Latest news with #YellowDeli
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I visited an Aussie cafe and couldn't believe how cheap everything was... and then I was told something that unsettled me
A British man has shared his shock after learning the truth behind his visit to a cheap cafe in the Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney. Tom Hammond, 28, enjoyed breakfast at The Yellow Deli Cafe in Katoomba on Friday before finding out a controversial religious cult runs the popular spot. Mr Hammond, who lives in Sydney, told Daily Mail Australia he wanted to help warn others who may innocently come across the cafe. The self-employed landscaper came across The Yellow Deli Cafe after looking for recommendations on Blue Mountains' breakfast spots on TikTok. 'The venue itself is really pretty, it reminded me of the Cotswolds in England,' he said. Mr Hammond said he 'grabbed a chair by the fireplace' but instantly felt 'something wasn't right' as the waiter was far less welcoming than the friendly service he's become used to in Australia. He said the waiter explained a group of volunteers ran the cafe which is why the prices were low. Mr Hammond didn't think to question this. 'I've been backpacking, I know there are places that you work a shift or two and in exchange you get a room,' he said. The Brit ordered waffles and eggs, adding: 'The venue is really good, the food is really nice, it's cheap - it's a great spot.' However, he claimed the waiter had no interest in making conversation with him and was a lot friendlier with other customers. The landscaper was oblivious to the controversial history of the cafe until a local couple told him it was run by religious cult Twelve Tribes. 'It wasn't until later on in the evening after a hike, I was at another restaurant and there was some bingo going on. One of the locals asked 'Why would you go there?' And they told me who it was run by,' he said. The Twelve Tribes, founded in Tennessee in 1975, came to Australia in the 1990s. Those working in the cafe live in nearby Balmoral House while the rest are at a farm near Picton, about 90 minutes south-west of Sydney. The cult has been accused of child abuse and child labour as well as forcing its members to live by authoritarian rules. It is not suggested there is any truth to the accusations. In 2019, Andrew McLeod, who managed the cafe and is an original member of the Australian branch of the group, said allegations of child abuse and child labour were untrue. 'We want our children to have a well-balanced life and what we do and our beliefs have somehow been taken out of context to portray us as a fundamentalist cult that bashes our children, which is just not true,' he said. 'It's sad that so many people are gullible enough to believe what they believe without looking into it themselves.' Mr Hammond shared a video on TikTok about the encounter, admitting he 'felt guilty' for 'accidentally supporting a cult'. 'Went into the Yellow Deli in Katoomba thinking, 'Wow, what a wholesome little café — handmade furniture, herbal tea, peaceful vibes…,' he captioned the clip. 'Turns out it's run by The Twelve Tribes, which is less 'hippie commune' and more 'actual cult with some seriously wild beliefs.' 'I was just out here vibing with my sandwich, meanwhile unknowingly funding the end times. Honestly though… great eggs 9/10. Would escape again.' The viral clip was flooded with comments from locals and visitors who had also innocently come across the establishment. On reflection, Mr Hammond suggested his visible tattoo collection may have been the reason for the less friendly reception he received after hearing about similar experiences of others who have visited the cafe. The expat said that although he 'can't complain about the food' he wouldn't return to the cafe as 'it's not something I would support'. The cafe declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. What is the Twelves Tribes? The cult began in 1975 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when former carnival showman Gene Spriggs broke away from the First Presbyterian Church after finding services were cancelled for the Super Bowl. He and his wife Marsha earlier opened the first Yellow Deli a few years earlier and were living communally with a small group from 1972. Twelve Tribes practices a hybrid of pre-Catholic Christianity and Judaism mixed with teachings by Spriggs. The group's stated aim is to bring about the return of Jesus - whom they refer to by the Hebrew name Yahshua - by reestablishing the 12 tribes of Israel. All members are forced to sell their possessions and give to proceeds to the cult and are assigned a Hebrew name discard their old ones. Spriggs himself is known as Yoneq. These tribes would include 144,000 'perfect male children', which accounts for the group's obsessive and controversial child-rearing practices. The Sabbath is observed in line with Jewish tradition, along with conservative dietary rules and abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. Birth control of any kind is banned, as is much modern medicine - they instead rely largely on homeopathy and 'natural' remedies. Marriage outside the cult is forbidden and couples must go through a series of supervised talks to get to know each other. Only after marriage can they even kiss or hold hands. Children aren't allowed to play with toys, engage in make-believe, or any of the normal childhood activities, and must be supervised at all times. They must be strictly obedient and are beaten with a 50cm rod for every infraction by any adult watching them, not just their parents. All children are homeschooled and do not attend university as it is considered a waste of time and not a good environment. Instead, children work in the community from a young age, sparking accusations of child labour. Estée Lauder and other businesses cut ties with the organisation after finding children were involved in making their products. Members don't vote and are not allowed to watch TV or any other media as 'the crazy box robs your time and pollutes your soul'. Twelve Tribes has 3,000 members and operates in the U.S., Canada, France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Germany and England, arriving in Australia in the early 1990s. Members live in Balmoral House in Katoomba, Peppercorn Creek Farm near Picton, and a small number in Coledale, north of Wollongong. Numerous businesses include a network of cafes in every country, all called the Yellow Deli or Common Ground, and bakeries, farms, and furniture, construction, and demolition businesses. These are believed to be very profitable because none of the workers need to be paid.
Press and Journal
07-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Business booms for Cullen's Yellow Deli cafe in first month
A Cullen cafe owner started her business after she was 'inspired' by her grandfather of Miele's of Forres. Aylii Miele has said ever since the opening, the reception has been 'mental'. When doors opened on March 19, queues lined up outside the Grant Street venue. Aylii has tried a variety of food throughout her years travelling the world and has now brought these to Cullen. The 33-year-old says her granddad Alessandro Miele, of Miele's of Forres, is her 'greatest inspiration' behind the deli. The cafe owner also saw a 'bit of a gap' in Cullen, which led her to start her first venture of owning her own deli. But the biggest starting-point behind the idea, Aylii says, was her grandfather. Grandfather Alessandro Miele is Aylii's 'greatest inspiration' Alessandro Miele, from Miele's of Forres, is her grandfather and also her 'greatest inspiration'. She added: 'The business stemmed from him and his passion for hospitality. 'That's really how I was drawn into it all. 'He's a big inspiration to me. 'I've got his original ice cream recipe and a letter from him is hung up in the cafe as a memento to him. 'He passed away two years ago so unfortunately, he doesn't get to see it. 'But he would've been the person I would've liked to show the cafe to the most.' Queues line up outside new Cullen cafe When Aylii opened the deli at the end of March, she described the first day as 'absolutely mental'. She said: 'On my first day, my first few coffees were awful because I was shaking like a leaf. 'But people were just so excited, people queued outside the front door on the first day before we opened.' During the Easter holidays, it was 'mayhem'. As well as this, in the first three weekends, people queued outside which sometimes reached a 20-25 minute wait. Why is it called The Yellow Deli? The Yellow Deli didn't always have its name. At first, it was meant to be called The Pantry at No. 19. 'But I painted the kitchen bright yellow and I just had such a strong reaction every time I walked into the kitchen,' Aylii said. 'I thought 'I love this room,' then decided to change the name and paint the rest of the building yellow.' Variety of food from 'all over the world' on offer at Yellow Deli The Yellow Deli offers a variety of produce, including Scottish cheeses, crackers and dips from Spain, Italian olive oil and olives. As well as this, there is a range of locally made produce including honey, jam and chutneys. Aylii added there is a 'huge range' of chocolate on offer too. Aylii originally wanted to create a cafe focusing on ice cream due to the Miele name being closely associated with their ice cream business. 'I started thinking about having some local products alongside products from places I've travelled as well as my Italian heritage,' she added. 'Then I thought; if I actually turn it into a deli then I can incorporate all these parts of me in one place.' The Yellow Deli can be found at 19 Grant Street, Cullen and is open from Wednesday to Monday.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Are Some Mysterious, Cult-Like, "Bad-Vibes" Towns In The United States?
A while back we perused Reddit and found some interesting threads about creepy, cult-like towns across the United States. The topic generated A LOT of responses and made me want to see what your thoughts are on the subject. So, tell me, what are some mysterious, cult-like, bad-vibes towns across the United States? Perhaps you had a sketchy experience in Vidor, Texas, like this person — "I worked on a door-to-door sales team, and we got sent there because we happened to be all 'white' at the time. Spoiler: We weren't all 'white,' and our crew included several Latino members. Someone spoke in Spanish, and we were detained by the most overtly racist cops I have ever met and literally escorted out of town. Freaky shit." —tossaway78701 Related: Discover Which Classic Disney Film You Are By Picking GIFs From Modern Disney Faves Or maybe you passed through Island Pond, Vermont, and got a bad vibe, like this person — "It's home to one of the Twelve Tribes communities. Twelve Tribes is a fundamentalist Christian cult known for its misogyny, racism, child abuse, and workplace exploitation. They operate the Yellow Deli restaurants." —cwthree Related: I Can Accurately Guess Your Eye Color Based On Your Breakfast Choices! Heck, you maybe even grew up in Seabrook, Washington, and, like this person, it never sat well with you — "It is idyllic. Perfectly idyllic. Too much so. Strong Stepford Wives vibes. I read somewhere that it was inspired by the town in The Truman Show." —lotsalotsacoffee So, I'm asking you, what is a mysterious, cult-like, bad-vibes town in the United States? Tell us all about it in the comment section or via the totally anonymous form below to be featured in a future BuzzFeed Community post or video! Also in Community: Let's See If You Know All 50 Of These Artists Also in Community: Curate A Summer Pinterest Board To Reveal Your Summer Aesthetic Also in Community: I'm Listening, I'm Not Judging, But This Is The Toxic Love Trope That You'd Fall For In A Second
Buzz Feed
05-05-2025
- Buzz Feed
What Are Some Mysterious, Cult-Like, "Bad-Vibes" Towns In The United States?
A while back we perused Reddit and found some interesting threads about creepy, cult-like towns across the United States. The topic generated A LOT of responses and made me want to see what your thoughts are on the subject. So, tell me, what are some mysterious, cult-like, bad-vibes towns across the United States? Perhaps you had a sketchy experience in Vidor, Texas, like this person — "I worked on a door-to-door sales team, and we got sent there because we happened to be all 'white' at the time. Spoiler: We weren't all 'white,' and our crew included several Latino members. Someone spoke in Spanish, and we were detained by the most overtly racist cops I have ever met and literally escorted out of town. Freaky shit." Or maybe you passed through Island Pond, Vermont, and got a bad vibe, like this person — "It's home to one of the Twelve Tribes communities. Twelve Tribes is a fundamentalist Christian cult known for its misogyny, racism, child abuse, and workplace exploitation. They operate the Yellow Deli restaurants." Heck, you maybe even grew up in Seabrook, Washington, and, like this person, it never sat well with you — "It is idyllic. Perfectly idyllic. Too much so. Strong Stepford Wives vibes. I read somewhere that it was inspired by the town in The Truman Show." So, I'm asking you, what is a mysterious, cult-like, bad-vibes town in the United States? Tell us all about it in the comment section or via the totally anonymous form below to be featured in a future BuzzFeed Community post or video!
