Palette Fremantle
Palette Fremantle
Palette Fremantle
In a small, often overlooked pocket of Leighton Beach, sheltered between the coastline and apartment complexes, you’ll find three bustling venues: the long-standing Bib & Tucker, the newly opened Al Lupo and, rounding out the trifecta, gallery and restaurant space Palette Fremantle, which recently made its debut.
“There’s such a sense of community in the area. We have people strolling in off the beach and from the apartments above,” Palette Fremantle co-owner Jade Van Herwaarde tells Broadsheet. “At night the area is buzzing; people go on a little bar crawl between [Palette] and the other restaurants.”
Van Herwaarde is, first and foremost, an artist. Palette was born from her frustration at the lack of quality exhibition spaces available for emerging artists – “Some galleries can take up to 60 per cent commission, plus a fee to host an exhibition” – so, alongside her partner Jason Witt and her mother Christina Scanlan, she decided to open her own space.
The trio quickly opened the Fremantle venue in November 2022 with the debut solo exhibition of local artist Indira Devenish. Paying it forward to other artists, Van Herwaarde doesn’t charge any fees and takes a minimal commission while also hosting catered opening nights at her own expense.
Beyond being a gallery, Palette is also a fully-licensed restaurant open for all-day dining. Breakfast dishes include pavlova French toast, baklava granola with rosewater and poached pears, and pumpkin Turkish eggs served with labneh and cinnamon chilli oil. The lunch and dinner menus are designed to be shared among friends.
The food and drinks offerings are a real team effort. “I designed the breakfast menu,” says Van Herwaarde. “And our head chef Augustin, who is from Belgium, created the rest. Jason makes an amazing cocktail and runs everything from the bar to the service,” she says.
The team is exclusively pouring Western Australian wines covering the classics (Leeuwin Estate and Vasse Felix), to the new kids on the block Blonde Crow.
“We’re a mixed demographic, so we’ve covered all bases and we’re big on supporting local businesses and building a community,” she explains.
Fresh flowers by new business Folly Floral are on offer and even Van Herwaarde’s grandma is involved. “My grandma bakes Weetbix slice each weekend, which sells out and has gained quite a following … some people buy four or five pieces at a time.”
Palette Fremantle
1 Freeman Loop, North Fremantle
(08) 9335 4159
Hours:
Tues to Sat 6am-9pm
Sun 6am-5pm
Mon Closed
palettefremantle.com.au
@palettefreo
19 Jul 2023
18 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023