Common Bean Cafe

08/04/2026

Have you seen our housemade preserves and pickles?

We rescue leftover produce and turn it into relishes, jams, ferments and more - all made with our Good Start Interns and in partnership with Whittlesea Food Collective.

Every jar helps reduce waste and builds skills for local young people.

Grab yours at:
📍 Common Bean Cafe, Kangan TAFE
📍 Common Bean Cafe, DPV Health

24/02/2026

Meet Hannah ✨

Hannah joined our cafes last year and quickly became an essential part of both the cafe and catering teams. From not knowing how to make coffee to now making delicious coffees with impressive art, her growth has been incredible to watch.

🔗 Check out our catering menu and let us cater your next event, made with care by our amazing young people.

20/02/2026

Our Good Start program began last year, giving local young people hands-on, supportive and paid experience across our social enterprises, including our cafes.

Since then, more than 20 young people have stepped into real paid roles, building skills in hospitality, customer service, coffee‑making, food prep, catering and so much more, all while growing the confidence they need to find further work.

So come by, grab something delicious from our menu, or check out our catering options, and support our local young people!

18/12/2025

At Common Bean Cafe & Catering, this year was all about opportunity.

Local young people gained paid work experience, building confidence and skills to step into future jobs.

Every coffee and meal has directly supported our social enterprise and the young people in our community. 

17/12/2025

Common Bean Cafe and Catering will be closed over the festive season and New Year break, beginning Friday 19 December 2025.

Our DPV location will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026 and our Kangan location will reopen on Tuesday 27 January 2026.

See you in 2026! 🎉

[Image description: A dual blue background with white text that reads: ‘We will be closed for the holidays. Common Bean Catering reopening 5 January 2026. Common Bean Cafe - DPV reopening 5 January 2026. Common Bean Cafe - Kangan reopening 27 January 2026.]

14/12/2025

End‑of‑year celebrations are coming up fast and we’ve got you sorted for gifts!

Our housemade hampers are just $30 and full of treats:
🍊 Dehydrated orange slices
🍪 Fresh cookies
🥫 Five jars including: spicy eggplant sauce, bread & butter pickles, spiced pears, apple relish, rhubarb jam, and strawberry jam

Pick one up at Common Bean Cafe (DPV & Kangan) or Banksia Gardens Community Services and share a gift that supports local young people.

[Image one description: Two young people wearing khaki aprons proudly showcase Common Bean Café products. The girl on the left holds a full hamper, while the boy on the right displays two jars, one in each hand. Between them on the table is a neatly arranged selection of the cafe’s homemade goods.]

[Image two description: Two gift hampers rest on side of a coffee machine, positioned below a chalkboard sign that reads “Homemade jar hamper $30.”]

21/08/2025

Today’s lunch special has been made by one of our young people, Sidra, who has prepared Iraqi dolma from scratch, using a cherished family recipe 🇮🇶

📍 Come by Common Bean Cafe at Kangan Institute and grab yours before it’s all gone!

🌱 We have both meat and veggie options available

23/07/2025

Two years of Common Bean Cafe at DPV Health Broadmeadows! ☕🎉

Last week marked two incredible years since we opened our doors at DPV Health Broadmeadows!

A huge shoutout to our amazing team and the ongoing support from 🙌

13/05/2025

We have a new seasonal range of housemade preserves and pickles – just $9 for a 500ml jar! 🥒

Made by our Good Start participants using fresh organic produce from .veggie.empire, our Kenley Court garden, and a generous community donation of plums.

Each jar supports skill-building and work experience for local young people.

Grab your jar at:
📍 Common Bean Cafe at Kangan TAFE
📍 Common Bean Cafe at DPV Health
📍 Banksia Gardens Community Services


Image one description: Two people stand on either side of the image, dressed in black with olive green aprons, each holding a jar of housemade preserves and pickles. Between them is a glass display cabinet filled with baked goods, with two neatly arranged rows of jars on top.

Image two description: A close-up of two pairs of hands, each holding two jars of preserves and pickles. In the background, olive green aprons featuring the Common Bean Café logo are visible.

27/02/2025

We are excited to introduce our new range of homemade preserves and pickles! 🥒

This seasonal range tackles food waste by transforming surplus produce into something both sustainable and delicious. Made in collaboration with our amazing farming partners at .veggie.empire, fresh produce from our own Kenley Court garden, and surplus plums generously shared by the local community, each jar is a true taste of collective effort.

A huge shout-out to our Good Start participants for their hard work in bringing these products to life!

🫙Pick up a jar at one of our cafes and try them for yourself!
♻️ Bring your empty jar back and get a discount on your next purchase!


Image one description: A young person wearing a black t-shirt that reads ‘Common Bean Cafe, Social Enterprise’ stands in front of the cafe with a big smile. To her right, jars of pickles and preserves with colourful labels showcasing different flavors are neatly displayed.

Image two description: A tiered display of pickles and preserves sits in front of a coffee machine. To the left, a sign reads ‘Homemade with love from the Common Bean team.’

11/12/2024

Our new homemade Orange Marmalade is here! 🍊 This limited-edition batch is perfect for yourself or as a Christmas gift. Be quick—once it’s gone, it’s gone!


A row of three small jars of orange marmalade sit on a wooden table, with a four jars behind them. The jars are clear, showing the vibrant orange marmalade inside, and each have a white label with an orange rind illustration and the Common Bean logo.

socialenterprise

11/02/2024

FINALIST!! Wow, we're so proud of the work we do and all the work of our peers. Thank you Neighbourhood Houses Victoria! 🤩

❤️FINALIST | Social Enterprise | SDG 8❤️

Banksia Gardens Community Services - Common Bean Cafe

The Common Bean Café is a social enterprise of Banksia Gardens Community Services, operating an outlet on the Broadmeadows campus of Kangan Institute, and another adjacent to the Braodmeadows medical clinic of DPV Health. The Common Bean operates to provide work experience and training to vocationally disadvantaged young people, with a particular focus on those who have disengaged for a long period from education and employment.

Learn more about the Centre at: https://banksiagardens.org.au

Discover the other Finalists here: https://www.nhvic.org.au/2023-nhvic-award-finalists

The winners will be announced at the NHVic Conference, 20-22 March 2024.

12/01/2024

This little pocket of heaven…