Our Kitchen Social Cafe
Our Kitchen Social Cafe (OKSC) is located at Barkly Square, 25 Barkly Street Ballarat East. It operates from 8:30am to 2:30pm weekdays.
Our vision is to provide a safe and inclusive training space for our trainees to
- learn and develop their employability skills
- meet potential employers, and
- provide a trained workforce, which celebrates diversity, for our region.
Many of our team members are new to the workforce or have recently returned, so we ask you to please be patient as we learn new skills, take your orders and engage with you.
Catering
Our Kitchen Social Enterprise (OKSE) works in collaboration with Our Kitchen Social Cafe to deliver catering to local businesses, government departments and individuals.
OKSC commenced taking catering orders in March 2025 and will be developing a specific catering menu in the coming weeks.
If you would like to discuss catering for your meeting or event, please contact the Cafe Manager on 0409820580 or email
Training and Skills Development
Partially funded by the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry, and Regions (DJSIR), our training involves participants undertaking Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) hospitality focused courses.
Students who undertake the 9 week ‘Cafe Skills’ Course, work with hospitality mentors learning introductory cafe skills. Our trainees also complete qualifications in Barista and Food Safety.
Along the way, the trainees develop friendships, build in confidence, develop their resumes, and explore career pathways.
Workforce Development and Integration SE
OKSC is a work force development and integration social enterprise program. Its primary role is to provide practical work experience and training to long term unemployed clients referred from the Jobs Victoria Work & Learning Centre, Disability Employment Services and Workforce Australia partners. All participants will have an opportunity to build their employability skills and develop new pathways to education or employment.
As a start up social enterprise, OKSC relies on the support of Our Kitchen Social Enterprise, a certified Social Traders social enterprise. OKSC is a registered business of the Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre and will apply for Social Traders certification in 2025.
Employee Pipeline
We recognise the additional challenges both employers and potential employees face when recruiting and onboarding staff, especially those who have no practical experience or background working in the industry. For this reason OKSC is committed to improving the diversity of employees witin local hospitality businesses by providing
- low cost hospitality training
- a working cafe where participants can practice and develop their skills, and
- employers the opportunity to observe and meet potential staff
With hands on experience and training provided at OKSC, our trainees have great all round hospitality skills and are job ready for the right employer to give them a chance. If you are interested in employing one of our trainees, email
Our History
Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre (BNC) established its first social enterprise in April 2017 with a Department of Education & Training Capacity and Innovation Fund Grant and a City of Ballarat Social Enterprise Grant.
The initial vision was to create a pop up cafe and catering enterprise. However, a lack of cafe facilities limited the program changing it to become a community meals and catering social enterprise. In 2020, plans to open a social purpose cafe were cancelled when pandemic restrictions had people working from home. Over the next few years, we focused on our communities need for community meals and training but never forgot our initial cafe plans.
In late 2024, BGT approached BNC to reopen the cafe at Barkly Square. This exciting opportunity led to the opening of Our Kitchen Social Cafe in March 2025.
