Best restaurants and cafes in Canberra for cage-free eggs

More of us than ever before are buying cage-free eggs in the supermarket, but what about when we eat out? If you’re eating out for breakfast this weekend, make sure you’ve got the good eggs!

As on many other topics, the ACT is a leader in the animal welfare space. To date, we remain the only jurisdiction that’s banned the use of cruel battery cages, as well as restrictive sow stalls for farmed pigs.

Those might seem like easy decisions, given there was only one battery cage facility in Canberra (which has since converted to cage-free).

In fact, it should be a straightforward decision for most states and territories, given that battery cages have been (or are being) phased out in most developed countries and regions around the world – the EU, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and several US states to name just a few.

Yet, under pressure from battery cage industry lobbyists, other Australian states and territories continue to fall behind.

Boosted by our government’s approach, Canberra’s cafes and restaurants are also leading the way in selling higher-welfare food.

If you’re keen to extend your support for humane food to your favourite eat-in or takeaway venues, here are a few of the best local options:

• Jamie’s Italian Canberra at 125 Bunda Street in the city – our local restaurant reflects Jamie Oliver’s own strict focus on higher-welfare chicken, eggs and ham/bacon/pork products.
• ACE High Eatery and Bar at 191 Anketell Street in Greenway uses humane chicken and cage-free eggs across their ‘good beer, better burgers’ menu. They’re open for lunch and dinner, to eat-in or takeaway.
• Food Co-Op Shop & Café at 3 Kingsley Street, Canberra City – serving cage-free eggs across their menu of vegetarian breakfast and dinner options, cakes, catering and light meals.
• Wilbur’s Cafe Bar, located at 14 Hackett Place in Hackett, is a popular local spot with heaps of options on the menu, all using higher-welfare chicken and eggs.
• Black Fire Restaurant at 45 Mort Street Braddon has an award-winning delicious European and Mediterranean inspired menu that’s humane all the way.

Now, you might think ‘well, okay, it’s easy to shift to higher welfare food in the upper-end, fine dining space’, right?

But in fact, there are many more affordable and casual dining options available too.

Grill’d Healthy Burgers, Zambrero, Nando’s, Zeus Street Greek, Subway, The Coffee Club – all have either already switched, or are in the process of switching to cage-free eggs and other higher-welfare foods.

We all care about animals and want to see them given a good life and a humane death – so if you eat meat or eggs, it’s great to know that humane options are affordable and easy to access.

All these venues can be found on the RSPCA’s national Choose Wisely directory at www.choosewisely.org.au.

You can suggest your favourite spot too, if they’re not already on there.

When not writing for The Riot ACT, Jane Speechley is Communications and Campaigns Lead for RSPCA Australia.

Original Article published on the RiotACT.