A Sweet Collaboration: Flourish and Flour x Sweet Bones
Finding My Creative Middle Ground
Creating Flourish and Flour has been a genuinely joyful ride. I’m not much of a TV person these days, and my habit of tearing through a book a day isn’t exactly ideal for staying present with my family—so this blog has been the perfect middle ground. It gives me something meaningful and creative to sink my teeth into, while still letting me stay connected to the world around me.
The learning curve has been steep in the best way. I’ve taught myself how to build and manage a website, figured out the basics of social media strategy (admittedly very much a work-in-progress for this busy Millennial Mom), and deep-dived into research for every post I’ve written. That research has sent me spiralling into all sorts of tangents under the big, beautiful umbrella of sustainability. Honestly, the hardest part has been staying focused when there are so many exciting directions calling to me at once.
Why Sweet Bones? Why Now?
One of those directions I’ve decided to say yes to is a collaboration between Flourish and Flour and my actual place of employment: Sweet Bones Bakery & Café in Scullin, ACT.
Part of the reason I’ve stayed with Sweet Bones for so long (over eleven years!) is because of the deep alignment in values between myself and the owners, Em and Russ Brindley. They’ve built a business rooted in compassion, sustainability, and community. Through my blogging, I’ve come across a number of sustainability ideas that I believe could benefit both the café and the wider community. And now I’ve been given the space to start putting some of those ideas into action.
In exchange for helping to showcase what Sweet Bones is already doing on the sustainability front, I get a chance to:
- Practice leading real sustainability initiatives at the café,
- Use the café as a platform for community engagement,
- And tap into Sweet Bones’ social media presence (which, as it turns out, is basically the currency of blogging).
I care deeply about the messages I’m sharing, and collaborating with Sweet Bones is a way to connect with a broader audience in a meaningful, boots-on-the-ground kind of way.
Introducing: Flourish & Flour x Sweet Bones
So consider this post my official introduction to the Flourish and Flour x Sweet Bones partnership—from the Flourish and Flour side of things.
I’ve been dreaming big with Em and Russ (the legends behind Sweet Bones) and our brilliant management team — especially our Front of House Manager, Sara. Together, we’ve been cooking up some exciting new initiatives that build on the values we live and breathe at Sweet Bones every day.
Here’s a little taste of what’s coming:
🌱 Formalising Sweet Bones’ Composting Collective
We’re working to compost more of the café’s organic waste—keeping valuable nutrients out of landfill and giving them back to the earth where they belong. Members of our community can learn more and register their interest in being a part of the collective— here.
Sweet Bones’ takeaway coffee cups are certified home compostable, and I’ve been personally composting them in my own system at home (they break down beautifully!). If you’re curious about starting your own setup, check out my post on Composting Basics—it’s a simple guide to getting started without fuss or expensive gear.
📦 Reducing Packaging Waste
Packaging can be confusing—and full of greenwashing. We’re aiming to eliminate anything unnecessary, switch to truly recyclable or compostable options wherever possible, and create clear resources to help our community dispose of single-use products (ours and others’) more sustainably.
Reducing packaging waste is a big priority for us — and takeaway coffee cups are a great place to start. We’re tackling this in three key ways:
- Expanding our range of reusable cups for sale, starting with the beautiful and practical Project Pargo cups.
- Offering a 5% discount on all coffee orders when you bring your own reusable cup.
- Launching a reusable cup library! It’s an honour system — borrow a cup when you need one, and bring it back next time. Easy, low-waste, and community-powered.
You can learn more about our Sustainable Sips Initiative here.
🛠️ Hosting Community Sustainability Workshops
We’ll be teaming up with local eco-champions to run hands-on, family-friendly sustainability workshops right here in the community. Think composting, preserving, DIY, and more. Definitely watch this space!
🌸 Locally Grown, Naturally Beautiful Cakes
One of my favourite parts of working with Sweet Bones is how much creativity and sustainability overlap in our cake work. Em and I both grow organic flowers in our own backyards, and we dry them for use on our cakes. The beauty really is homegrown.
I’ve written a guide to choosing the right edible flowers for to grow for cake decorating, perfect for anyone wanting to add a touch of garden magic to their baking. And if you’re just here for the eye candy, you can wander through my Dried Edible Flower Cake Gallery to see how those blooms come to life on finished cakes.
🌍 Creating a Visible Sustainability Hub at Sweet Bones
We want our sustainability efforts to be more than behind-the-scenes — we want them to be seen, understood, and celebrated by the community that makes this café what it is. That means clear signage, info boards, and real-time impact stats you can actually spot while sipping your flat white.
Our online Sustainability Hub is already live, and we’re now working on repurposing materials to create a dedicated hub space right here in the café.
🔄 Sharing Our Sustainability Wins—And Fails
Transparency is key. Through Flourish and Flour and Sweet Bones socials, we’ll be sharing both the triumphs and the missteps of our sustainability journey—because real progress isn’t perfect, and we’re learning as we go.
Follow the Journey
I am so excited for this collaboration. It’s a chance to bring what I’ve been writing and dreaming about with Flourish and Flour into a real-world space full of people who care—and to keep finding better, kinder ways forward together.
More to come soon… and I can’t wait to share it all with you.
Follow along on social media
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