Lismore’s longest running vegetarian restaurant and ashram, 20,000 Cows, is about to be reborn in a new format - as the Wolf and Lamb Cafe.

Since the North Lismore venue was destroyed in the February flood, owner Marijonas Vilkelis (Mari) has been trying to find a way to reopen, including running a GoFundMe fundraiser to reconstruct the building.

But now, thanks to his inspired collaborators Jodie and Manny, Mari has found a new home for his signature dishes, in Nimbin.

Mari, cooking inside the 20,000 Cows North Lismore venue.

“Jodie was inspired to create a vegan restaurant for Nimbin,” Mari said. “So now we are working together to bring a vegan menu to the new cafe.

“Manny makes Maltese vegan food at the markets and will do part of the menu.

“Some of the 20,000 Cows menu faves like potato croquettes, mellawah and middle eastern dishes and curries will be too.”

Damage inside the 20,000 Cows North Lismore venue after the flood.

Opening day

While the new cafe is not ready to open yet, Mari said the three of them (and a handful of volunteers) have been working hard to get it finished. He hopes to be open before Mardi Grass on September 16.

“We keep hitting snag after snag,” Mari said. “We said we’d be open two weeks ago, about a month ago and we are still not there. 

“So we aren’t taking bookings - we’ll just open doors when we are ready.”

The cafe will be open days and evenings, from Wednesday to Saturday and is located on Cullen Street, next to Tribal Magic.

The new cafe’s name Wolf and Lamb, refers back to Mari’s famous cookbook of his recipes. 

Maris said he chose the name because in the bible, the Prophet Isaiah wrote a prophesy about "a day will come when wolf and lamb ... will be at peace”.

“It seemed like a worthwhile thing to work toward,” he said. 

“Most people say a wolf won’t be vegan, but the way nature is now, is consequential and we don’t know what it was at the begin of existence – it’s become that from something else.

“Humans aren’t the same as back then. I like to think that if we stop creating death and suffering, then the load on the planet will lessen.”

His vision of a safe haven inspired the concept of calling the restaurant an ashram – an ancient Sanscrit word for sanctuary.

Damage inside the 20,000 Cows North Lismore venue after the flood.

History and future

Mari first opened 20,000 Cows in Bridge Street, North Lismore in 1996. It was his sixth restaurant.

Mari said his love of making food started in 1979 in Melbourne after he did his first 41 day fast.

“I had a vision to create a restaurant and so I went on to do that,” he said.

“Opening again in Nimbin gives me a chance to finish off the tracks that I started.

“Now, the new restaurant is hopefully stepping a stone to heaven.

“I have a theme I like to work with – that the definition of professionalism is a procedure toward self redundancy

“So I’ll be teaching other people to make the food.

“It will be a relief to have income again, as I’ve been living off my savings all year."