Cafe Stepping Stone

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Cafe Stepping Stone

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WORK INTEGRATION SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CAFE
Economically empowering migrant and refugee women
📍Strathnairn & Dickson, Canberra

A work integration social enterprise that provides inclusive employment opportunities and practical training to migrant and refugee women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds through an innovative vegetarian kitchen

12/10/2026

Our 2025-2026 Impact Report is out!

In the last 12 months, we provided over 34,748 hours of paid employment and training totally over $1.5 million in wages and superannuation to 63 migrant and refugee women.

At Stepping Stone we prioritise women in the most need, with the most barriers to employment - so this income, employment and skills development makes a huge difference in not only their lives, but for their families and our society as a whole!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, we couldn't have done it without you!

Read the full report to hear about everything we've been up to on our website - www.cafesteppingstone.com

08/10/2026

Shared Stories - starts today!

The idea is simple - weekly, facilitated group reading of literature out loud — short stories, poems, novels — as a way of building connection and supporting wellbeing.

A book club for people who might not read: slower, more open, no homework required.

Literature is great for surfacing what we all share — the same joys and fears — and that common ground creates safety to explore what's different.

All ages welcome!
Join us today at 3pm at Cafe Stepping Stone Dickson - 8 Hawdon Place

01/10/2026

Our cafe at Strathnairn Arts opened in July 2020.

This is your reminder to come down and visit us, the whole site looks especially beautiful in spring, plus we have new sheltered outdoor seating areas, and there is currently exhibitions on in the gallery by studio holder, Sally Black, and also a collaborative exhibition in the Woolshed up the hill.

Our spring menu is launching next week, so this is the last opportunity to try our winter favourites, like our congee. Comment below on what you'd like to see on our menu!

We are open Wednesday to Sunday.
Weekdays we open 9am - 3:30pm, and on weekends we are open 8am - 4pm.
Kitchen closes at 2:30pm everyday.

📸 credit to Rachel Oxenham, thank you for the beautiful photos!

26/09/2026

Come and visit Sally Black's exhibition at Arts this afternoon at 2pm, to hear about her inspiration and process. Sally has hand sketched and watercolour paint each book shop in Canberra, creating a Canberra Book Shop Trail!

We will also be having book reading and signing by local children book authors, Creative and Bllie Roonie, and their books 'Brindabella's Big Night Out' and 'Corridor Creatures'.

Thanks to Ginninderry Community there will be free sweeets baked by the Stepping Stone team.

📸credit to Rachel Oxeham

24/09/2026

We are excited to be co-hosting this collorative event at Strathnairn on our new terrace this Sunday, 27 September, at 2pm.

A perfect event for children and families, bringing together a love for chilren, nature, books and the Canberra community. There will be free Stepping Stone cookies and sweets thanks to a generous donation from Ginninderry.

We will have local authors, Ruth Oettle and Jess Wright from Allara Creative reading their book 'The Brindabella's Big Night Out' and Strathnairn resident Billie Rooney sharing her book 'Creature Corridors'.

And you can also see Strathnairn Arts' studio holder, Sally Black's exhibition showing Canberra Book Shops and beautiful landscapes around the Canberra region in the Homestead Galleries at Strathnairn Arts.

No need to register, just show up!

21/09/2026

On Saturday, we catered the launch of a new local charity - The Cordialis Foundation. They selected our Grazing Table option, and requested gluten free and dairy free options.

If you're organising an event, why not make it extra special with catering from your favourite social enterprise.

You can put a request through our website and be put in direct contact with our lovely team. www.cafesteppingstone.com/catering

The Cordialis Foundation promotes a more creative and caring society by helping everyone use their innate creativity to help others. They develop resources, initiatives and research that support teachers, health workers, parents, carers and volunteers to engage with those they care for in active, everyday, outwardly directed creativity for wellbeing across all stages of life.

https://www.cordialis.org.au/

16/09/2026

Join TEDxCanberra and Stepping Stone for a unique dining experience where incredible food, meaningful stories and unexpected connections come together for one unforgettable evening.

Everyone will be seated at communal tables, encouraging the sharing of dishes, stories and conversation with people you may have never met before. Whether you come on your own or with friends, this is an evening designed to spark new connections and celebrate the wonderfully diverse community we’re lucky to call Canberra home.

Different members of the Stepping Stone team have contributed some of their favourite dishes for you to enjoy! You will also have a chance to hear from memebers as they demonstrate how their dishes come together.

Come down and join us on Thursday 1 October
Sitting one: 5:30pm -7:00pm
Sitting two: 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Head to the link in our bio for more information and to buy tickets!

07/09/2026

Have you had our Burnt Basque Cheesecake?

It has quickly become our best selling sweet. We sold 125 slices last week across both cafes!

It's a simple recipe, made with love and quality ingredients. We use 's cream - a single source, award winning family operated dairy farm in Dubbo.

Many customers tell us it's the best cheesecake they've ever had. And we have to agree!

Even better, it's gluten free!

We also sell it as a whole cake, you can order it through our website - www.cafesteppingstone.com/cakes

27/08/2026

Canberra Writers Festival has partnered with our Yarn & Rethread team to make book bags for the upcoming festival. This evening we will attend their festival launch and 10 year celebrations, showcasing over 60 unique reversable bags we have made, all from donated fabrics.

We are so grateful for this opportunity to complete a large order which has really kick started our business operations and provide work for three migrant women.

We are excited to fulfill this and any future requests, so please reach out by emailing [email protected] if you are looking for upcycled merchandise or gifts for your next commercial event!

26/08/2026

When was the last time you went to dinner without knowing exactly how the night would unfold?

On Thursday 1 October, TEDxCanberra and Cafe Stepping Stone are turning dinner into something a little more unexpected.

You'll take a seat at a communal table.

You'll share dishes inspired by the cultures, traditions and personal stories of Cafe Stepping Stone's chefs and team.

You'll hear some of the stories behind the food.

And between courses, we'll give the table a little TEDxCanberra treatment—with conversation starters and moments designed to get you beyond the usual small talk.

You might arrive with friends.

You might sit beside someone you've never met.

You might leave having had a conversation you weren't expecting.

And that's rather the point.

Thursday 1 October · Cafe Stepping Stone, Dickson
Two sittings: 5:30pm and 7:30pm
$99 per person — full shared dining experience + unlimited non-alcoholic beverages.

One night. Two sittings. Intentionally limited seats.

Come hungry. Come curious. Take a seat.

🎟️ Book your place at the table: https://events.humanitix.com/tedxcanberra-dine-out-dinner

Address

Gullifer Street
Canberra, ACT
2615

Telephone

+61416716292

Website

http://www.cafesteppingstone.com/, https://bookings.nowbookit.com/?accountid=ddf1fdb1-4017-4198-9ef0-2eaa09677fa9&venuei

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