A DESTINATION
Established in 2016, Small Axe Kitchen is the first venture for husband and wife team, Adam Pruckner and Kirstyn Tate, along with their long time friend Jas Singh.
Inspired by the colours and flavours of Sicily after holidaying in southern Italy for their honeymoon, the pair fell in love with the food and culture of Adam’s mother’s birthplace. Sicily is a melting pot of culture and history that translates really well into the modern Melbourne brunch favourite that Small Axe has become.
After 7 years Small Axe Kitchen is a Brunswick institution, famous for the Breakfast Pasta but also known for great hospitality, ethical and sustainable produce and an innovative and delicious menu.
Eat Together
Food is best shared with friends
After almost 9 incredible years, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of our beloved @smallaxe_kitchen and @smallaxe_deli
The brief from the beginning was to create everybody's local, Small Axe has been so much more than just a café to us. It’s been a community, a gathering spot, and a place where relationships were built over shared laughter, conversations, and of course, great food and drinks.
We are so grateful for every single person who walked through our doors, whether you were a regular or a first-time visitor. Your support, your kindness, and your stories have meant the world to us, and we’ll carry them with us always.
While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye, we know that the friendships and memories we’ve made will last a lifetime. Thank you to our wonderful team, we couldn't have stuck it out this long without you, our days were better because of working side by side with you.
Please share your best memories of Small Axe and thank you for being a part of this journey with us. We’ll miss you all more than words can express.
Til next time.
Adam and Kirstyn
Sicilian inspired
Coffee by Code Black Coffee Roasters
At Small Axe, every step of the coffee making process is considered and deliberate.
BLACK COFFEE
We use Code Black’s ‘Seasonal’ blend for our black coffee. This blend is roasted lightly; in order to retain more of the natural flavours of the coffee cherry/bean. When properly extracted, it should taste sweet, acidic + fruity.
MILK COFFEE
We use Code Black’s ‘Ex Wife’ blend for our milk coffees. This is a medium-dark roast and more traditionally Italian. It’s more robust and can be bitter when black, but is sweetened by the natural sugars in the milk.
We steam our milk to a range of about 55-65 degrees Celsius. In this range, milk tastes the sweetest but is not so hot that the sugars burn and become bitter, of course milk can be made extra hot on request.
The team
ADAM PRUCKNER
Founder + Executive Chef
Adam has worked as a chef for over 20 years in Melbourne, having lived and worked in Brunswick most of his life, he is very proud to be part of the local hospitality scene. Adam has contributed to the brunch offerings in our beloved city at various ‘breakfast restaurants’ such as Code Black Coffee and Hash Specialty Coffee. Influenced by his mother’s heritage, southern Italian, and all that encapsulates modern Australian cuisines, Adam’s cooking style heroes good produce, flavour and simplicity. Adam has humbly had recipes published in the Broadsheet ‘Italian’ Cookbook and One Plate’s ‘Brunch in Melbourne’. Small Axe Kitchen is Adam’s first venture with wife Kirstyn, perhaps the first of many.
KIRSTYN TATE
Founder + Managing Director
Kirstyn has worked in hospitality and customer focussed roles for the majority of her career. Prior to opening Small Axe Kitchen and Small Axe Deli with husband, Adam Pruckner, Kirstyn worked in the event side of hospo planning and coordinating all scales of events big and small. Kirstyn is a proud advocate for hospitality as a profession and her passion good food and good service is reflected in the standards at both venues. Outside of running a tight ship at Small Axe Kirstyn is a creative at heart, painting, baking, and potting in her ‘spare’ time.
HARRISON CLARE
Operations Manager
Harrison has been with Small Axe since day one and is an integral part of the team. Having a long history in hospitality in Melbourne and back home in New Zealand he brings experience and an energy that is vital to our day to day operations. Also known as the dancing barista, Harrison knows his way around the coffee machine. His favourite part of working in hospitality is the interactions with customers, the community created by a common love of food. Harrison looks after the daily operations across both venues, you will see him doing anything and everything, often all at once.
