68 beanscenemag.com.auCAFÉ SCENE
THE HUNGRY FOX CAFÉ
305 Wirraway Road,
Essendon Fields, Victoria, 3041
Open Monday to Saturday 7am to 3pm
(03) 9027 9201The Melbourne suburb of Essendon
is known for its proud football club,
Melbourne’s first international airport,
and one of the most talked about
supermarkets in town, LaManna.
Just as conversations in Melbourne
celebrate coffee, when it comes to
groceries, LaManna is top of mind as a
“destination” for its quality food, custom
cakes, and the “deliberate chaos” it
creates on the weekend.
Just a few hundred metres away in
Essendon Fields Airport is The Hungry
Fox Café, an extension of the LaManna
brand but in its own dedicated way.
An experience in its own right, since
the café opened in 2018 it has become
a local favourite for customers to
linger over a coffee and chef-prepared
dishes without a shopping trolley in
sight. Rather, the only connection
to the supermarket down the road is
the quality produce it supplies for the
menu and its traditional family values,
meaning everyone is welcome.
“From supermarket to café life,
opening The Hungry Fox was a
challenge for the LaManna family
because it was new territory, but as soon
as I started working here I knew it was
something special,” says Jason Shiong,
Head of Hospitality at LaManna. “To
see its progression from where it started
to where it is now, and where it’s going,
is incredible.”
The café is positioned among the
car dealerships of Essendon Fields, the
Victorian Police Air Wing, Royal FlyingDoctor Service, and regular airport
traffic, meaning there’s never a shortage
of customers. That includes couples,
and mums and bubs that swarm to the
playground for an hour of relief.
Just as the café is a new venture
for the LaManna family, so to is its
partnership with roaster SoCo, using
its Society Blend in addition to rotating
single origins, served via batch and cold
brew (see more page 25).
“The Hungry Fox is excited to
continue its relationship with SoCo and
its new and unique offering. SoCo is so
well suited to Hungry’s Fox’s diverse
demographic. It’s locally roasted and
packs a punch,” Jason says.
“We were the first café to trial this
new brand, and the reaction has been
incredible. It’s interesting to see that
some customers who would get their
morning coffee from LaManna are
now coming to Hungry Fox – it’s abattle of the baristas.”
The café menu is a playful touch on
popular café favourites, from burgers
to salads. Jason says crowd favourite
Earthy Eggs has been a staple since day
one because of its marriage of flavours
and display of technique.
The chef lives by the rule that
everything on the plate serves a
purpose, meaning it’s not just Insta-
worthy but “generous and full
of flavour”.
“The menu changes regularly and
seasonally. It’s dictated by our butcher,
fruit and veggie team, and delicatessen
cabinet at LaManna,” Jason says.
The Hungry Fox is named after one-
half of Essendon Fields owners, Andrew
Fox. Legend has it he envisaged the café
to resemble a place visited in the Napa
Valley, and the chalet vibe is exactly
what interior designers Lukas Partners
delivered. Shaped with a pointed roof,
large windows, wooden furnishings, and
fireplace, The Hungry Fox Café is the
perfect way to see out the winter days
with a SoCo coffee in hand – watching
the hours past by and the air traffic take
off, just like the café itself.ThTThTTheheh HuHuHuHuHuungrngrnnn y Fy Fox x x CCCCafé’é’é’s Earthhhy Eggsggsggs.The interrrrior design rreseeseseeemblmblmblmblmbmblblllees a sssskkikikikikkkk lodlodlodlododdge ge ge gege ggegegeinininininininthethethetheththe
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CAFÉ SCENE
THE HUNGRY FOX CAFÉ
305 Wirraway Road,
Essendon Fields, Victoria, 3041
Open Monday to Saturday 7am to 3pm
(03) 9027 9201
The Melbourne suburb of Essendon
is known for its proud football club,
Melbourne’s first international airport,
and one of the most talked about
supermarkets in town, LaManna.
Just as conversations in Melbourne
celebrate coffee, when it comes to
groceries, LaManna is top of mind as a
“destination” for its quality food, custom
cakes, and the “deliberate chaos” it
creates on the weekend.
Just a few hundred metres away in
Essendon Fields Airport is The Hungry
Fox Café, an extension of the LaManna
brand but in its own dedicated way.
An experience in its own right, since
the café opened in 2018 it has become
a local favourite for customers to
linger over a coffee and chef-prepared
dishes without a shopping trolley in
sight. Rather, the only connection
to the supermarket down the road is
the quality produce it supplies for the
menu and its traditional family values,
meaning everyone is welcome.
“From supermarket to café life,
opening The Hungry Fox was a
challenge for the LaManna family
because it was new territory, but as soon
as I started working here I knew it was
something special,” says Jason Shiong,
Head of Hospitality at LaManna. “To
see its progression from where it started
to where it is now, and where it’s going,
is incredible.”
The café is positioned among the
car dealerships of Essendon Fields, the
Victorian Police Air Wing, Royal Flying
Doctor Service, and regular airport
traffic, meaning there’s never a shortage
of customers. That includes couples,
and mums and bubs that swarm to the
playground for an hour of relief.
Just as the café is a new venture
for the LaManna family, so to is its
partnership with roaster SoCo, using
its Society Blend in addition to rotating
single origins, served via batch and cold
brew (see more page 25).
“The Hungry Fox is excited to
continue its relationship with SoCo and
its new and unique offering. SoCo is so
well suited to Hungry’s Fox’s diverse
demographic. It’s locally roasted and
packs a punch,” Jason says.
“We were the first café to trial this
new brand, and the reaction has been
incredible. It’s interesting to see that
some customers who would get their
morning coffee from LaManna are
now coming to Hungry Fox – it’s abattle of the baristas.”
The café menu is a playful touch on
popular café favourites, from burgers
to salads. Jason says crowd favourite
Earthy Eggs has been a staple since day
one because of its marriage of flavours
and display of technique.
The chef lives by the rule that
everything on the plate serves a
purpose, meaning it’s not just Insta-
worthy but “generous and full
of flavour”.
“The menu changes regularly and
seasonally. It’s dictated by our butcher,
fruit and veggie team, and delicatessen
cabinet at LaManna,” Jason says.
The Hungry Fox is named after one-
half of Essendon Fields owners, Andrew
Fox. Legend has it he envisaged the café
to resemble a place visited in the Napa
Valley, and the chalet vibe is exactly
what interior designers Lukas Partners
delivered. Shaped with a pointed roof,
large windows, wooden furnishings, and
fireplace, The Hungry Fox Café is the
perfect way to see out the winter days
with a SoCo coffee in hand – watching
the hours past by and the air traffic take
off, just like the café itself.TThTh HHunn y oxxCCCafééé’sEarthhhy E.The interrriordesign reseesseembesa ssssilodlodloodd i thehe
Napa Valley,on hiss cccca éisinnnnn seseddddd ..