Ethos: It’s in the name

Tucked away in Te Ara Hou Village, at 100 Morrinsville Road Hillcrest, is a cozy cafe where accessibility is a mantra instead of a buzzword.

Ethos is a social enterprise of Mahi Mihinare – Anglican Action, and it’s name says it all. It is also backed by a mission to be a catalyst for positive change. 

Ethos welcomes all through its door into an open space for lounging or conferencing with natural light flooding in. Patrons are surrounded by shelves stacked with plants, and lulled by subtle soothing jazz. The space isn’t complete however without its floor to ceiling gallery of posters spanning across several walls, all with references to different social justice movements. This is where the name “Ethos” starts to become quite fitting, you could almost say the writing’s on the wall.

Both the indoor and outdoor seating offer views of just some of garden space where Ethos grows its own ingredients and returns the composted scraps to the earth. Head Chef Chris McIntosh says it doesn’t start in the kitchen, it starts in the soil.

Ethos’ garden boasts organic, pesticide free ingredients used in their health conscious (but delicious) menu. McIntosh said “The food now aligns with the values we have up on the walls. We went vegetarian- well, I did. I didn’t tell anyone I was doing that”

Making the meals that Ethos serves more affordable and accessible remains a top priority for Chris, who took over the kitchen in October of 2024. The decision to take the expensive ingredient of meat off the menu helped to actualise that vision, a decision reportedly met with very little complaints from visitors. 

But the menu isn’t the only thing Chris changed. He wanted to bring more natural elements into the space, so he fixed up shelves himself to display a range of plants throughout the dining area, some of which were donated by the local community. He’s also been actively working towards having a closed loop system in the kitchen, which he admits is very hard to do in this day and age. 

Chris’s own ethos is driven by food justice; a commitment to providing nutritious, affordable, diverse meals, because frankly, the cost of food is appaling. Chris’s approach to food doesn’t have to be an Ethos exclusive, though. He shares some simple, but powerful advice:

Chris, and Ethos, carry an abundance of knowledge on growing and caring for fruitful plants. It could be assumed that spending time in places like Ethos can inspire people to be a part of active change. 

“It’s about making people think. There’s no incentive for people to eat healthy.”

But really, places like Ethos can only exist when there’s people supporting them. Chris would describe Ethos as “just a cafe” but maybe that’s because Ethos’ practices are setting a new standard for hospitality spaces.

Ethos happily accepts volunteers, with Chris saying he’s willing to teach people to grow and cook their own food. You can get in touch with Ethos at kiaora@ethos.org.nz