Australia’s first zero-carbon streetfood kitchen launches in Melbourne

PRESS RELEASE

In an Australian first, Melbourne has become home to the new, revolutionary, zero-carbon, off-grid streetfood kitchen, atiyah.

Launched in Federation Square on Monday, atiyah is set to transform the fast food scene with a range of authentic Lebanese dishes that are made onsite in a 100% renewable Eco Smart Off-Grid kitchen – the first of its kind anywhere in Australia.

Owned by son-in-law and mother-in-law duo, Ben Armstrong and Therese Helou, atiyah is the first hospitality business and start-up in Australia to be certified as carbon neutral by Climate Active.

“At atiyah, we want to set an example that you don’t need emissions to run a kitchen, and really, there’s never been a better time to think about renewable energy in this way,” Mr Armstrong said.

“Being able to give our customers an incredible food experience while also creating a community of people with a passion for positive environmental action is at the heart of what we do. Building communities and creating a sustainable future for all. That’s atiyah.”

Considering every sustainable touch point, atiyah has teamed up with sustainable foodservice leaders, BioPak, who will supply carbon-neutral, compostable packaging and innovative composting services to turn atiyah’s takeaway packaging and food waste into nutrient rich soil.

“We are delighted to work with atiyah in what can only be described as a ground-breaking and truly pioneering step forward for the hospitality sector,” BioPak CEO, Gary Smith said.

“This type of model and approach to the foodservice industry is incredibly exciting, and one that we believe will become more normalised with further education on the climate impact and damage produced by our carbon footprint.

“We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation, and our goal is to continue to inspire, educate and support businesses both in Australia and across the globe to provide sustainable solutions for single-use packaging and food waste disposal.”

atiyah is serving traditional recipes based on manakish, a streetfood flatbread dressed with locally sourced toppings and delicious fresh dips, and will be one of the first kitchens in Australia to grill their manakish on a saj — the dome-shaped griddles used throughout Lebanon that ensures a crisp outside and doughy centre.

The greenhouse gas emissions of the meals and drinks across their life have also been assessed and quantified through an industry best practice life-cycle assessment, with the menu showing the carbon emissions that have been saved from every meal and drink consumed at atiyah.

atiyah is now serving delicious streetfood from their kitchen at Federation Square.