In celebration of the launch of our collaboration Room Spray with Akitsu Ryokan, we chatted to Nikita, who built and created this beautiful space in Shiga, Japan. Nikita's story is truly inspiring. After you read this, you will want to quit your job and follow your wildest dreams.
Nagoya is somewhere we spend a bit of time in each time we are in Japan, it is a good base for meeting makers and a real business hub for meetings. This business vibe usually means most people don't venture there on their travels but Nagoya has so much to offer, here are some of our top recommendations.
Hello from Tokyo - or rather, the Shinkansen, as I am just about to leave the city. After a couple of busy days, I wanted to share a brief recap of what I've been up to, along with a few of the places I managed to visit along the way. It's been full, fast-paced and inspiring. It might be worth mentioning: it snowed - a lot.
Jimbocho is a neighbourhood in Chiyoda, Tokyo, renowned for its second-hand bookshops and it did not disappoint. You could easily spend an entire day here getting lost amongst the shelves.
These little morsels of joy are a real crowd pleaser. They are crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and perfectly balanced with a delicious yoghurt sauce and a generous dose of cheese.
A zesty spin on the classic glazed Christmas Ham. This recipe is super simple but has a great subtle flavour that isn't overwhelming like some ham glazes.
Any excuse to take out the Hibachi! This simple recipe only uses a few ingredients but packs a flavour punch. You can either use your hibachi or just grill them on the BBQ.
Nothing like a good tart, and this one has everything you could want, earthy carrots, creamy feta & ricotta, lots of herbs and of course a spicy kick to round it out. This Tart is great because it can be served hot, cold or even room temp so it's easy to make ahead and a real crowd pleaser.
Cool off this summer with this delicious, citrussy delight from our friends at Bar Demo in Newtown. We dropped by Bar Demo one balmy Sydney afternoon to chat with Claudia and Olly about opening Bar Demo, vinyl, cocktails and more as they whipped us up this drink perfect for summer.
If you are down in Tassie staying at Provider House or hanging around Hobart, this is a must-stop. It's like Five Leaves Left was made for us; it blends great books with delicious wine, which in our opinion is the ultimate combo. Owner Clinton, is an absolute legend and in this chat we talk about what drew him down to Hobart and, of course, a few books you can now add to your to-be-read pile.
It felt like it was about time that we do a guide to our hometown of Sydney. There are endless places to eat, drink, see and plenty of things to do, these are some of our favourites.
My Zakaya is a little spot that serves some seriously good Japanese food. Chef Nobu Maruyama cooks with a deep love for flavour and that resonates through all the dishes he creates. He was kind enough to let us into his kitchen and take us through the homemade Tartar sauce that tops Namban Snapper. You can also find our chat with Nobu where we chat all things food at the end of the recipe too!
Head to Provider Store from 18th-20th of July and come explore a collection of rare books ranging from Japanese architecture, furniture photography, fashion, art and design thanks to our pals at First Edition.
We feel very lucky that Recess is just around the corner from Provider Studio in Surry Hills. Mainly because we don't have to go far for a delicious sando and a packet of chips but also because Clark & Paddy are absolute legends. We popped by a couple of weeks ago for a good chat and of course a recipe. Get the recipe for this super easy sandwich and read on for a little interview with the team.
Onigiri also known as a Japanese rice ball, is a popular portable Japanese snack that dates back over 2,000 years. If you have ever been to Japan you would have seen these at every train station and convenience store. They are one of our favourite treats to grab-and-go when we are travelling to markets or before we hope on the Shinkansen. We rounded up three of our favourite fillings that you can replicate at home.
Tara is a real bibliophile; she loves collecting books and spending hours wandering through every bookshop she comes across. If you have been lucky enough to visit Provider House, you would have noticed that the house is stacked full of books and magazines and even has a designated reading room. So trust us when we say she knows all the best book shops. Here are some of her favourite places to pick up a book from Australia and beyond.
We first discovered Peake's work a while back and were delighted when we came across his book of Hotel Drawings on our travels through book stores in Tokyo earlier this year. We were so delighted to be able to not only offer some of his limited edition works and our fav Hotel Drawing collection but Nigel also kindly took some time to chat with us about his architectural background, art and his connection to Japan.
Bella is a beloved, long time supporter of Provider, inspiring us since she first shopped in our store many years ago. Upon finding yuzu at her local farmer's market, she created this delicious recipe we wanted to share with you. Deliciously sweet and tangy, we know you'll love it!
When we were down in Melbourne last year we had to absolute privilege of join managing director Meg at the CIBI Melbourne cafe/retail space where she cooked us up some of the best Chicken Kara-age we have ever eaten. This quick and easy recipe is best enjoyed hot, fresh and with a nice cold beer.
We have known Dani for many, many years now; she is a dating mentor to all, a brilliant writer and the kind of person you could just talk to for hours on end about anything and everything. We feel so lucky to have been able to sit down with her and chat about books, love and life.
We're often asked, when is the best time to stay at The Provider House? The colder months are upon us, and while Tassie is beautiful all year round, we particularly love all it has to offer in the month of May.
Those who have tried A.M matcha, know just how special it is. A.M's supreme quality ceremonial grade green tea is as vibrant as it is delicious. Australia based, Kyushu grown, we've interviewed Maddie, half of the founding duo to learn a little more about the brand.
There are only a few reasons why you would make a stop by Nagoya when visiting Japan. You either scored a booking at Ghibli Park, you are staying there to hike the Nakasendo Trail or, like us, are there for business. Nagoya reminds me of Ginza in Tokyo. It’s big, clean and has a lot of designer fashion stores. Nonetheless, if you just dig a little deeper, you start to find your footing, and by footing that means wine, coffee, food and a knickknack or two.
A delicious recipe with thanks to Shan @Ducksauceyum, enjoy creamy umami notes from the salmon that pairs perfectly with the crispy rice texture. Topped with a spicy citrus Yuzu Koshu, enjoy a burst of complex flavour perfect to enjoy yourself or to impress your friends when entertaining!
What draws us into secondhand bookshops is the sense of discovery. You go in not looking for anything in particular but stumble across titles that you wouldn't find anywhere else. We love that each store has its own unique collection of curated titles. By flipping through the tomes, you gain an insight into the interests of the owner and their unique passions. We wanted to share a guide to a few of our favourite secondhand bookshops in Kyoto.
We took a little detour from the busy streets of Tokyo to take a little break in Kanazawa. We spent a few days exploring gardens, museums and galleries and ate and drank some of the best food ever! Here are some of favourite spots from our trip to Kanazawa.
Nishihara is a cool little neighbourhood that I always find myself in by accident. I always stumble across so many gems here and would highly recommend a visit. Whether you like homewares and vintage clothing, or natural wine and an izakaya, this might be the place for you.
Walking into Sáng, you feel like you are part of the family. It's a welcoming and cosy hole in the wall space nestled in the streets of Surry Hills. Oh, and it also does some seriously good Korean food. We were so excited to head into the Sang kitchen for this delicious Bibimbap recipe, even more excited to feast upon it at the end.
Reuse and sustainability is an integral part of our provider ethos, and in the many years we've been selling our ceramic candles, the candle vessel has been reused in various contexts. To answer one of our most asked questions: "How do you reuse your candle vessels?", we compiled a list of ways staff have reused the ceramic cup in their everyday lives. From tea cup to pot plant holder, the vessel's ability to adapt to many forms is endless!
This Yuzu Lemon Myrtle Iced Green Tea is the perfect tangy and refreshing summer beverage. Including naturopath blended Sophron notes tea, this brew is carefully crafted to provide a calm and balanced mental boost, perfect for early summer mornings or an afternoon pick me up!
Toco has been one of our top spots to visit while we are in Tokyo. It is an amazing wine bar that offers some truly delicious snacks, it was one of the best meals we had on our last trip to Tokyo. We were so pumped the team shared one of their recipes with us so we can make it and feel like we are back at Toco in Tokyo.
A special recipe from the team at Future Future in Melbourne.
Whenever I go away I always ask Tara her advice, and check these Provider guides so really happy to contribute my favourite places in Melbourne. I do think its important to mentioned, I’m a real creature of habit, and only really spend time in the Inner North and the West.
Tania and Tara have known each other for well over a decade bonding over their love of slow made, meaningfully made pieces and making things by hand. We are so excited to have been able to collaborate on a very special candle that launched this December between Tania's jewellery brand RUUSK and Provider Store. We sat down with Tania to chat all things Jewellery and her unique side hobbies in this interview.
The Provider gift shop is officially open! We've curated a collection of gifts to meet the needs of all the different people in your life, from the entertainer to the outdoorsy types.
Knowing Japan has some of the best coffee in the world, on a recent trip to Kyoto, we made it our mission to find the best brew around. Upon review, here are some of our favourite coffee shops in Kyoto:
We first discovered Trophy Room a few years back on our many travels down to Hobart to build Provider House. It became one of our go-to spots for a bite to eat so we were so chuffed to not only do a cheeky interview Rose & James but they also shared a recipe for one of our favourite dishes we had on one of our many visits.
Last week we ventured to Melbourne to teach a candle making workshop at Keoma Store. Not only were we chuffed that it sold out, we were also excited to be able to bring a little bit of Provider Store to Victoria. A big thank you to the wonderful staff at Keoma and everyone who came, plus to those who dropped off their candles for refilling. While a big part of our trip was work, we did get some play. Here is what we got up to when we weren’t making candles.
Diana has been a friend of Provider for many years now. Not only is Di a lovely human she also created Sophron Notes tea, and we are so pumped to be serving and selling Sophron Notes tea at Maido and the shop. Read a little more about the creative mastermind behind Sophron notes in this little interview we did with Di.
A lot has happened over the past ten years, this is a brief glimpse of the highlights of our journey so far.
Continuing on our sentimental 10 year journey, this time I thought we would talk about our little “hole in the wall”…the Surry Hills store. From finding the shop, opening and then renovating the space to turn it into the store you know today.
Creating Provider House is probably the biggest and best thing we have achieved as a brand over the last decade. It was something that started as just a dream and after many years became a reality. It has since been a second home to not only the Provider team but so many of you.
Did you know that Provider Store turns 10 next month?! 10! What an expedition it has been! While reflecting on some of the bigger things that took place over the last decade, I started to go down a bit of a rabbit hole of memories.I thought I would start sharing some of these moments with you so you can follow our journey so far. One I wanted to share was when I renovated Provider Studio, which has now become Maido.
We get asked a lot at Maido about the difference between ceremonial grade matcha and culinary grade so we put together a little run down of the differences as well as some tips on making your own matcha at home.
We had the great pleasure of sitting down with Jenny & Bree, the legends behind Sip'er, for a drink and a chat. If you haven't heard of Sip'er, they are an online bottle shop that is not only female-led itself but sells only female-led alcohol brands as well. As a female-led business ourselves, we love supporting and partnering with other female-led brands.
At the beginning of the year, I was told about a new little coffee shop in Kyoto. Before I left for the airport to head to Shimane, I stopped in for a visit. We ate two cardamom buns, which is why we wanted to feature the recipe.
This crowd pleasing matcha white chocolate cake is a delicious new way to take your matcha menu to the next level. Perfect with afternoon tea, this moist gluten free bake will have you and your guests reaching for more and more.
Kyoto is one of our favourite places to visit, so yes, there is always something new to explore. Read our latest recommendations including where to eat, where to stay and what to do while you are in town.
Mashiko is roughly a two and a half hour train ride from Tokyo, it is a great spot to check out vintage and antique shops as well as being host to many pottery and ceramics shops and workshops. It is definitely worth the trip for a day or more!
A delicious and classic Japanese sweet recipe from our friends at Comeco in Newtown. This easy and delicious snack will be a real crowd pleaser and even better it is gluten free and vegan!