finds it fun and challenging to theme the poffertjes seasonally. On the day I visit, there are two seasonal options, one sweet, one savoury. Of course, I have both!

Passionfruit curd poffertjes

These passionfruit curd poffertjes are warm, fluff balls of scrumptiousness. Photo: Kazuri Photography.

I rarely eat sweets first, but today is an exception. Put the word ‘curd’ into any dish and I am there with bells on! These passionfruit curd poffertjes are warm, fluff balls of scrumptiousness. Tangy passion fruit curd, topped with double cream and strawberry slices and dusted with icing sugar. Blissful.

The savoury option is smoked salmon and spinach with lemon dill cream sauce. And the cream cheese is lactose-free! These flavours go together perfectly. Yum, yum, yum!

“At the moment, I am trying to work out how to do caramelised figs in the van,” Siobhann says.

Savoury poffertjes

Savoury poffertjes, salmon and spinach with lemon dill cream sauce. Photo: Kazuri Photography.

If you choose not to have the daily special, order poffertjes served with the traditional topping of icing sugar and butter. Or you can get caramel sauce, or Nutella and cream. Siobhann says they always have an infused honey from Happy B Honey.

Happy B Honey dehydrates fruit, grinds it into a powder and whips it into their honey. They create a different flavour each month. When I visit, the flavour is vanilla and coconut honey! Doesn’t that sound tantalising?

Sylvie & Bruno also stock Zimi’s Bakehouse goodies, including gluten-free cheese and spinach pies! As well as supporting these local businesses, Sylvie & Bruno use Farmer Brown free-range eggs from Hall Village.

When it comes to drinks, you can get all types of coffee, chai and iced drinks. Give the iced coffee a try – it has the most delectable cinnamon sugary topping.

Sylvie & Bruno is located at Yerrabi Pond from 8 am to 2 pm on Saturday, and some Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm. They’re at Horse Park Dr for coffees and other beverages from Tuesday to Friday.

Follow Sylvie & Bruno on Facebook and Instagram to see what new flavour they are serving up this weekend or to book them for your next events.

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Alight, I NEED to try the cheese and spinach pies!

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