Think global, act local: How a Lilydale op shop and cafe built its own community

The Mustard Tree Op Shop & Cafe is an independent community project started by the Lilydale Baptist Church in 1988.

Kathy Vincent has worked at The Mustard Tree since 2017, and is currently the Creative and Community Programs Manager. 

“It’s a welcoming community,” she told the Eastern Melburnian. 

While opportunity shops have increased in popularity in recent years, The Mustard Tree, which is in a light industrial area, continues to stand out.

The interior design is visually striking - an array of world globes hung from the ceiling, an ever changing rotation of themed displays behind the counter, and a giant arrow emblazoned with “Cafe” right in the centre all add to its homely charm. 

A cafe in the middle of the store may appear unconventional, but it has become the heart of The Mustard Tree. The cafe now has a fully furnished commercial kitchen out the back, but Vincent tells us it had humble beginnings: a coffee machine paid for by a few couples at the church. 

“During Covid, we had to close the cafe, and the shop was not the same,” she said. “The whole atmosphere completely changed.”

The cafe offers a free community meal every Friday from 12-1pm. Meals are a lively affair, and a weekly routine for many customers-turned-friends.

“Our first priority is people,” Vincent said.

In addition to the community meal, The Mustard Tree also provides food relief assistance to those in need, regardless of health care card status or geographical boundaries. Last year, the food bank helped about 125 individuals and families per month. 

Vincent emphasises that the project would not be possible without a dedicated team of staff and over 90 volunteers. 

“We really work hard to have good staff relationships, support and care for each other.”

Volunteers are involved in every aspect of the project: working in the shop, running the cafe, tending to the community garden, cooking and hosting the Friday afternoon lunch, and even picking up excess food from Aldi and Coles (as part of the SecondBite program) for the food bank. 

Lynne, a volunteer who works three days a week in the shop, tells us she looked into volunteering as a stepping stone back into the workforce. 

“I had a really good feeling about the place, so when I noticed the ‘volunteers needed’ sign, I applied,” she said. “Volunteering at the Mustard Tree has helped renew my faith in the goodness of people who say they are there to help others.”

There’s a clear thoughtfulness in everything The Mustard Tree does - whether it’s turning donations into upcycled products to sell in the shop (think one-of-a-kind notebooks and jewellery), or creating an atmosphere that’s welcoming to new and familiar faces. 

The Mustard Tree is open on weekdays from 10am-3pm, and on Saturdays from 10am-1pm.