Meet Roland, the friendly local behind this awesome Highlands’ organic market and cafe.
Raw & Wild Market & Cafe is a treasure in the Highlands. Open since 2006, the folks here have been slinging organic goodies to locals ever since.
We got the pleasure of meeting owner Roland Knight who took over the spot in 2019 and has since been going gangbusters with incredible upgrades, changes and exciting ventures.
Roland filled us in on his life pre- and post taking over the business, as well as all things organic and what he loves most about living in the Highlands [spoiler alert: it’s all the amazing locals he gets to meet].
Plus, he let us in on the adventures of raising his family, which includes a future Olympian in the making- exciting much?!
Check out our chat here:
1 // G’day Roland! Tell us how you came to be in the Southern Highlands.
I was born in the UK and came to Australia about 20 years ago. The decision to move to Aus was kind of a family affair. First, my brother moved over, then my sister, then my mum and finally me! I remember the day I arrived because it was during the Rugby World Cup. I got off the plane, shot down to a pub in Sydney and watched Johnny Wilkinson kick that famous game-winning field goal.
I continued living in Sydney until about May 2019, when the opportunity to take over Raw & Wild Market & Cafe came up and my family and I decided to go for it and make the move.
2 // And had you been running businesses before taking over this one?
Yep! I left school at 15 and have been pretty much running businesses ever since. In the UK I had an insurance company with over 60 employees. Then in Sydney, I was running a printing company when a great opportunity popped up to purchase Raw & Wild Market & Cafe. I didn’t know much about the Highlands at that point but I was looking for a new challenge and I knew I’d love to own a business like this.
4 // Tell us more about Raw & Wild Market & Cafe.
We’re an organic market and cafe. The market is dedicated to selling certified organic groceries as well as our licensed cafe that offers brekkie, lunch, freshly made sandwiches and wraps, a deli, espresso bar, freshly squeezed juices, smoothies and now, even gelato!
All our products are unique and not usually found in the big supermarkets. We prefer to purchase from smaller, more artisan producers. We have around 60-70 suppliers, with some of our vendors being just 1 person operations. We love buying local, like our local honey, eggs, jams and preserves. We try hard to get mostly Australian produce and focus on keeping our produce seasonal to avoid importing. We also try to use as much of our fresh produce from our own instore market to create fresh, tasty and healthy dishes for our customers and even make our own peanut butter!
Our coffee is also excellent, it’s locally roasted by Rush Roasting, oh and our chai mix is made in-house, takes 3 weeks to make and is delicious.
5 // Since you took over in 2019, what are some of the changes you’ve made to the business?
We updated the menu for starters. We also made some cosmetic changes like putting the roof outside and the deck out the back so there’s more room to stretch out. We also opened up the indoor space more and added new flooring and more tables. Recently we relaunched the juice bar and added gelato sourced from Tasmania.
6 // OMG! We’ve tried the gelato, it’s delicious! What else should we know about the food you serve here?
We don’t just sell all the healthy goodies we’ve got treats like the gelato and burgers which I think are the best in the Highlands. Our burgers are all made from scratch using only fresh in-house ingredients.
The Organic Sweet Potato Fritters are a classic and the sweet potatoes come from our in-house market. The fresh Acai bowl is popular too. We’re always mindful of our coeliac customers, assisting them in making the best choices for their needs.
We’ve also got takeaway lunches like sandwiches and wraps. We have take-home heat and eat meals as well as soups that are all made fresh here to be enjoyed at home. Locals can look forward to a tasty, slow cooked lamb ragout made from all local products for the season ahead.
We’ve also been running Tunnel to Plate tours with Little Mountain Mushrooms and have created a fresh mushroom risotto dish as well as a chilli and garlic mushroom dish.
We’re really well versed in catering to customers with specific dietary requirements and we are proud to create dishes for all tastes and budgets.
7 // And what should we know about the awesome market you have here?
It began as a market for fresh organic fruit and veggies and has now grown into a whole space for health foods, organic groceries, eco-friendly products and natural skincare.
We have things like castor oil and Celtic Sea salt which is popular at the moment for its health benefits. We do a lot of work with gut health here, so we have yoghurts for gut health, as well as bone broth, kefir and psyllium husk. I’m also a huge fan of our gluten-free bread.
We have our deli with tasty meats and fresh cheeses. It’s great to pick up some local, high quality bits for hosting or even a souvenir to bring home if you’re from out of town.
We know how hard it can be to get your hands on whole foods these days. Foods that aren’t genetically modified and pesticide-free. All the food we sell here is certified organic, it’s a tough criterion to get that certification so we know it’s top-notch.
8 // And you do catering as well, is that right?
Sure do! We cater from small groups all the way up to large ones.
We serve things like fresh sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, charcuterie plates, chef made salads and bespoke hampers. It’s great for get-togethers as well as special occasions.
It’s a really popular option for bridal parties when they’re getting ready on the big day. They’ll pop in an order of fresh tasty nibbles from us, again everything is made using local produce and as much in-house produce as possible. We’ll drop it off and the bridesmaids or groomsmen will have something fresh and delicious to snack on as they’re getting ready.
Often then the day after the wedding the whole bridal party will show up for a filling and fresh morning-after brekky, it’s great.
We offer delivery as well.
9 // We know there’s always something exciting happening at Raw & Wild Market & Cafe, could you give us a sneak peek into what’s on the horizon?
You know I just can’t sit still and am always thinking of new things to try.
Our menu is ever changing with the seasons and we’re bringing back some of the classics like the tasty hot-cakes. We know people travel far and wide for them because they’re fresh and made from local produce.
Now the weather is cooler we’ve got tasty takeaway soups to keep people warm in the chilly Highlands cold.
We’re also in the process of revising the Buddha Bowls for the season ahead, they’re always fresh and well loved.
We want to start organising evening events in collaboration with local suppliers. I would love to have a local winemaker come in for a wine and food pairing
The tunnel to plate tours with Little Mountain Mushrooms have been a success so far and we’re continuing with those.
Oh and evening dining is set to return so watch this space!
10 // Getting a little more personal now, what’s life like for you and your family in the Highlands?
I live here with my wife and 3 kids. It’s been pretty busy since making the move. Not just with the business but also my oldest daughter Sofia is an athlete. She’s on the Australian team for platform diving and is currently training for the Paris Olympic trials. We used to have to get up at 4 am every day to take her for training in Sydney before coming back here but recently she got her licence so can now take herself.
My wife and I are so proud of her as well as our two other children, Teddy and Charlie.
11 // Talk about incredible!! And what do you love most about being in the Highlands?
I love my customers; I love being part of this incredible community. Having a space for people to come and connect. Locals are always popping in for meetings, lunches, and catch-ups, it’s great. I also love meeting all the tourists discovering the Highlands, remembering how I felt when I first came.
I love getting involved in the community and sponsoring local charities and events.
I also love my staff. They have such a positive attitude here. We’ve had staff who’ve been here for over 10 years and we’re so lucky to have them.
Thanks for chatting with us today Roland! Now, can we have another scoop of gelato pleeaaaaase?
Sending all the best vibes and good luck to Sofia for her Paris Olympic trials. We’re eagerly waiting to see her make a splash off that diving board later this year on the telly. Go, Sofia!
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