Nourishment in every sense of the word.

Desa started around a table. Long before there was a cafe.

Growing up in Indonesia, our Founder Cynthia understood food as something naturally shared, colourful, generous and a beautiful way of bringing people together.

Cynthia believes “we eat differently when we eat together.”

When she moved to England, she found supermarket aisles full of food, but very little that was fresh, vibrant or genuinely nourishing.

Spending time with her Indonesian aunt influenced the way she cooked. She ate with the seasons, taking whatever was at its best and finding endless ways to use it – soups, stews, tagines and whatever else inspiration suggested.

Cynthia began doing the same. Her table became known for big, colourful spreads. Friends gathered. Family gathered. Her own children arrived and gathered too. Food was nutritious, but always joyful.

From studying fashion to moving into marketing, Cynthia always had a creative instinct. She began baking and making things to sell, studied nutrition and took her food to local markets.

And soon, those market tables became Cafe Desa.

Today, Desa is bigger than Cynthia's kitchen table. But the philosophy hasn't changed much. Start with great ingredients. Make something delicious. Share it with as many people as possible.

Find Your Village.