Naomi Orsillo, like most women, is a busy woman. But, you know what they say, if you want something done …

Naomi is a mother of two, who with her husband, opened a busy city cafe, Copper & Stone. It is a delicious place to eat at and look at, with a menu created from the belief that food is medicine. Naomi has taken her passion for health and wellbeing and her studies in Nutritional medicine into the design of a menu that nurtures the body, soul and planet. Ingredient selection and food preparation is carefully designed to ensure that every bite supports your vitality.

Where are you working from today?

Today I’m working from one of the two beautiful communal tables at our business, Copper & Stone Cafe. I always love spreading out my books and papers over the glossy wood grain. From time to time customers come to sit and chat whilst I work. It’s very social and I love the interaction that communal tables promote. I guess that’s why they’re called communal- they really do promote community!

What are you working on?

Today I’m working on creating new season’s breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks menus. There are so many aspects to our business that I enjoy, especially all the beautiful people we get to know but I also particularly love the creative aspect of menu writing. There are so many elements to incorporate- how the dish tastes, how it will be presented, what health benefits it offers. Our flavour palate is based around Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours which represent our Jewish and Italian heritage. We create rustic, wholesome dishes using fresh and seasonal produce. We have a fantastic kitchen and produce pretty much everything from scratch. As I’m currently studying Nutritional Medicine, food integrity is really important to me. I enjoy sourcing quality ingredients which nurture our customers and make our food full of flavour. I love that we get to support local businesses with the ingredients we choose to stock. I have a big crush on ethical and sustainable brands like Loving Earth and Hemple, and I’m excited about incorporating their products into our new offering. 

How’s it going?

The menu is coming together now. The process has been a bit stop start though, and at times when I’ve been stuck I love going through recipe books for inspiration. 

When you get stuck, what do you do?

There’s nothing like turning the pages of a real book and finding an idea or an ingredient that helps complete a dish you’re working on. We especially love Ottolenghi for his use of vegetables and the gorgeous way he presents his dishes. Everything always looks so abundant.

Who sees your earliest version & at what stage?

My husband Sergio and I work together so he always gets to see the work in progress first. He is so creative and does all our pasta sauces but is happy for me to play with the other menu options. Of course once we have our ideas on paper, our chef is involved in writing the recipes and working out plating. Finally, our team get the whole menu cooked for them so they can experience it all as we share a meal around the communal table where it all began!