YOU know it’s time to lose weight when your canary-yellow Speedos are like a tourniquet around your groin.

Standing in front of the bedroom mirror, I realised middle age had arrived in the form of moobies and thighs like scrambled eggs.

It was time to hit the gym.

Well, I got as far as Blendcraft for a vitamin-rich smoothie (I don’t want to rush these things).

Situated on the outside of Melville Shopping Centre, Blendcraft opened in October last year, but it somehow slipped under my radar (see above).

The modest-sized eatery was shiny, super clean and had a sort of Scandinavian minimalism, with everything stylish, well-lit and to the point.

There was a small dining area with tables and chairs, and some bench window seating, but I had my dog “The Mighty Angus” and my kids in tow, so we sat on the benches outside.

It was a pleasant spot in the shade with lots of greenery shielding you from the cavalcade of cars winding in and out of the 1960s car park.

Blendcraft had a fantastic range of smoothies on offer, and the staff were polite and friendly.

For the uninitiated like me, the range was slightly overwhelming, but the menu was broken down into categories like Pick me up (smoothies with a lift), Signature (smoothies packed with real foods), Acai (with pure unsweetened açai) and Protein (plant standard, whey on request).

Everything was covered, from training to chilling out—Breakfast of Champs included espresso coffee, banana and oats, and the indulgent Poolside had dragon fruit, mango and coconut yoghurt.

I liked how they included the calorie count beside each drink and a long list of ingredients.

This was clearly a place that took the health aspect and the craft of smoothie-making seriously, and wasn’t one of those God-awful chains with mass-produced syrup.

It wasn’t long before my daughter was enjoying her Acai Classic ($13.90).

Lots of “mmms” and “this is delicious” as she sucked down the viscous mix of pure açai, banana, wild blueberry extract, peanut butter and coconut water.

I had a taste and was pleasantly surprised—I don’t like peanut butter, but this had a nice latent nuttiness and wasn’t overly sweet.

There were a lot of flavours going on, and thankfully it didn’t have that blast of syrupy sugar you get in smoothies from cheap-and-nasty convenience stores.

Overall, it had a nice balance and wasn’t cloying.

I went for the Greenhouse smoothie ($13.50), which had one of the lowest calorie counts on the menu at 247. It was a tart and arresting mix of avocado, kiwi, spinach, wheatgrass, pineapple, hemp seeds and coconut water.

Some of the ingredients were alien to me, like I was peering into a Petri dish, but it was extremely refreshing with a pleasant, ever-so-slight bitterness.

I could tell the smoothie was high quality and it had a nice consistency—not too thick or thin. Very enjoyable.

However, shortly afterwards, I launched into a sneezing fit and my eyes were streaming uncontrollably.

I think my body wasn’t used to all that healthy stuff like wheatgrass and hemp seeds, rejecting it like a virus. Not to worry. Baby steps.

Last up was my son, with his Smooth Banana ($12).

Now, this would be my go-to everyday buy—a gorgeous medley of banana, oats, dates, coconut, yoghurt, cinnamon and organic unsweetened oat milk.

There was a lovely earthy tang from the oats, offsetting the richness of the banana.

“Best smoothie I’ve ever had, Dad.”

Blendcraft also does coffee, tea and matcha, and has a small range of treats and sundries in their display cabinet.

I’ll definitely be back to try some of their other smoothie offerings.

Sneezing, and glowing with vitamins, I drove home, pondering a Jane Fonda workout.

Blendcraft
Hawaiian’s Melville, 380 Canning Hwy, Bicton
facebook.com/blendcraftau/

by STEPHEN POLLOCK