Media Coverage of Hearth & Soul

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Hearth and Soul is an ode to conscious cooking and mindfulness
Broadsheet - Jessica Donovan

“The menu goes from bright and zesty to comforting and nourishing, featuring seared octopus with borlotti beans; braised lamb shoulder with thyme, rosemary and barley; and white Tokyo turnips with brown butter. But the standout is the spiced goat heart with house-made labneh and herbs. “Try to calm yourself: the heart is merely another muscle,” says the menu. (The fact Hearth and Soul serves its heart on a plate is a detail not lost on us.)”

Mindfulness lifts farm to table dining
The Sydney Morning Herald - Candice Chung

“Jelley’s creations feel luxurious not so much because of the price tag,.. but the care that’s been poured into each one. The plump leg of octopus, for example, is sourced from a supplier that uses traps to ensure there’s no wasteful by-catch. Dressed in its own pan juice and served on a bed of locally grown borlotti beans, it’s a soul-hugging dish that feels like a still life of the season’s abundance:”

Intuitive eating - the promise of how to eat whatever you want
9Honey - Jane de Graaff

“What Rachel wants us all to know is that if we can shake off the noise of the astonishing (and undeniably clever) modern world around us, and go back to our own centre, without the expectations of the outside world, then we can really live, cook and eat intuitively. Of course, this applies to all aspects of life, but Rachel chooses to work with the medium of food…”

Sydney restaurateur sets up soup kitchen
7 News - Warren Barnsley

"A Sydney restaurateur will provide free meals to people financially hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.”

Conscious cook’s latest venture will have you dining with the seasons
Concrete Playground - Libby Curran

“Rachel Jelley has already earned fans with her seasonal pop-up feasts, which centre around natural food and conscious dining. Now, the cook's philosophies have a permanent bricks-and-mortar home, thanks to the opening of Newtown eatery Hearth & Soul. Celebrating locally sourced, organic and pasture-raised produce, Jelley is aiming to reconnect diners with what's on their plate.” 

Newtown’s hidden gem, Hearth & Soul
Eat Drink Play - Janice Muller

“Owner and conscious cook, Rachel Jelley, put down roots on King Street in late 2018, taking her love of food and nature to the next level. You’ll know who she is when you arrive. Just look for the lady with the floral headband and glowing big smile who warmly welcomes you as if you’ve been friends forever. She says she wants her guests to feel as comfortable as if they were at home – and has achieved just that.”

Food made with a lotta love is Newtown’s newest destination
Daily Addict - Meg Dennis

“If you were at home in your own kitchen there would be some plate licking. Ok, that actually happened, we asked, “do you think they’ll notice?” They won’t mind if you do, in fact if you’re in the Hearth & Soul kitchen – Home is where the heart is and it’s celebrated.”

Foodie review 101: Hearth & Soul
Social 101 - Georgia Dawes

“Hearth & Soul is a wholesome dining experience full of love and nourishment. The food is divine, the hospitality exceptional and the interiors cosy and comforting!”

Hearth & Soul: 9.2/10
Hunter & Bligh - Georgia Parry

“Dining at Hearth & Soul is a joyful and tastebud-exploding adventure which will you leave feeling all that warmth that comes from eating heart, body and soul-nourishing food in a beautiful space with some fantastic people.”

Kitchen Bounty (print only)
Hospitality Magazine - Madeleine Woolway

“No matter what the circumstances, everybody should have one patch of dirt, even if it’s just a herb in a pot,” says Jelley. “The industry works with nature and that is what we’re doing - without nature, we have nothing. It’s our raw product.”

“Gardening and cooking go hand-in-hand for Jelley... The garden has cemented the team’s seasonal approach because the seasons are played out in front of their eyes. “It breeds respect for your farmers and your suppliers,” adds Jelley: “It completely blows my mind what they’re doing at a much larger scale.”

“Often singled out as a non-stop rollercoaster of a profession, the hospitality industry might be able to take a leaf out of nature’s book. “There are times of growth and abundance and times of rest and slowness, and all of that is ok,” says Jelley. “And that’s ok for us as humans, too.”