Indice dei contenuti per Feb/Mar 2016 in BeanScene

I began my coffee career in 1993 while studying Arts/ Law at The University of Melbourne. My first venue was aptly named Caffeine. My own self-actualisation in coffee resulted in a deep entrenchment in the third wave coffee movement. When I first entered the roasting business in 2005 I could count the number of specialty roasters on one hand, many of whom are still around and have become great friends. It was very much a grass roots movement, with the traditional coffee power structures questioned, and decisions being made bottom-up rather than top-down. A select group of emerging roasters rejected the idea that coffee was a commodity, that dark roast was the only way, and that blends were inevitable. I did (and still do) celebrate the subtle characteristics of single…

Hopscotch Heroes has raised more than $25,000 to fund an art therapy program for children with cancer. Through its partnerships with a number of organisations and cafés, such as Elements at Nexus, Dr. Dax Kitchen, Sette Bello, and Degani, the organisation is on track to meet its $85,000 target, just months after its launch. Through donation boxes atop café counters and a once-a-day commitment from participating cafés to donate the cost of a coffee, Hopscotch Heroes is hoping to fund the salary of a qualified art therapist, as well as art supplies and equipment. “Each of these cafés is making a real difference raising funds for art therapy, a therapy program that directly benefits the lives of children undergoing treatment for cancer,” says Hopscotch Heroes. “The moment a child is…

Take everything you thought you knew about Nuova Simonelli’s Microbar machine, and replace it with this new information. Thanks to an upgrade or facelift of sorts, the next generation bean-to-cup compact machine is ready to unveil its new look. “This machine is completely rejuvenated. It’s a great entry-level machine that’s ideal for restaurants, convenience stores, and offices that cater to about 30 people or medium volume production of about 80 cups a day,” says Espresso Mechanics National Manager Geoff Michelmore. “We’re seeing a strong transition of office spaces wanting the reliability of a professional coffee machine, but something that anyone can operate without the skill level of a dedicated café barista – and something attractive to sit on the bench too. For this reason we’re seeing the Microbar increase in…

At a recent cupping with a coffee buyer, we were talking about what would be the next ‘big thing’ in the industry. The buyer thought that the barista had been the focus in the last year. But to me, the star has always been the grower – the person right at the beginning of the coffee production chain. That sentiment hit home later when I looking at a photo of a coffee farmer in Honduras. The photo depicts a farmer squinting into a camera, surrounded by cherry-laden trees. The trees on the hillside look in magnificent condition, with rolling hills and vegetation in the background telling their own story of rich soils and perfect climate. The look on the farmer’s face shows he’s waiting for the shot to be taken…

My name is Elijah. I’m 21years old and from the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. I’m currently working with the Blackboard coffee crew at Griffith St Lader in Coolangatta. I initially started working with coffee so that I would be able to support myself when I moved to Brisbane to study engineering. It was my love of science while I was in high school that made me find the chemistry behind coffee fascinating. However, it was my adventure to South America where I discovered the hard work behind growing and cultivating coffee beans by the farmers. From seeing this, I wanted to perfect the art of making coffee out of respect for the entire process that goes behind a single cup, bringing a more wholesome experience to the variety…

NSW Allpress Espresso 58 Epsom Rd, ZETLAND Austin’s Coffee & Tea 62 Broadmeadow Rd, BROADMEADOW Campos Coffee 193 Missenden Rd, NEWTOWN Coffee Warehouse Cafe 17-35 Parramatta Rd, HOMEBUSH Don Campos 2/21 Fountain St, ALEXANDRIA Double Roasters 199 Victoria Rd, MARRICKVILLE Grinders Coffee 204 Norton St, LEICHHARDT Pablo & Rusty’s 161 Castlereagh St, SYDNEY Pablo & Rusty’s 1 St Johns Ave, GORDON Pablo & Rusty’s 13 Burns Bay Rd, LANE COVE Pablo & Rusty’s Jacaranda Sq, Cnr Dawn Fraser & Park St, SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK Pablo & Rusty’s 3 Plassey Rd, NORTH RYDE Toby’s Estate 32/36 City Rd, CHIPPENDALE Toby’s Estate 129 Cathedral St, WOOLLOOMOOLOO Tulipshi Cafe Suite 307, The San Clinic Bldg, 185 Fox Valley Rd, WAHROONGA White Horse Coffee Shop 2/137 Flora St, SUTHERLAND QLD Emjays Coffee Shop 6,…

Salvatore Malatesta graduated from Melbourne University with an Arts/Law degree and honours in 1999. He worked at Gadens law firm for two years before stretching his business talents to a variety of industries including fashion label Rubric and Rhodes Corporate Travel. Salvatore is also a retail and strategy consultant. He has been involved in the coffee industry since 1993, and has helped develop 88 food and beverage outlets including St Ali, which started in 2007. Salvatore is a proud father of three children, a hip-hop enthusiast and an aspirational philosopher. Aymon McQuade is Executive Director of the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association. In recent years Aymon has been heavily involved with many coffee competitions, including the AeroPress New Zealand Brewers Cup and Huhtamaki New Zealand Barista Championship as both judge…

The Alliance for Coffee Excellence (ACE) has raised the minimum score for the Cup of Excellence (COE) champion coffees from 85 to 87. ACE Chairperson Geoff Watts says the decision to increase the score threshold was made in order to challenge coffee professionals to continue developing their craft. “It was time to raise the bar. Baristas and roasters have elevated their game, and are operating with unprecedented precision, and a new level of appreciation for intrinsic quality in coffee,” Geoff told BeanScene. “The global appetite for coffees of excellent quality has grown and coffee farmers have responded. The producing world is making great progress towards unlocking coffee’s latent potential.” ACE Board Member and Campos Coffee President Will Young says that over the past few years, and likely due to the…

The search for the best Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE2016) cup design is over. Melbourne-based graphic designer, Victoria Na, has been selected as the winner of the 2016 Huhtamaki Cup Design Competition. Huhtamaki and MICE joined forces to give designers the chance to create the official MICE2016 cup, which will be used by cafés during Melbourne Coffee Week, and exhibitors at MICE. “When I found out that I was the winner, I was screaming and jumping for joy. I just could not believe it. It felt so surreal,” Victoria says. “I contacted my close friends and family right away. I couldn’t contain my excitement.” Victoria’s cup design was inspired by Melbourne’s unique café culture and latte art. “I love my mochaccinos. I have always been intrigued by the perfection and…

“WHAT A TRAGEDY IT WOULD BE IF THE PLACE WHERE COFFEE WAS BORN COULD NO LONGER PRODUCE COFFEE.” When Mauricio Galindo told his university professor he was quitting his PhD in Intellectual History to work as a coffee analyst, he looked at Mauricio and said: “We’re losing you to the world of coffee.” “I thought his comment was funny at the time, but inevitably he was right,” Mauricio says. “I had always wanted to be a history professor. I never envisaged a career in coffee, but here I am.” Mauricio’s visit to Australia to present at Toby’s Estate’s Knowledge Talks sessions in November 2015 was his first freelance role since leaving the International Coffee Organization (ICO) in September 2015. After 17 years working in London, Mauricio says it is time…

Great staff can certainly be the factor that determines whether or not a café is successful. Find yourself a friendly, energetic group of people that work effectively together and have a genuine passion for what they do, and you are putting yourself in the best position for success. On the other hand, if you are always having to cover shifts for people who don’t turn up or are having to follow up on staff because the passion isn’t there, this will not only be reflected in the amount of effort required from you, but will also impact on your customers’ experience. Over my next two articles I am going to take a break from discussing the detail of coffee quality to expand on a topic which I have very briefly…

Lift your tea sales by adding food and tea pairings to your café service. Many venues offer “coffee plus” deals such as “coffee plus bacon and egg roll = $7” or “coffee plus raisin toast = $5” to make decision-making easier for patrons. It would be great to offer tea-drinkers an equivalent bundle with a well-matched pairing. Another way to boost tea sales alongside food orders is to add tea suggestions to your menu. Using this guide, a simple line such as “pairs well with...” or “we love this with...” can bring tea into customers’ minds, not just as an additional purchase but a meal enhancement. Think of it the same way restaurants think about wine. Education of staff is also important in this regard. Let staff try different pairings…

The Australasian Specialty Tea Association (www.aasta.asn.au) is devoted to growing the Australasian specialty tea market by supporting industry members with information, education, inspiration, and opportunities to network and collaborate. For those new to specialty tea, one of the best analogies tea masters use to explain how terroir – location and growing conditions – and processing affects the taste of tea is by comparing it to fine wine. It was with this connection in mind that outgoing Australasian Specialty Tea Association (AASTA) President Nathan Wakeford invited Patrick Sullivan, a Vintner at Patrick Sullivan Wine, and Restaurateur Christian McCabe of Town Mouse, to present at the AASTA Annual General Meeting in late November 2015. Hosted by Impala and Peacock in Brunswick, inner Melbourne, the guest presentation centred on developing olfactory skills for…

The NZSCA concluded 2015 with one of the highlight events on our coffee calendar – Re:Co New Zealand, presented by World Coffee Events. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the October 2015 event for two reasons. First, because of the event’s stunning backdrop of World War II bombers, skyhawks, and aermacchi planes thanks to Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology’s Aviation Hall. And second, because of the talent squished into one room and two giant days. This was the first time Re:Co had spread its wings to NZ, and we couldn’t have been more excited. The intent of Re:Co is to celebrate new ways of thinking, address our challenges, and fuel the industry to push forward, and I’m confident in saying those who attended would have walked…

This March will showcase Australia’s best barista talent when the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) hosts five national coffee competitions. Over three weekends, the winners of the regional competitions will compete in the Australian Brewer’s Cup, Huhtamaki Cup Tasters, Pura Latte Art, Barista, and Coffee in Good Spirits Championships. To kick things off, the Australian Pura Latte Art Championship will take place in conjunction with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, from 4 – 5 March. Latte artists will be invited down to Southbank’s iconic red steps alongside Melbourne’s Yarra River to showcase their skills in this open-air event. On 10 March, ASCA will present the Australian Coffee in Good Spirits Championship in a coffee-cocktail spectacular at a venue to be confirmed. The following day, on 11 March, Veneziano Coffee…

“THE SMOKINESS OF THE COALS WORKED ITS MAGIC ON THE COFFEE.WE ADDED CARDAMOM PODS, A BIT OF SUGAR, AND ENJOYED ITS BEAUTIFUL AROMA STANDING AROUND THE FIRE.” To some, a crisis situation is running out of petrol in the middle of nowhere or accidently deleting photos from an overseas trip. But in Maeve O’Meara’s household, the term is coffee-related. “My definition of a crisis is when we’ve run out of coffee beans,” she says. “To Italians, a crisis might be running out of homemade passata sauce, but in my world, when we run out of our usual 5-kilogram bags of beans, it’s disastrous.” The award-winning television food presenter and author describes herself as a “devoted” coffee drinker. “I love good coffee. It’s part of my atomic makeup,” Maeve says. “I…

MIKRO COFFEE ROASTERS A Shop 2, Ripley Arcade, Mount Gambier, SA, 5290 T 08 08723 3634 W mikrocoffeeroasters.com.au Mikro Coffee Roasters is a boutique specialty coffee roastery based in Mount Gambier. In the short time it’s been running, Mikro has already managed to cement its place in the specialty coffee industry by winning the 2015 Australian International Coffee Award Champion Espresso and gold medal for its Best of Africa blend, as well as several bronze medals to boot. Mikro’s mission statement is to provide an unforgettable coffee experience to its consumers, and outstanding quality product and service to be proud of. LA CREMA COFFEE A 14 Denis St, St Marys SA, 5042 T 08 8463 1650 W lacremacoffee.com.au La Crema Coffee is a family-owned business that has now…

The Smiling Butterfly holds a special place in my heart. I first poured this pattern at the 2014 Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) Australian Latte Art finals where I placed second. I’ve revisited and developed this pattern over the years. Finally, through experimentation of different rosettas and how I could overlap them, I felt confident enough to present this design at the 2015 World Latte Art Championships Art Bar – although I added food colouring for that extra wow-factor. Before we get to that stage I’m going to show you how to create the basic body structure. This is a two-part pattern. First, you need to be able to pour two rosettas to create the wings and tulip-like pours for the body. Then you need detail to make the butterfly…

Any large roaster will tell you that success doesn’t happen over night. In fact, how you measure success is completely up to the individual. But, in order to reach your full potential as a roaster, there are some key experiences and instruments I think are valuable for anyone looking to take the next step in roasting greater volume, or quality. TRAVEL AND EXPERIENCE THE CULTURE The fact that Australian is one giant island means we need to spread our knowledge and experiences beyond the ocean. I started travelling to origin more than 15 years ago, and have now travelled to more than 15 different countries. My reasons for travelling to origin were to see the impact of coffee production first hand, meet and be inspired by some passionate coffee people,…

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF WE COULD TAKE THESE WARM FUZZIES THAT SPRING UP IN DECEMBER AND SPREAD THEM RIGHT THROUGH TO THE REST OF THE YEAR. There’s no other time of year that encourages us to think about the importance of giving back quite like Christmas. With the silly season just passed I hope, like me, many of you have had the chance to bare witness to the acts of kindness that seem to spring up with more frequency over this period. There is something about the holidays that seems to bring out the best in human nature. Whether it be the families who take time away from 25 December’s usual overindulgence to visit the children’s ward of their local hospitals, or perhaps it’s the young couple who invite…

Every month we highlight the digital coffee community, hearing from CoffeeSnobs and Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram followers For more information visit www.beanscenemag.com.au SOCRATIC COFFEE Our globally dispersed team is made up of coffee and research professionals with a wide variety of experience, all coming together over a love of coffee. We like to think of ourselves as a Consumer Reports/MythBusters for the coffee community. We provide open and honest data to allow others to make more informed decisions, and help readers improve the quality of their brewing. Our lab and experiments are self-funded. We shy away from subjective assessments because, well, they’re subjective. On our website (socraticcoffee.com), we display full write-ups of experiments presented in the style of a scientific journal. On our Instagram @socraticcoffee we post little…