Lady Blackbird takes over The Kitchen at Waterford

August 14, 2024

Lady Blackbird herself Carolyn McIntyre is the new owner of The Kitchen at Waterford, and she has some big plans for the cafe.

Ms McIntyre, who also owns Lady Blackbird Sourdough & Pastry on High Street, Maitland, has taken over the reigns and introduced a delicious new menu and extended opening hours.

The cafe, located in the Waterford development in Chisholm, is now open seven days a week, and customers will find aromatic coffee and a range of delicious food, which is brought in fresh from the sourdough bakery every day.

Ms McIntyre has plans to expand the cafe’s community focus, with a men’s group, live music and special evening events in the works.

Ms McIntyre said she is looking forward to building on previous owner Jen Benning’s legacy.

“I had worked at The Kitchen for six months during my construction phase for my business so I knew the customers and I knew the cafe,” she said.

“I had worked with Jen in a couple of places she has owned and I wanted to honour that, so I thought well we’re the perfect people to take it on.”

Ms McIntyre said new chef Andrew Sheather is the perfect fit for The Kitchen.

“He’s very good at teaching, he’s very good at leading, he’s run executive chef roles, this is such a walk in the park compared to other chef roles he has had, but how often does a chef get a day shift,” Ms McIntyre said.

He has previously worked at Sydney Junction Hotel, and also at the Argenton Hotel where he designed the kitchen.

“We have to treat this as an off-site catering job, everything we do is heated and assembled so it all comes over from the bakery each morning,” she said.

“We have a focus on fresh.

“The range of toasties showcases our creativity and it showcases our beautiful bread, so you’ve got four different sandwiches on there.”

The menu features revolving weekly specials, which last week was sourdough pizzas topped with cheese and pesto; roast pumpkin, feta and pesto; and prosciutto, spinach and semi-dried tomatoes.

Ms McIntyre said it’s been a rollercoaster since getting started at The Kitchen on June 15.

Now juggling a cafe and bakery, she said she plans on working more on the businesses rather than in them.

The Kitchen at Waterford is at 2 Settlers Boulevard, Chisholm and is open from 7am to 2.30pm every day.

This article was featured in the Maitland Mercury.