BeanScene August 2025

AUGUST 2025

A World-Class Coffee Magazine

100 The coffee community marks BeanScene’s milestone edition

$8.95 (inc GST) NZ NZ $11.95 $11.95 No. 100 ISSN 1449-2547 No.57 ISSN 1449-2547

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CONTENTS

AUGUST 2025

24 32 10 NEWS 13 SHAPING THE SCENE

To mark 100 issues, BeanScene talks to some of the people who've helped shape the Australasian coffee industry.

20 HE’S LOVIN’ IT

Jared Chapman on his journey from barista to leading Australia’s most-visited coffee group.

24 BREWING UP A BUZZ

The new concepts cafés are creating to keep customers coming back for more.

74

CAFÉ SCENE

Discover new venues across the region.

78 GET TO KNOW

Ona Coffee’s Vlasto Bartoska is blurring the lines between the barista and mixologist.

Coffee community 28 COFFEE’S UNSUNG HEROES

Coffee Machine Technologies spotlights the individuals who quietly keep the cogs of the industry turning.

30 THE SINGLEORIGIN SPECIALIST

Bun Coffee on 20 years of chasing flavour, not dollars.

32 THE ITALIAN JOB

Three iconic brands have combined to serve Melburnians a new dish.

Business solutions 35 THE WELLBEING SHIFT

Is this new staff scheduling platform set to become the shift worker’s best friend?

36 STONE AGE HOSPITALITY

The chef bringing supplier ordering into the 21st century.

Industry insights 38 THE MATCHA MOVEMENT

MONIN explores the industry's unstoppable trend.

Magazine

64 45 THE PERFECT PACKAGE

Welcoming a new player to Australia’s environmentally conscious packaging game.

46 MICE MOMENTUM

An exclusive peek at the exciting plans for MICE2026.

50 WHAT CONSUMERS WANT

IMA Coffee Hub’s Matteo Barbarossa reveals the trends big coffee companies are exploring.

Equipment and technology

52 FASTER, SMALLER, AND AUTHENTICALLY MAZZER Mazzer introduces its new range of compact grinders.

54 MAGIC OF THE FRANKE MYTICO

Schibello Coffee discusses how its doubts about automatic machines were laid to rest.

56 CRAFTING CONSISTENCY

How the Markibar Izaga W is flipping the script on gravimetric grinders.

58 TAKING BACK CONTROL

McIver’s Tea and Coffee on bringing its tea packaging needs in-house to craft the perfect first impression.

60 SMALL BUT MIGHTY

How the Slayer Steam Single honours Cimbali’s heritage and doesn’t compromise on convenience.

Skills and education 62 SPECIALTEA CAFÉ CULTURE

Interest in specialty tea has remained niche despite coffee’s boom – but it doesn’t have to be that way.

64 OPERATION: CUTTING COSTS

Barista Equip Founder Brett Bolwell’s top tips for cafés looking to keep costs down.

66 THE CUP OF COMMUNITY

How can Ancap cups influence the drinking experience?

68 ESPRESSO YOURSELF

Victor Vu shares steps to recreate the ram latteart design.

40 FIRES, FLOODS, AND COFFEE

71 TWO DECADES OF COLLABORATION

42 A NEW ERA OF WELLNESS

73 ON THE WORLD STAGE

How the Central Coast coffee community have banded together for a worthy cause.

Could growing interest in weight-loss drugs see café consumer habits shift?

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The NZSCA marks two decades of shaping the nation’s specialty coffee scene.

Australia’s largest skills and trades showcase wrapped up in spectacular fashion earlier this year.

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BeanScene co

Magazine CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au PUBLISHER Sarah Baker sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au MANAGING EDITOR Myles Hume myles.hume@primecreative.com.au EDITOR Kathryn Lewis kathryn.lewis@primecreative.com.au JOURNALISTS Georgia Smith georgia.smith@primecreative.com.au Daniel Woods daniel.woods@primecreative.com.au ART DIRECTOR/DESIGN Daz Woolley HEAD OF DESIGN Blake Storey It’s quite something to see almost every issue of BeanScene side by side for the cover of this very special edition of the magazine.

From day one, the intention of the cover image has been to put coffee front and centre. More than 15 years and 100 issues later, it’s still the focus of every cover shoot, with the BeanScene team collaborating with one of the sector’s leading brands each edition to make their shared vision come to life.

In the very first issue in 2009 (pictured top left), the cover image featured the Giotto espresso machine, photographed with help from Toshi Yuki Ishiwata and Luke Mutton at ST. ALi. The domestic machine was up for grabs as a competition prize for those who subscribed to the magazine.

In the 99 issues since, we’ve captured all manners of coffee preparation in the coveted cover spot – from the wow-factor syphon to next-gen automated espresso machines. We’ve also featured the work of World Latte Art Champions Con Haralambopoulos (2008) and Caleb Cha (2015).

Prime Creative Media Head of Design and Photographer Blake Storey has taken many of the images over the years. Never shy of a creative challenge and quickly learning the intricacies of capturing real coffee (textured milk bubbles, coffee bloom, and espresso crema all call for moving quickly and multiple pours), he’s distilled the industry’s trends, challenges, and opportunities in a beautiful collection of images.

In 2014, BeanScene won the Best Trade Cover awards at The Maggies for its April cover (top right). Editor at the time Sarah Baker teamed up Lavazza Coffee and Nieuw Amsterdam bar in Victoria to shoot a backlit coffee cocktail.

We hope you enjoy browsing and reminiscing about the back The coffee commu issues included in this momentous nit marks BeanScene y 100th-issue cover as much as ’s milestone edition we have.

AUGUST 2025

A World-Class Coffee

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Charlotte Murphy charlotte.murphy@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS OFFICER Caitlin Pillay caitlin.pillay@primecreative.com.au CONTRIBUTORS

Jessica MacDonald, Victor Vu

HEAD OFFICE Prime Creative Pty Ltd 379 Docklands Drive, Docklands, Victoria 3008 p: 03 9690 8766 enquiries@primecreative.com.au beanscenemagazine.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au BeanScene magazine is available by subscription from the publisher.

The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher.

Magazine

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For more information, visit beanscenemag.com.au

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$8.95 (inc GST) NZ $11.95 NZ $11.95 No. 100 No.57 ISSN ISSN 1449-2547 1449-2547

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ARTICLES All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

COPYRIGHT

BeanScene magazine is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by Christine Clancy. All material in BeanScene magazine is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in BeanScene magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by, the publisher unless otherwise stated.

Contributors

EDITOR’S NOTE

Each issue of BeanScene we profile a few of our talented contributors.

Magazine

Victor Vu is the three-time ASCA Australian Latte Art Champion.

He placed seventh in the 2024 World Latte Art Championhip (WLAC) in Denmark in June. Born in Vietnam, Victor worked for three years in hospitality before coming to Australia to perfect his latte art skills. He won the 2018 MILKLAB Barista Battle, and the 2020, 2024, and 2025 ASCA Australian Latte Art Championships.

He currently works at Ona Coffee Melbourne.

100 issues and counting

T Jessica MacDonald is the Marketing and Admin Coordinator for the NZSCA. Her career has taken her to Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, and London. She’s worn many hats but remains a roaster at heart. Jessica has volunteered on the Rules and Regulations Committee for World Coffee events and judges in barista competitions and Cup of Excellence programs.

Her favourite thing about the industry is the passionate people who care deeply about coffee and the growth of its community.

Find us online Like us on Facebook @BeanSceneCoffeeMag

he world is progressing at an incredible pace, but amid the constant innovation it’s comforting to know some things remain largely unchanged. In the coffee realm, there’s something reassuringly familiar about the first sip of the house blend at your favourite café, or walking in to be greeted by a barista who knows your name and order.

As we mark the incredible milestone of 100 issues of BeanScene, one of the things that stood out to me and many of the people I’ve talked to is how similar this 100th edition is to the first published

by Prime Creative Media in 2009. That’s not to say the industry hasn’t experienced huge progression over the past 16 years or that the magazine itself hasn’t evolved, but rather what matters most to the passionate and creative people who make up the Australasian coffee industry remains unchanged.

Since that inaugural issue, BeanScene has been by the side of the coffee sector as it’s navigated challenges, ridden the waves of trends, and witnessed unimaginable technical innovation. From the fear of new smoking bans ruining outdoor café trade to industry unease over the introduction of grind-by-weight technology to businesses pivoting to remain viable during lockdowns, the back issues provide

a detailed history of the Australasian café landscape.

Of course, the magazine wouldn’t still be here without the support and contribution of the brands and people who make it so special. To celebrate this landmark edition, we spoke to just a handful of the baristas, café owners, roasters, equipment providers, and more who have been part of the BeanScene journey. Each shares their memories of being part of the magazine, their career trajectories, and their hopes and ambitions for the future of the coffee industry.

Speaking to these entrepreneurial people who have achieved so much in their careers – from world champions to uber-successful business owners – what struck me was how accessible the café industry is. Most of these individuals didn’t have a formal education in coffee, but instead fell into it almost by chance and reached the top of their game through hard work and determination.

It’s a great example of one of the many fantastic things about the world of coffee.

There’s no pomp, pretention, or nepo babies here. Creativity, enthusiasm, and hard work will take you places, while the industry will welcome you with open arms – whatever your background.

Here’s to another 100 issues of BeanScene celebrating this wild and wonderful slice of Australasian culture.

Follow us on Instagram @beanscenemag Follow us on LinkedIn @BeanSceneMag

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KATHRYN LEWIS EDITOR BeanScene Magazine

THE ART OF MINIATURE PERFECTION

Perfect the home coffee experience with the new Cellini Mini available in white, black or stainless steel. Contact La Pavoni or your local coffee specialist for availability. au.lapavoni.com #lapavoni_au

THE SECRET OF REAL ITALIAN COFFEE. SINCE 1905

NEWS

Sydney permanently waives outdoor dining fees Following the initial removal almost five years ago, outdoor dining fees in the City of Sydney local area have been permanently waived.

Fee waivers and fast-track approvals were first introduced to the region in November 2020 in a move to aid the recovery of

Green Brick to bring the product to market.

“It’s lighter on energy, faster to produce, and designed to reduce electricity-related carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80 per cent per unit,” says Dr Wong.

Celsius – 80 per cent lower than traditional firing temperatures.

The eco-friendly bricks project led by Dr Yat Wong has reached a commercial milestone with an IP licensing deal with

hospitality venues during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s hoped the permanent removal of all footpath and on-road outdoor dining fees will further incentivise alfresco dining at cafés, bars, and restaurants.

Since the program was initiated, almost 1000 outdoor dining applications have

Image: photok/stock.adobe.com.

Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne have found a way to recycle coffee waste into ecofriendly bricks.

The coffee industry in Australia sees more than 1.3 million cups sold every day, which equates to about 10,000 tonnes of spent coffee grounds each year, most of which ends up in landfill where it produces methane.

The university’s researchers set out to reduce the amount of used grounds going into landfill and instead reroute the waste into an innovative product for the building industry.

Their result was a low-emission brick made by blending used coffee from cafés and restaurants with clay, then adding an alkali activator. This process allows the bricks to be baked at just 200 degrees

Image: Swinburne University.

Researchers transform coffee waste into eco bricks

been approved which, according to Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore AO, equates to roughly 13,000 metres-squared in outdoor space.

“Waiving outdoor dining fees was one of the first things we did when the pandemic hit Sydney. We did this to make it easier for restaurants, bars, and cafés to operate while encouraging physical distancing in the fresh air,” says the Lord Mayor.

“Being able to shop, dine, or drink on our footpaths and roadways made it easier for us to enjoy those things and support local businesses in a COVID-safe way.

“The total value of support we have given businesses by waiving footpath and onstreet outdoor dining fees since November 2020 is around $20 million, and its real value to our city is immeasurable.”

Merlo Coffee launches new bakehouse

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made, layered, buttery pastries and artisan breads. The team, led by Shannon who’s celebrated for his excellence, innovation, and mentorship in the fine-dining restaurant industry, have been working hard

with the highest attention to detail to finesse our baking processes.”

The Milano Bakehouse offering will include signature items such as sourdough batard, baguettes, and croissants.

Image: Merlo.

On 5 July, Queensland roaster Merlo Coffee launched an artisan bakehouse at its flagship store in Bowen Hills.

Named after Founder Dean Merlo’s family’s silver-service restaurant, Milano Bakehouse is the latest European-inspired venue in the Merlo group. It is the roaster’s 16th store in Queensland, joining cafés in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Toowoomba.

The Bakehouse’s team of bakers is led by French Head Baker Thomas Meneau and is set to produce about 1000 baked goods each day for a menu that’s been developed

by Chef Shannon Kellam.

“We pride ourselves on delivering the very best quality, using the finest sustainable and natural ingredients,” says Dean.

“Our range will include delicate, hand-

Ricca Coffee in Thebarton, a stalwart of Adelaide’s café scene, is celebrating its 50year anniversary in 2025.

In the 1970s, the roastery and café originally catered to the growing Italian and Greek migrant communities as well as neighbouring families and small businesses

Image: Ricca Coffee.

Image: Swinburne University.

Adelaide roaster celebrates 50-year milestone in the city’s inner-western suburbs.

It changed hands in 2024 when current Owner Ben Hodge bought the business.

He says Australian café culture may have evolved over the past half-century, but the foundations on which Ricca was built still apply today.

“In 1975 the café scene wasn’t about latte art or cold brew, it was about community, tradition, and espresso. There were no takeaway cups, just proper porcelain; there was cash in the till, and loyalty was built on a handshake and respect,” says Ben. “I’ve always believed in the magic that happens over a cup of coffee, where the aroma, the atmosphere, and the ritual come together to create something truly special.”

Ricca says it is Adelaide’s original roastery-door experience and continues to pursue its love of rich, Italian-style coffee and community.

Nowadays, it has transformed with the evolving café culture to offer a variety of alternative milks, reusable cups, and brews, yet Ben says the café’s ethos has remained the same.

Australian-first reusable cup system launches in Sydney

Councillors in the north Queensland town of Noosa have voted for a more sustainable future for the local coffee industry, encouraging businesses to rethink waste and pollution.

Following a rubbish audit in 2023, Noosa Shire Council has created a plan to remove

single-use cups from council headquarters and encourage the public to give up the vessels on a voluntary basis. According to ABC, the audit found coffee cups made up 20 per cent of littered items in Noosa Main Beach.

Noosa Councillor Amelia Lorentson has

and efficiency,” she says.

The Borrow cup comes in two sizes and is made from durable, 100 per cent polypropylene.

Image: AnnaStills/stock.adobe.com.

Noosa Council votes for single-use coffee cup ban

Image: Huskee.

cup, they have 14 days to return it to any participating café or one of the tech-enabled collection Smart Bins installed throughout the precinct.

“This launch is a huge moment for reuse in Australia,” says Saxon Wright, CoFounder of Huskee.

“Borrow by Huskee removes friction for consumers and businesses alike. It’s simple, accessible, and backed by powerful tech that closes the loop in a truly smart way. We’re proud to be leading this movement right here in Sydney.”

Maria Palazzolo, CEO of GS1 Australia, says she’s proud to partner with Huskee.

“We’re proud to be supporting this circular innovation through the use of Next Gen GS1 barcodes and related standards that enhance trust, transparency,

Image: Merlo.

Reusable drinkware company Huskee has launched Borrow by Huskee, which it says is an Australian first in reusable cup innovation.

Borrow by Huskee is a free ‘turnkey’ reusable cup system that enables customers to borrow a Huskee cup when ordering a hot drink from participating cafés and venues in Sydney.

The program was first trialled in a large-scale format at MICE2025 in March, but was officially rolled out on 16 June at the International Towers Barangaroo. The system is powered by GS1 Next Gen barcodes and eliminates the need for customers to bring their own cups when picking up a takeout coffee at participating cafés.

Once a customer has borrowed a

been instrumental in the coffee-cup ban and raised the issue after the recent Noosa Eat & Drink Festival.

“This is not about banning coffee cups.

There are no penalties, no mandates, and no pressure. This is about education, not coercion,” says Councillor Lorentson.

“The motion I brought forward is about scaling up a program that’s already happening – one that’s working and giving it the support it needs to reach more businesses across the shire. It’s about helping, not forcing.”

“The Council voted to support the work of Plastic Free Noosa, a program delivered

by Tourism Noosa and funded through the Council’s environmental grants. This program has already been working closely with local businesses to reduce singleuse plastics.”

beanscenemag.com.au 11

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07.03.2025 09:51:58

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AUGUST 2025

A World-Class Coffee Magazine

100 BEANSCENE 100

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The coffee community Shaping the scene As BeanScene celebrates its 100th issue, some of the people who’ve helped marks BeanScene’s shape the Australasian coffee industry share their greatest achievements, memories of the magazine, and predictions for the future. milestone edition

lot happened in 2009. Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States, Bitcoin was launched, Roger Federer set a Grand Slam record of 15 wins, the film Avatar was released after 14 years in development, and – perhaps most importantly of all – the inaugural issue of $8.95 (incwas GST)printed.

NZ $11.95 BeanScene NZ $11.95 No. 100 ISSN 1449-2547 No.57 1449-2547 In theISSN 16 years that have passed since the 04 magazine was adopted by Prime Creative Media, 100 issues have been published covering the evolution of coffee, its role in the9 café scene, and the community spirit of 771449 254002 Australasia’s coffee industry.

From Sasa Sestic (2015) and Anthony Douglas (2022) being crowned World Barista Champions and Caleb Cha winning the World Latte Art Championship (2015), to navigating the changing café landscape through COVID-19, and the perpetual cycle of drinks trends (who’s for a charcoal latte or bulletproof coffee?), BeanScene has documented the region’s unique café culture that’s inspired many others across the world.

Christine Clancy, one of the early editors of the magazine, says from the start the team at Prime knew getting the coffee scene’s thought leaders and innovators to contribute to the articles was going to be one of the keys to BeanScene’s success.

“As journalists, we didn’t need to know huge amounts about the industry, we just

had to be good storytellers. We were there to tell the stories of the people doing incredible things and help share their knowledge,” she says.

“A lot of the elements that are still in the magazine today were there from the beginning, such as Knowledge Leader interviews, Espresso Yourself latte-art tutorials, and Café Scene profiles.”

Over time, the magazine’s readership has grown organically, with café owners right across Australia and New Zealand subscribing to the print editions and weekly digital newsletter. According to Sarah Baker, who worked alongside Christine and then went on to edit the magazine for more than a decade, being closely linked with the competition scene contributed to building a loyal legion of readers.

“Being involved in the barista competitions in the early days helped to connect with the industry. We really immersed ourselves in the scene and got to meet a lot of café operators and aspiring ones, which helped us understand what the audience wanted and how we could cater to their needs in an informative way,” Sarah says.

When Prime Creative Media launched the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) in 2012, barista competitions and connection with specialty coffee roasters were a core part of the industry tradeshow.

This led to the expo hosting the World Barista Championships in 2013 and again in 2022.

While the magazine has tracked many of the great changes in the industry over the past decade and half – from the introduction of grind-on-demand technology, the rise of automation, and the impact of banning smoking in outdoor seating areas of cafés – Sarah says the people that continue to pour their passion into Australian coffee culture are at the heart of its success and longevity.

“I remember writing the Café Scene profiles for Single O and The Grounds of Alexandria’s first venues almost 15 years ago. To see them still growing today is amazing,” she says.

“The most rewarding part is seeing the growth of the industry and the people we represent. I’ve been fortunate to see piles of BeanScene on café bench-tops, receive letters and now social posts from those proud to see their face in the magazine, and baristas who have gone on to forge their own careers and achieve incredible things. This includes owning their café, shop expansion, releasing their own line of products, and even travelling the world as industry ambassadors.

“I’ve watched people, brands and products grow, and BeanScene has been a proud vehicle and platform to help so many navigate their dreams.”

beanscenemag.com.au 13

BEANSCENE 100

Kirby Burton

Image: Kirby Burton.

was struck by how connected the magazine felt to what was happening on the ground in cafés and roasteries.

Do you remember the first time you picked up BeanScene?

It was at The Maling Room café in Melbourne, where I worked when first starting out in the industry, learning from Andrew Lew of Symmetry Coffee Roasters. I

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Image: Caleb Cha.

Image: Ryan Tan.

Do you remember the first time you picked up BeanScene?

I was working in Melbourne and still relatively new to the specialty scene. I remember picking up BeanScene and

Your biggest career milestones?

Winning my first Latte Art Smackdown in Sydney in 2009 gave me a huge boost of confidence and the drive to keep improving.

Going on to win the Australian Latte Art Championship in 2011 was another major highlight, especially as latte art was evolving

Favourite memory contributing to BeanScene?

It was around July 2011, just after my first World Latte Art Championship in Maastricht. That was also my first year competing in the Barista Championships and I had the honour of representing Singapore on the world stage in both competitions.

I was asked to contribute an article on my journey and competition experience.

Ryan Tan

Caleb Cha

How has the magazine contributed to the coffee industry?

BeanScene has been a central voice in documenting trends, celebrating professionals, and sharing technical knowledge. It’s helped elevate standards and connected the community across Australia.

Why is it important to have an industry magazine?

It’s important for people to share so the industry can move forward together, as ultimately we all want the same outcome: better coffee for our customers.

so quickly at that time. And, of course, moving back to my hometown of Coffs Harbour to open my first roastery, STOKA, along with an espresso bar, was a dream come true.

What are you up to now?

Currently, I’m a stay-at-home mother to two wonderful daughters. We live on 28 acres in the beautiful Coffs Harbour region, where farm life keeps me busy, grounded, and connected to nature every day.

Predictions for the future of coffee?

I think we’ll continue to see more focus on ethical sourcing and environmental impact, even greater demand for traceability, and continued innovation in how coffee is brewed, served, and consumed.

What are you doing now?

I’m currently coaching a barista in Singapore for the National Barista Championships. I also judge barista, Coffee in Good Spirits, and latte art championships across the region.

The most significant developments in coffee over the past 15 years?

The different processing methods we have seen in the past few years, such as anaerobic, cryogenic, lactic fermentation, and double fermentation, have really changed the way coffee tastes. This has unlocked a whole new world of opportunities for flavour potential, which I find really exciting for our industry.

thinking, “Wow, there’s a whole world behind this industry”.

I sent one of my photos to be included in Espresso Yourself and it ended up being featured. That moment made me realise coffee was more than just a job – it was the start of my dream to one day become the World Latte Art Champion.

2015 was a life-changing moment. However, beyond that, opening my own café and roastery, Tone Coffee Roasters, has been a significant milestone.

Creating signature drinks like the Tiger Bomb and seeing them resonate with people reminds me why I fell in love with this industry in the first place.

Favourite memory of contributing to the magazine?

When my colourful butterfly latte art was featured on the front cover after I won the World Latte Art Championship. That design was something really special to me, it represented not just skill but storytelling through colour. Working with Sarah was such a fun and collaborative experience.

What are you doing now?

I’m running Tone Coffee Roasters, with two locations in Melbourne – one in Prahran and another in North Melbourne, which is currently halfway through construction.

I’m heavily involved in roasting, quality control as a Q Grader, developing new drink concepts, and training our staff in sensory analysis and customer service. I’ve stepped back from judging competitions due to my business commitments, but I hope to return to the judging table soon.

Your biggest career milestones?

Becoming the World Latte Art Champion in

Image: Nadine Norman.

Nadine Norman Favourite memory contributing to BeanScene?

I’ve been fortunate to have many opportunities to contribute over the years.

My first experience was around 2011, fresh off the back of a competition and still very

green to the industry. That was when I first met Sarah. Even in her early days with BeanScene, she made the experience so engaging and comfortable.

How has the magazine contributed to the coffee industry?

BeanScene creates a platform for connection through thoughtful storytelling. It links every part of the coffee supply chain – from manufacturers and growers to grassroots cafes. The magazine is both an educational resource and a showcase of industry progression, innovation, and insight.

BeanScene has created a legacy for the coffee industry, a publication we can look back on and see how far we have come.

What are you doing now?

I’ve been lucky to call ECA home for the past 13 years. As Marketing Manager, I lead

brand strategy and campaign executions for the brands we represent.

Predictions for the future of the industry?

We will continue to see coffee culture evolve, shaped by technology, changing consumer habits, and a desire to keep exploring the craft.

We’re already seeing trends that will shape the future.

The continued advancement of AI is likely to bring major changes to coffee processes at every step of production – unearthing new ways to develop and explore techniques from origin through to pouring coffee into the cup.

There are no limits in coffee. When you see what the amazing minds in our industry create and how they conceive ideas, I think we are in for an exciting path ahead.

Image: Ian Callahan.

Image: Lance Brown.

Lance Brown

Ian Callahan

Favourite memories of contributing to BeanScene?

In 2010, I became a certified coffee judge for latte art and “possibly” helped and contributed to drive some of our long-term success in this part of our industry. With the help of BeanScene, I became a subject matter expert for all things coffee and milk related and a regular contributor to the magazine.

then judging at World Championships in Australia, France, China and, Sweden, it’s been a great ride.

Your biggest career milestones?

I’ve been in the industry since 1998 so it’s hard to pinpoint just one. I feel very privileged to be a part of the industry and I’m still just as passionate about it.

From coffee to milk and back to coffee, and being head judge of Australia and

The most significant developments in coffee over the past 15 years?

For me, it’s the coffee itself. We no longer just accept mediocre offerings. We want local, we want fresh, and as a customer I want my coffee to be well made and to be consistent every day.

Do you remember the first time you picked up BeanScene?

It was at a delightful coffee roastery in Adelaide called The Coffee Barun. I was a little coffee nerd stumbling down the rabbit hole of specialty coffee, eager to pick up anything I could find.

Your biggest career milestones?

From the early days on the barista competition circuit with stalwarts like Scottie Callaghan, Anne Cooper, Hazel de Los Reyes, and David Makin, to judging and finally opening my own coffee businesses, it’s all felt pretty special.

I feel my biggest milestone is still yet to come – involving tea – but that’s a conversation for another time.

How was the magazine contributed to the coffee industry?

BeanScene has been an absolute stalwart of the specialty coffee community since its inception. In the early days we didn’t have Instagram and YouTube, so finding a curated list of the latest and greatest was so valuable.

As the magazine grew and evolved – along with online resources – it has always been an incredible resource for new baristas, home coffee enthusiasts, and also industry buffs.

What are you doing now?

I’m Director of International sales at Nomad Coffee Group, responsible for brands such as Veneziano, Coffee Hit , Sourced and, of course, Black Bag Roasters.

What are you up to now?

I’ve been busy acting – of all things – but this year I’ve moved back to Melbourne to help open and steer the ship on Kolkata Cricket Club for Blackstone Equity. It’s been great getting back into the rhythm of the city and (re)discovering its vibrant coffee and hospitality scene.

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Natalie Kollar

Image: Natalie Kollar.

BEANSCENE 100

How has BeanScene contributed to the coffee industry?

The magazine has long been a hub for industry news, community building and highlighting the industry in Australia.

Having a publication for the coffee sector is very important, as it provides a platform to showcase, highlight, and inform.

Image: Shinsaku Fukayama.

Biggest career milestones?

At Coffee Works Express (CWE), we are approaching 30 years in the industry and continuing to build our brand portfolio and provide the very best in coffee equipment to our sector.

Image: Scottie Callaghan.

Scottie Callaghan Do you remember the first time you picked up BeanScene?

My career started simply, I was one of the baristas working at Toby’s Estate in Sydney.

I remember picking up the magazine in

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What are you up to now?

I established my own company in 2020 and now have four venues in Osaka, Japan. Two stores are under the Barista Map brand, one is a roastery called BAISEN, and there’s onigiri and coffee store KOME MAME. We also have a barista school, where we not only develop skills and knowledge but also focus on mindset. This is very important in the process of achieving your goals by working backwards. I am also preparing to open store in Australia, so stay tuned.

The most significant developments in coffee over the past 15 years?

There has been a dramatic increase in the popularity of specialty coffee, with a focus on high-quality beans, unique flavour profiles, and artisanal brewing methods.

What’s more, advances in coffee brewing technology, including precision brewing devices and smart coffee machines have made it easier for consumers to brew high-quality coffee at home. Additionally, apps for tracking coffee freshness and ordering have become more common.

These developments reflect broader shifts in consumer preferences, environmental awareness, and technological innovation within the coffee industry.

those days and reading about the barista champions and I was inspired to be like them – I dreamt that one day it would be me.

came to life in 2016. It started as a single coffee shop, but almost 10 years on we’re about to open our tenth store at Hong Kong Airport and have an in-house roastery.

Memories of contributing to the magazine?

After I’d won the Australian Barista Championship, BeanScene reached out to me to contribute a column where I would write a topical piece each issue. The first one I wrote was ripped to pieces by John Murphy who was looking after the magazine at the time, but that experience inspired me to take the time to learn to write, which has been hugely helpful in my career.

The most significant developments in coffee over the past 15 years?

The development of coffee at origin has been incredible to see. Over that time, there’s a huge amount of work by producers to improve and innovate to create an incredible product.

And the role of the barista has shifted greatly – it’s completely different from when I started out 20 years ago. I remember a conversation while I was at Seven Miles about whether it would become mainstream in Australia for cafés to serve a blend and a single origin – we said it would never happen.

The industry has grown so much and it’s been amazing to see.

Favourite memory of contributing to BeanScene?

I’ve been interviewed a lot for the magazine, but the most memorable time was in June 2020 for the article Shinsaku Fukayama shares the secret to his success.

Shinsaku Fukayama

Predictions for the future of the coffee?

Coffee still has a huge amount of growth potential in Australia and New Zealand – not only do we love it, but we also value and appreciate its potential. We still see huge potential in the domestic market, with the quality of domestic units improving every year.

I think there’ll also be a move into the higher end of quality espresso machines.

The extraction capabilities and barista control available is increasing output quality and capacity.

What are you up to now?

On the back of my profile as a Barista Champion, I was offered a job in Hong Kong. While I was at that company, I dreamt up the idea for FINEPRINT, which

Image: Emily Oak.

What are you up to now?

After I retired from my voluntary role at the World Coffee Championships in 2013, I joined ST. ALi as the roaster’s first employee outside of Victoria. Since then, I’ve looked after the brand here in New South Wales.

Watching the brand grow over those years has been pretty extraordinary. We’ve expanded nationally and internationally, and moved to a bigger new roastery in Port Melbourne. It’s all been fun.

Emily Oak

Image: Christina Solomons Photography.

Craig Simon

Image: Instaurator.

Do you remember the first time you picked up BeanScene?

I think I may have contributed to the first edition. In 2008, I had joined the World

Instaurator

Coffee Championships board of directors and was quite heavily involved in barista competitions from then for a good few years. I’m pretty sure BeanScene ran a profile on me, which I thought was pretty hilarious at the time.

Favourite memories of contributing to the magazine?

I won the Australian Barista Championship in 2012, so I know a lot of my contributions were around my presentations at competition. Along the way, there was also

Predictions for the future of coffee?

While there has been a lot of conversations about pricing, people are always going to drink coffee – no matter what. People may give up other everyday luxuries, but I don’t think they will give up coffee as it’s so ingrained in our culture.

I think the bigger challenge for the coffee industry will be the younger generations who, as well as drinking less alcohol, are drinking less coffee and are more conscious of their caffeine intake.

But overall, coffee’s got better and our customer base has got more educated. My favourite thing is when people come in with a complicated coffee order because it means they understand what we do and what they like.

Do you remember the first time you picked up BeanScene?

Yes, I was President of Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA). We had our first ever tradeshow in the Gold Coast and John Murphy and Brad Buchanan approached me about a new coffee magazine they were launching. The ASCA executive committee then agreed to collaborating.

the wonderful world of coffee. I was also appointed Executive Director of the World Barista Championship in 2004.

How has the magazine contributed to coffee industry?

BeanScene has always had a very large international vision and has supported the local grassroots at the same time.

The most significant developments in coffee over the past 15 years?

The growth of professional coffee tasters has been a major development. When I started in coffee in 1981, this was very rare.

Your biggest career milestones?

Establishing ASCA as a non-profit organisation has enabled thousands of coffee professionals to grow and explore

Your predictions for the future of the coffee in Australia and New Zealand?

As long as it is focused on letting taste be our guide, it will prosper.

some commentary on trends and what coffee in the future may look like.

me starting my business Criteria Coffee where we guide and assist people in learning roasting and sensory evaluation.

How has BeanScene contributed to the industry over the years?

It’s created a mouthpiece for people to discuss industry events and topical issues of importance, and been a focal point for a lot of cafés and baristas. It gives everyone an opportunity to see the industry as a whole within the country, which I think is as an important thing to recognise.

Biggest career milestones?

It’s hard to choose, but being three-time Australian Barista Champion and coming fourth in the World Championships is up there. I was also the first Q Grade instructor in the Southern Hemisphere, which led to

What are you doing now?

I still have a very small hand in coffee retailing and probably always will. I’m now focused more on helping people grow spiritually.

The most significant developments in coffee over the past 15 years?

Accessibility to knowledge has changed dramatically from when I started more than 20 years ago. To the best of my knowledge, at that time there was nowhere you could learn to roast – you had to get a job at a roastery to understudy someone. The understanding and skill at origin has also increased immensely, and the quality of green has improved enormously.

The equipment has moved on too. The consistency, accuracy and behaviour of all the brewing and grinding equipment has improved immeasurably.

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BEANSCENE 100

Image: Paul Jackson.

Paul Jackson

Craig Dickson

Image: Nomad Coffee Group.

Memories of contributing to the magazine?

I started in the coffee industry in 1994 and went on to establish Dane Coffee Roasters in Sydney. When I was approached by BeanScene to contribute, I was running a barista training school and heavily involved in barista competitions. I wrote a column for about a year and each issue we would

pick a subject and look at it from a training perspective.

Since the early days, BeanScene has been part of the DNA of the Australian café industry.

The most significant developments in coffee over the past 15 years?

When I first started training baristas,

Do you remember the first time you picked up BeanScene?

I picked up my first issue at the original First Pour Café in Abbotsford. I believe we even advertised in one of the very first editions.

I clearly recall it featured reviews of some of our wholesale café partners. That ad was a game-changer for Veneziano in the early days. We saw an immediate and positive response that generated some of our first wholesale leads.

One of those early editions also profiled my Co-Founder, Rocky. That feature now lives proudly framed on his office wall and is a great reminder for us both of where it all began.

How has BeanScene contributed to the industry over the years?

BeanScene has played a huge role in positioning Melbourne, and Australia, as a global leader in specialty coffee. Our industry is tight-knit and collaborative, and BeanScene has helped amplify that by showcasing our people, our stories, and our progress.

Biggest career milestones?

Serving as ASCA President, helping to bring the World Barista Championship to Melbourne, being the first business to bring

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introducing the idea of weighing coffee was unimaginable for them. They would say, “Are you kidding? We’re in a hurry here in a busy environment”. Back then, we were trying to instil discipline to raise the standards of quality and that’s obviously something we’ve seen improve across the board in the past few decades.

Previously, people didn’t like to share their industry knowledge, but now that’s changed. I shared everything I knew because the more you share the more you get back. Today, even some home baristas have a huge amount of knowledge of coffee and are very passionate about it.

Predictions for the future of coffee?

It’s no revelation to say AI is going to come into coffee machines. It’s sort of there already with telemetry systems. However, when Starbucks came out with fully automatic machines they failed miserably – customers still wanted to interact with a barista – so I don’t think it’s quite so straight forward.

Coffee pricing is another area I think we’ll see change in. Prices for a cup of coffee will go up, there’s a big drive to make it a little more valuable, but not to the levels the rest of the world has seen.

specialty Robusta to Australia, and growing Nomad Coffee Group into $100 million company – among many others.

What are you up to now?

I’m still deeply involved in the Nomad Coffee Group as CEO, with a strong focus on international growth. I’m also still passionate about coaching and love supporting our competitors through training, that part of the craft never gets old for me.

Predictions for the future of coffee in Australia and New Zealand?

Home consumption will continue to grow and we’ll see more premium coffee options hitting supermarket shelves. Cold beverages like iced coffee and matcha will continue to trend, while innovation will accelerate – from pods and drip coffee to new ways of consuming coffee especially on-the-go in convenience formats.

Automation will become more mainstream – we’re already seeing this with technologies like Eversys. And globally, we’ll continue to see strong demand in line with consumption, meaning we’re unlikely to see long-term relief in green coffee pricing any time soon.

KNOWLEDGE LEADER

Head of McCafé Jared Chapman oversees the brand’s 1053 stores across Australia.

Images: McCafé.

He’s lovin’ it Head of McCafé Jared Chapman on his full-circle career, changing the recipe of one of Australia’s most-consumed coffee blends, and the symbiotic relationship between the brand and independent coffee culture.

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ith 1053 stores across Australia, more than 515,000 coffees served each day, and a partnership with a Melbourne roastery producing 3200 tonnes of coffee per year under his stewardship, one major slip up from the Head of McCafé could ruin the mornings of one in five of the nation’s coffee drinkers.

Yet, Jared Chapman, who’s been in the job since November 2024, is rather level-headed about the responsibility that comes with his role. His more than 15

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years of experience in almost all areas of the Aussie coffee industry – from barista to trainer to sales manager – provides a fount of knowledge to fall back on and a deep understanding of what people look for in their morning cup.

It was, in fact, at McDonald’s – and later McCafé – that Jared started his working life.

“Like most people in coffee, I came into the industry by accident. I started out flipping burgers while I was in school and then learned to make coffee. McCafé was very different back then. We used

two-step machines and there wasn’t much understanding of the importance of freshness,” Jared tells BeanScene.

While crafting a cappuccino at McCafé in the late 2000s looked very different to how it does now, Jared continued working in the industry alongside his studies, refining his barista skills at independent coffee shops. Later, he deferred a year of his degree in science to take up a role as a barista trainer at Cerebos, and by the end of that year coffee had firmly taken root.

Science’s loss was coffee’s gain. Over

the next decade and a half, he progressed through the industry at the likes of UCC and Barista Equip before heading up McCafé in Australia. Being immersed in Australian coffee culture through some of its most pivotal years, Jared has witnessed some of its most significant highs and lows.

“The coffee industry is very different today compared to when I started. The biggest shift has been the accessibility of amazing coffee. Previously, you really had to seek out a great cup, especially if you were in a regional area,” he says.

“The specialty sector has raised the bar for all venues serving coffee and now you can find quality coffee pretty much anywhere. The larger players have been forced to raise their game, and that’s resulted in quality being much more accessible.”

AN AUSSIE SUCCESS STORY

McCafé, according to Jared, is a great example of this. Conceptualised and launched in Melbourne in 1993 in response to the rising popularity of espresso, the McDonald’s sub-brand is an Aussie success story.

In 2001, the fast-food group took the idea international, opening the first store outside of Australia in Chicago, Illinois. By 2003, McCafé was Australia’s largest coffee chain and today there are more than 4000 stores around the world in 60 countries.

“While McCafé was inspired by early Australian coffee culture, over the past three decades it’s also influenced coffee culture here in a big way,” says Jared.

“Take drive-thrus, for example. While the concept existed in pockets before, McCafé has been instrumental in bringing the element of convenience to coffee, at the same time as pushing boundaries of quality.

“In terms of accessibility to quality coffee, it’s a great example of how standards have come a long way. The brand has had a big influence on coffee drinkers’ willingness to accept that coffee from a big chain can be good. We have baristas who are really passionate about the drinks they craft.”

A major step forward in McCafé’s pursuit of a quality cup was swapping two-step machines for traditional grouphandle espresso machines in 2012. More recently, the chain has embraced automated technology, something Jared has witnessed throughout the industry.

“Automation has done wonders for consistency, not just at McCafé but across the coffee sector. For us, introducing elements of automation to our grouphandle setup helps the barista create a more consistent product, which is essential for us as a business – whether it’s automated bun

McCafé was conceptualised and launched in Melbourne in 1993 in response to the rising popularity of espresso.

toasting or coffee grinding,” he says.

“It also enables us to deliver drinks at a speed that’s expected of our restaurants.

During peak times, the team are under pressure to dispense orders to a queue of cars or customers and that’s where automation can help. At the same time, the products still need to be crafted with a level of care and passion.”

Despite McCafé’s shift towards automation, Jared still sees some resistance to the new technology in a few areas of the industry.

“Compared to markets such as Europe, in Australia I think there’s still a way to go with embracing automated technology and equipment in coffee preparation. In places such as London, a lot of larger specialty coffee groups are using automated machines to ensure consistency and there’s an acceptance of that from customers,” he says.

“I think the wider coffee industry here will probably come around to it. It reminds me of when the Puqpress was first introduced about 10 years ago. Initially, people had a real resistance to the change, and many thought it was removing an element of craft from the barista’s role.

But they pretty quickly moved past the reluctance and saw the benefits for the coffee drinker.”

BARISTA TRAINING GROUND

Despite an increasing integration of automated technology, Jared says barista training is still key to McCafé’s coffee

strategy. The company has five barista academies around the country where key members of staff across its network are trained as barista coaches.

“Each restaurant has a barista coach to ensure the team producing coffee have the foundational skills and knowledge to know what it takes to be a great barista. It’s also important for them to know where the coffee comes from and the processes behind it,” he says.

“These barista coaches are in the venues every day, so they can also monitor quality and educate shoulder-to-shoulder with other baristas.”

Like Jared, many people in the industry started their coffee journey behind a machine at McCafé. He says the barista academies are a great source of foundational comprehension and experience on which careers are built.

“The industry is littered with people who started their careers at McCafé. There’s a perception that our baristas might not have the same skills of those outside the company, but I’m on the ground talking to these baristas every day and that’s just not true,” he says.

“They’re really excited to learn about coffee and passionate about what they do.

After working with us, they often go on to have careers in coffee, and that’s great for the broader industry.”

IT’S ALL IN THE BLEND

As part of McCafé’s focus on quality and consistency, over the past year Jared and

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KNOWLEDGE LEADER

Over the past year, Jared and team have been working on a new blend for the 188 million cups of barista-made coffee the brand serves each year.

team have been working on a new blend for the 188 million cups of barista-made coffee it serves each year. The blend, which is roasted at its Melbourne facility, is updated roughly every three to four years – a process that isn’t taken lightly.

“We regularly ask our customers what they think about our coffee so the process of updating the blend is very much customer led,” he says.

“There’s no set time frame for when we change the blend – it comes down to when we get feedback that there are improvements to be made as flavour preferences evolve.”

In the lead up to the most recent evolution, through research the team identified that McCafé customers would like more flavour through the blend and less bitterness. After adapting the recipe, they then tested it with a group of consumers before releasing it to market.

“The new blend is made up of beans from Colombia, Brazil, Honduras, and Ethiopia. The reaction so far has been really positive,” Jared says.

Roasting thousands of tonnes of beans each year, McCafé isn’t immune to the volatile nature of the coffee market.

Sourcing at such vast volumes means contingency plans are essential.

“Supply continuity is a key consideration for us. We try our best to buy coffee at the right time and secure enough volume to create supply security, but having contingency plans – whether that’s supplementing stock or adjusting the blend – are always in place behind the scenes,” Jared says.

“Working with our roasting partner UCC, we’ve been very lucky over the past

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few years that none of those contingencies have needed to be implemented.”

While recent volatility in the market has sparked many conversations about the price of a cup of coffee in Australia, Jared says McCafé has been able to limit price changes over the past couple of years.

“Macca’s has a commitment to great quality and great value and that extends to customers who are treating themselves to a coffee at McCafé,” he says.

“That commitment is especially important in today’s cost-ofliving environment.”

Like many hospitality venues, McCafé has felt the effects of the shift in customer purchasing habits and the increase in coffee drinkers turning to at-home options.

Despite this, Jared says they are starting to see green shoots.

“As customers cut back on discretionary spending, the expectation lifts on when they do spend money. They have higher standards and we need to deliver on them, because otherwise you risk losing that customer as they are less forgiving.

Currently, our biggest focus is on creating that quality, convenient experience,” he says.

“The cost-of-living pressure is now starting to ease and we’re seeing a lot more positivity in the market.”

CAPPUCCINO IS KING

While the most ordered coffee serve in Australia is said to be the latte, at McCafé the cappuccino takes that crown. The core menu stays consistent throughout the year, but the company taps into industry trends with a line of limitededition drinks.

“We’re keen to keep our finger on the

pulse of what’s happening in the sector.

Offering limited-time beverages that tie in with current trends are great at driving awareness and creating a halo effect on the broader range as well,” Jared says.

“The interest in chilled coffee continues and as a result last summer we had a very successful campaign with our Toffee Nut Iced Latte and Almond Flavoured Iced Latte.”

Matcha is one café trend that doesn’t appear to be waning. As such, in May 2025 McCafé launched a limitededition matcha range, including an Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte, as a trial in selected stores.

“The cold beverages and iced coffee categories are growing very quickly for us, so it’s an area we will continue to innovate in. We’ll see how the trial goes and whether it continues to be an ongoing area of focus for us,” says Jared.

More broadly, Jared is optimistic about the future of the coffee industry in Australia, although he believes its structure may continue to be more fluid.

“There tends to be periods of when new cafés open, followed by periods when a lot of them close. There are cycles of consolidation and expansion, and I think that’s what we’re witnessing at the moment,” he says.

“Drive-thru coffee is starting to gather momentum and, unluckily for us, that’s bringing more competition as everyone is now looking to do it. But it’s a good business model, so I see why lots of coffee chains are following our lead.

“I think the democratisation of quality will continue, which is ultimately a fantastic thing for Australian coffee culture.”

FEATURE

Despite a challenging market, new and exciting venues have continued to pop up across Australia.

Image: The Grounds.

Brewing up a buzz

Whether it’s new drinks, events, or entire venue concepts, how are cafés around Australia keeping customers engaged and coming back for more in challenging times?

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ustralia’s café sector has battled through difficult times over the past few years. From a global pandemic to a costof-living crisis, times have been tough, but the hospitality industry has kept driving forward.

Despite the challenges, new and exciting venues continue to spring up around the country, while established brands keep finding new ways to up their game. These hubs are not only becoming hospitality hotspots for locals but also must-attend destinations attracting people from their neighbourhood and beyond.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA STAR

The Grounds of Alexandria has been wowing crowds since it first opened in Sydney’s inner-south in 2012. Immersive themes rotate through the venue, with specialty food and beverage options accompanying each experience.

Whether it’s centred on fairytales such as Alice in Wonderland and Snow White or the creation of seasonal oases like Lavender Lane or Winter Wonderland, The Grounds of Alexandria has forged a reputation as one

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of Sydney’s most Instagrammable venues.

As a result, the brand currently engages with more than 400,000 followers on the platform.

The Grounds’ other venues maintain their themes all-year round. Inner Sydney’s The Grounds of the City is inspired by Parisian bistros, while The Grounds Coffee Factory in Eveleigh is an interactive roastery and cafeteria experience.

Ramzey Choker, Founder and Director of The Grounds, says the reputation of not only the Alexandria site but all the venues stems from its desire to craft unique experiences for its customers.

“We have always believed there should be more to going out for a coffee or a meal.

From the start we’ve wanted to create spaces that leave people feeling like they’ve experienced something special, not just had something to eat or drink,” says Ramzey.

“That’s why we lean into immersive venues full of life. It’s about bringing a bit of theatre and creativity to everyday life and giving something to people that they want to come back to and share.

“We get ideas from everywhere – films, books, travel, things we loved growing up,

even chats with our kids. The actual build of the themed installations often happens within a few days, but the planning starts months earlier. It’s that investment in time that makes The Grounds of Alexandria so special.”

The revolving, immersive set pieces and themes give The Grounds of Alexandria its point of difference, but Ramzey says ideas and innovations don’t necessarily need to be so large-scale.

“It’s a tough time for cafés and restaurants right now and it’s sad to see so many closing, but I believe creativity can really help,” he says. “Even with the current difficulties, I see a lot of opportunity.

“People will always want to connect with others and hospitality is a powerful way to make that happen. You don’t need big budgets or elaborate sets – sometimes it’s just about doing things a little differently, trying new ideas, or building a community around what you do.

“The difference you make doesn’t have to be huge, it just needs to be real and meaningful. Innovation, at its heart, is about being open to trying something new.”

Part of that innovation comes in the

form of the creation of specialty food and drink options, which tie into whatever extraordinary theme is currently running at Alexandria.

Ramzey says these limited-time items add an extra level of immersion to the customer experience.

“Food and drinks are a huge part of the experience,” says Ramzey. “When we create a new theme, our chefs, mixologists, and baristas work closely with the creative team to develop special menus that fit the story.

“It might be a dessert inspired by a fairytale moment or a cocktail that matches the season’s mood – and it’s important to us that these offerings taste just as good as they look.

“These limited-time options help keep things exciting and give people a reason to come back, because what’s here now might not be around for long.”

The Grounds Coffee Factory is the brand’s newest venue. After it was initially announced in 2019, it took six years to develop and has leaned into an industrial fitout centred around the former railway workshops in which it is housed.

With many coffee consumers around Australia turning to brewing their beverages of choice at home, Ramzey says the opening of The Grounds’ new venue targets the creation of an experience around coffee, as opposed to simply creating the coffee itself.

“IT’S A TOUGH TIME FOR CAFÉS AND RESTAURANTS RIGHT NOW AND IT’S SAD TO SEE SO MANY CLOSING, BUT I BELIEVE CREATIVITY CAN REALLY HELP.” “The Factory is built around our roastery, so the experience is centred on the process of roasting coffee. Guests can smell it, see it, hear it – every part of it happens right there in front of them,” he says.

“With more people making coffee at home these days, we offer a retail range and workshops for those who want to be their own barista. We want to create connection and memorable moments for people, so we

always try to provide something new for people to enjoy – that’s what keeps people coming back again and again.”

BLURRING THE LINES

Where brands like The Grounds are building empires in Sydney, nestled in the Perth suburb of Wembley is a café and specialty coffee roastery that’s finding success with its own interesting concept.

PIQUE Coffee was founded by husbandand-wife team Jason and Claire Millar in 2021 as an online roastery. It set up shop in Wembley in 2023 with the look and feel of a wine bar, but centred around coffee.

“I’ve been in the coffee business for about 12 years now. I worked for ST. ALi and roasted for Veneziano in Melbourne, then I came back to Perth with a long-term plan of wanting to get to where we are now,” says Jason.

“We didn’t want to build a traditional café, so we essentially designed a wine bar/ cellar door for our coffee. The idea came to us when under-bench Modbar coffee machines were released, and we’ve built our whole bar around it.

“By not having a coffee machine on the counter, we’re opening ourselves up to engagement with our customers because we’re not hiding behind it.”

Although PIQUE Coffee opened its doors to the public more than 18 months

PIQUE has created the look and feel of a wine bar, but centred it around creating a unique coffee experience. Image: PIQUE Coffee.

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FEATURE

OnAir is hoping to align Melbourne’s world-class music scene with its café culture. Image: OnAir.

ago, the creation of new, alcohol-free Friday night bar events, complete with a new menu of non-alcoholic drinks, has seen it gain traction with a new community.

In collaboration with mental health charity Mens Talk, four SOBAR events have been hosted at the time of writing, and have featured a range of guests including State Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas who has lent his support to the project. Ten per cent of all bar sales are donated to Mens Talk at each event, and they are only growing in scale.

“We started off with the local neighbourhood as our customers, but our reach is growing so much wider. Now we’re engaging a totally new audience who don’t necessarily live in the area but come in to see how we’re doing things differently,” says Claire.

“Since the bar nights started, we’ve had so many new faces. We were growing consistently, but this has really piqued people’s interest and raised our profile.

We’ve had lots of people come out of the woodwork and share their stories over a coffee or two about why they don’t drink anymore, whether for mental health reasons or otherwise. They tell us they can’t trust themselves in a regular bar, but our alcoholfree nights are a great way to still feel that social atmosphere.

“People are feeling heard by what we’re doing. We’ve really been overwhelmed and surprised by the response. It’s almost like it’s bigger than us.”

As part of enhancing its wine bar-style experience, PIQUE has crafted a signature drink that aligns with what it’s trying to achieve in Perth’s café sector.

Its Coffee Cola is one of three beverages permanently available on the venue’s beer taps. What started out with cold

brew and a SodaStream has turned into a customer favourite.

“Over a Christmas break I was just messing about with the SodaStream at home. Cold brew is something I have always played with, but carbonated coffee isn’t great. I came up with a cola-style recipe and experimented by balancing different elements and flavours with our cold brew,” says Jason.

“Then it was just about refining it.

When we opened the shop, we had our Nitro Black and Nitro Oat on tap, but we had a spare third tap. We were going to just put sparkling water on there, but we gave the Coffee Cola a go. We involved our customers from the outset by giving away free samples, getting feedback and then tweaking it some more.

“It doesn’t really taste like coffee, but it doesn’t really taste like cola. It looks like a beer and it’s something completely unique. We use a natural sweetener, so it’s also sugar-free. It’s a refreshingly different product and people are blown away by it.”

Jason says this signature drink has helped PIQUE continue to blur the lines between café and bar experiences.

“We serve it up as part of a tasting flight on a wooden board like you’d get at a brewery or distillery, and we’re hoping to have it available in cans or bottles in time for a summer launch,” he says.

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

Melbourne has long held a place as one of the world’s electronic music capitals. While the city’s hospitality and nightlife industries continue to face challenges, the desire to create connection through music, creativity, and community endures.

OnAir, located in Cremorne, blends specialty coffee with a strong musical

identity. Founded by Francesca Poci and Deyon Murphy, the café is positioned as a listening lounge that provides a platform for emerging musicians away from the typical nightlife scene.

“We’re still a traditional café that serves great coffee, fresh food, and offers dine-in and takeaway, but at our core we’re a musicled space,” says Francesca.

“We host DJs every Wednesday and Thursday morning, and our Espresso Sessions on Saturdays have become a staple.

These sets are recorded live and shared on YouTube and SoundCloud, all while the café operates as usual.”

Francesca and Deyon say there’s a key focus on intentional listening and daytime culture at OnAir, and they have aimed to create a permanent space where music discovery happens naturally over a coffee.

“We’re not a pop-up or short-term project. This is a long-term platform designed to support both emerging and established artists,” says Francesca. “There aren’t many spaces like this where DJs can perform outside a club environment and the audience is tuned in and present.

“Music is a universal connector.

Whether people come for the coffee, to hear a favourite artist, or to meet someone new, we’re creating a space for something deeper.”

The Founders say interest continues to grow in OnAir’s café concept, and local and international artists are reaching out to play at the venue.

“The goal is to build a sustainable platform for young, emerging DJs. People don’t usually go to a café and discover an artist through there, but we’re opening the doors to a different form of discovery,” says Francesca.

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“The response to what we’re trying to achieve has been humbling. We’re hoping people can connect with what we’re doing, and it can relight the spark of going out socially without needing to be in bars or clubs.”

POP UP, PERK UP

While OnAir is creating an ongoing morning music experience for Melbourne’s EDM fans, much like in the nightlife scene, pop-up events are also piquing peoples’ interests.

Dairy alternative brand MILKLAB is leaning into this new type of event, recently partnering with specialist events brand Mix & Matcha as well as launching its own Coffee Shop Sets events.

It has already collaborated with worldrenowned artist Tones and I for the first event, which took place in February 2025 at Melbourne’s Project 281 Coffee Roasters.

MILKLAB Brand Manager Melanie Ung says the industry needs to focus on creating non-typical café experiences.

“Establishing our MILKLAB Coffee Shop Sets series and supporting events like Mix & Matcha offer incredible opportunities to collaborate with others in the industry to provide new and exciting experiences for coffee- and matcha-loving consumers,” says Melanie.

MILKLAB featured Tones and I in its first Coffee Shop Set. Image: MILKLAB.

“There’s a growing demand for experiences that go beyond the everyday coffee run. People are actively seeking out something new.

“Going out culture in Australia is evolving, and this movement towards morning raves will continue to reshape social experiences that foster creativity and the celebration of our café culture.”

MILKLAB also recently released its new Sensations Signature drinks range, which aims to help cafés kickstart their signature drinks journey. Included

are recipes that use different barista alternatives to craft hot and cold beverages that go beyond the standard flat white or cappuccino.

“Customers are craving more than just a coffee: they’re looking for experiences that bring a little joy or spark to their day. The MILKLAB Sensations program gives cafés a simple way to bring on-trend, seasonal drinks to life, without the heavy lifting,” she says.

“It all comes down to creating moments that feel special, something that’s worth sharing – whether it’s with a friend or on social media.”

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COFFEE COMMUNITY

Coffee’s unsung heroes

There’s a group of skilled individuals quietly keeping the cogs of Australia’s coffee industry turning. Coffee Machine Technologies Founder John Colangeli spotlights the work of technicians and the need for new talent in the workforce.

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ith world championships celebrating the best in the industry and some influential individuals becoming social media stars with followers in the hundreds of thousands, baristas are often the poster people of the coffee sector. Roasters, too, are regularly revered for their efforts with accolades and industry clout.

However, there are many other individuals without whom Australia’s café scene couldn’t continue to function – perhaps most important of all are the technicians who keep the equipment running smoothly on which these roasters and baristas work to create their awardwinning blends and world-class latte art.

As Founder of Coffee Machine Technologies, one of the country’s leading coffee equipment and servicing providers, John Colangeli knows how vital these technicians are.

“Technicians are the unsung heroes of the coffee industry. At Coffee Machine Technologies, we have a team of 12 technicians and receive about 40 to 50 servicing jobs in Melbourne each day, but that can shoot up to 80 at busy times,” says John.

“Even with all the advancements in technology, there’s no espresso machine or grinder out there that’s unbreakable, so at some point it will need to be fi xed. If that happens at peak rush hour, a technician will be the difference between the café being able to get up and operating again or potentially not serving coffee.”

BACK TO SCHOOL

The pressure to get these machines back up and running is a feeling John knows well. Training as an electronic technician in the weighing industry, a long-held interest in espresso machines and family visits to Italy throughout his childhood initially led him into the coffee industry where he worked as a technician for a coffee company in Melbourne.

After six years, he left to explore new opportunities, but it wasn’t long until the calls started coming from former clients whose machines he’d fi xed previously.

“I had no intention to start my own company, but the calls kept coming.

Within 12 months I had brought on a few technicians to help and in 2004 I formally

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Machine technicians must keep up to date with the ever-evolving technology.

established Coffee Machine Technologies,” he says.

While over the past 20 years the role of the technician has evolved, John says most of the core skills required of the job are still essential. Many of the people who keep coffee machines across the country running today have moved over from other industries, such as electrical, mechanical, and aircraft engineering, and there are very few formal courses available for young people to learn the trade.

“For me, having the knowledge of electronics from my apprenticeship has helped enormously. As espresso machines have advanced, the electronics they use has increased and become more complicated, so I’ve been able to share my experience to train up our team,” John says.

“There are no coffee-specific courses or

education budding technicians can do – it’s up to me as a business owner to provide the training. It takes around 12 to 24 months to fully train a new technician, depending on their industry experience. Around 90 per cent of my time is spent in the workshop and there’s not a day that goes by that we don’t touch on something that’s relevant to the industry. The learning never stops.”

INFLUENCING FUTURE TECH

As Coffee Machine Technologies grew, as well as providing servicing, the company also became a major supplier of equipment, acting as the regional distributor for some of Europe’s biggest manufacturers. With indepth knowledge of the local café industry and the idiosyncrasies of Australian coffee culture, John and his team also advise

AIRCRAFT TO COFFEE CRAFT

For Mick Denning, one of the technicians at Coffee Machine Technologies, the diversity of the job is something that drew him to the role. With experience as an aircraft engineer and then a barista, his unique mix of skills set him on the path to being a technician.

“Obviously there are huge differences between an aircraft and a coffee machine, but I’d say one of the biggest differences working in the coffee industry is that you’re communicating with the café owner or manager almost the whole time you’re working on the machine,” he says.

“What I like most about the job is that no two days are the same. Each day you’re at a different venue working on a different machine, and my job is to problem solve and get the equipment back up and running as quickly as possible.”

One of the biggest challenges of the role, according to Mick, is the huge variety of equipment and the constant updates in technology. He’s not just working on espresso machines but also grinders, automated milk steamers, tamping technology, and more.

“Adapting to new technology and getting to know new equipment can be challenging, especially with the rise of automation,” he says. “John does a great job of introducing us to new products and there’s a lot of in-house training to make sure we’re all familiar with what we’re working on.”

WHAT CAFÉ OPERATORS CAN DO

Both John and Mick say there are some simple steps café operators can take to ensure they see as little of the technicians as possible and keep their venues running smoothly. Keeping equipment clean and well maintained can not only keep the technicians away but also make their job much more straightforward when required.

“Something as simple as not back

flushing frequently can lead to problems such as issues with group valves. There are quite a few small problems that are brought about by lack of cleaning” says Mick.

“If an operator can keep their machine as clean as possible, it also makes our job easier when we come to fi x or service the equipment. We’re also happy to advise on how best to keep the machine in good shape.”

John also highlights the importance of flagging small concerns before they become big issues.

“A small leak can develop in a larger leak, and that can cause damage to other parts of the machine. It’s always best to flag these small things early so we can get them sorted before they cause any real damage,” he says.

While Coffee Machine Technologies’ team of technicians continues to grow with the business, John admits he’s unsure about the future of the role.

“There are fewer people coming into the role than there were 40 years ago because younger generations are less likely to be pursuing hands-on jobs in these sorts of industries,” he says.

“When I was a child, we spent our time outdoors building billy carts and modifying bikes. We had to build things for our entertainment, whereas now that’s not often the case. I’m not saying there aren’t people out there with the ability to become great technicians, but I wonder where they’ll get the hands-on practical experience when there are few educational pathways into the profession.”

“Technicians are essential to the Australian coffee industry. The work they do is amazing and without them the sector wouldn’t be able to function.”

For more information, visit coffeemachinetechnologies.com.au On busy days, the team at Coffee Machine Technologies can receive up to 80 technical call-outs.

Images: Coffee Machine Technologies.

companies on how their technology can be adapted to the market here.

“Servicing and repairs are a huge part of our technicians’ day-to-day role, but we also test equipment before it goes to market and look for ways it can be improved to suit the needs of Australia’s cafés,” John says.

“There are some manufacturers for which we’ve been the exclusive distributor for more than 15 years and there’s a huge level of trust in these relationships.”

Many of the manufacturers Coffee Machine Technologies works with are based in Italy, where coffee is widely enjoyed as espresso and without milk. Many of the team’s suggestions are based on adapting the equipment for Australia’s coffee drinkers who are much more milk dominant.

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COFFEE COMMUNITY

The single-origin specialist

A pioneer of single-origin coffee in Australia, David Kennedy is one of the industry’s under-the-radar innovators. As Bun Coffee celebrates two decades in business, the roaster reveals what inspired him to follow flavour, not dollars.

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Images: Bun Coffee.

F

or David Kennedy, seeking out rare and interesting single origins is more than just a part of his role as Co-Founder and Master Roaster at Bun Coffee – it’s an obsession that’s blossomed over four decades.

This fervour for flavour has seen him collaborate with farmers in all corners of the coffee-growing world, from the heights of the Himalayas and the lush landscapes of Hawaii to the wild jungles of Madagascar and the tropical north of the country he calls home. And over the past 20 years he – and wife Jenny, who has also been instrumental in Bun Coffee’s journey – has been sharing his finds with the people of Byron Bay and beyond.

Since relocating from Sydney to northern New South Wales in 2005, David and Jenny have built not just a coffee roastery but also a community of coffee lovers. The road hasn’t always been easy – the original plan to open a café with a roastery had to pivot to a wholesale roastery when council roadblocks ground proceedings to a halt – but they’ve stayed true to their ambition to tell to story of coffee from crop to cup.

Today, with about 60 single origins available at any time from its website, two espresso bars in Ballina and Byron Bay, and a recently expanded roasting site, Bun Coffee is celebrating its momentous milestone.

“I call David an artist because his work with coffee is an art form,” says Jenny.

“Roasting such a wide range of coffees, he gets up at 4.30am most mornings and heads straight to his roaster. His knowledge of the nuances of each bean is like nothing I’ve seen before.”

Witnessing the rise of specialty coffee and the explosion of the Australian café scene, in the past two decades David has seen an avalanche of industry change – from consumer-driven trends to an acceptance and expectance of quality coffee.

“Looking back, the 1980s were the days of the cappuccino. But now, people want great coffee everywhere they go and expect to see batch brew, V60, cold drip, and immersion cold brew on the menu.

Customers are much fussier now, and so they should be. It keeps everyone on their toes,” says David.

“They also want to know the origin of their coffee. There’s an increased interest in

Bun Coffee Co-Founder David Kennedy rises before 5am most mornings to roast a huge variety of single origins.

single origins and people want to meet the grower, know which hillside it was grown on, and the varietal type.”

For someone who has championed single origins for so long – and before they became popular through the specialty movement – this increased interest is music to David’s ears. From the beginning of Bun Coffee, sharing the stories of the farmers and ensuring the beans were sourced fairly and ethically was a priority.

“When we started the roastery we knew we were going to focus on organic, Fairtrade, and sustainable producers,” he says.

“Since the mid 1990s when I was selling coffee in a market in Sydney, I also knew I wanted to roast Australian-grown coffees.

Customers were always surprised when I told them we grow coffee here, so I wanted to get the word out about our beans.”

From there, the natural progression of recognising Australian farmers extended to international farmers.

“Why wouldn’t you push for fair pay for the farmers and products that are better for the planet? If you can, you should. We have always pushed for what is honest and true,” he says.

Sourcing from so many origins, David admits the logistics and communication barriers when coordinating with coffee farmers have at some points been an “awkward” but also a “fun” endeavour.

“Sourcing is something I enjoy doing but it has its challenges. If you don’t have certain documentation, your coffee will not be allowed into Australia, and rules change from time to time,” he says.

“Being patient is key. For example, getting certified Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee out of Jamaica can take months with all the processing. The coffee must be submitted to the board and then approved, and then it has to be shipped to Australia.

But I enjoy the process and working with the people.”

Another key part of David and Jenny’s agenda was gaining full organic certification for the roastery, which they achieved in 2007.

“This was something we wanted from the get-go: to offer a range of coffees that were not just organic in name but organic in reality,” he says.

“With the stringent regulations of the certification process governed by the ACO in Australia, we strongly believe we are supporting people’s health and the farming practices to support long-term growth in the industry.”

This conscious mindset has also flowed into the roaster’s retail packaging, which David is extremely passionate about. Bun Coffee strives to be a leader in the recycling and compostable packaging field.

“This too has been a journey” he says.

“When we first trialled compostable packaging the bags started to compost before the customer had opened their delivery.

“So, we went back to the drawing board and now have a range of retail bags that are fully recyclable as well as a fully homecompostable pod range. We also partner with BioPak to offer home compostable cups for all our café partners.”

Bun Coffee’s seven signature blends stand out on the shelf thanks to the rainbow-coloured recyclable packaging.

“The bright coloured retail bags make it so easy for our customers to remember their favourite blend,” David says. “Often they will say ‘can I get a red and a yellow bag of beans?’. They don’t know the blend name just the colour of the type of coffee that they enjoy.”

Despite nearly four decades in the industry, David still has the desire to learn more about coffee. In 2024, he completed the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence from the Coffee

While Bun Coffee has been in business 20 years, its approach to sustainability is bang up to date – including its fully recyclable packaging.

“WHY WOULDN’T YOU PUSH FOR FAIR PAY FOR THE FARMERS AND PRODUCTS THAT ARE BETTER FOR THE PLANET? IF YOU CAN, YOU SHOULD.” Excellence Centre at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. The course required an 18-month online component, as well as faceto-face modules at the Zurich campus.

“It was fascinating,” he says. “It covered everything from the history and origins of coffee right through to the supply chain, sensory evaluation, and fault findings.”

Completing the program helped further

David’s coffee knowledge and his methods of communicating with both his staff and customers.

“It has really opened my mind. When people come to me with a problem, I’m now able to delve a bit deeper into it and find ways to overcome the issue,” he says.

“The course was for my personal benefit, but I’m sure there are ways it has helped me that I haven’t even realised yet.”

With a new qualification under his belt and a two-decade anniversary to celebrate, David’s energy for the industry shows no sign of wavering. Currently, he’s closely following global varietal trials and climateadaptive planting research.

“I’m very interested in the potential of new coffee species that could help to safeguard the future of global production against the increasing impacts of climate events,” he says.

Industry accolades and coffee know-how aside, for David and Jenny it’s the small things – a good cup, a loyal customer, a connection to growers – that matter most.

For more information, visit buncoffee.com.au

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COFFEE COMMUNITY

The Italian job

he Italian influence on Australia’s coffee culture can be seen everywhere, whether that’s in the style of coffee, heritage equipment brands, the vibe of a café, or any manner of other small but noticeable things.

Now, a dish made famous by an iconic Italian business is set to make its longawaited debut in Melbourne thanks to an exciting collaboration between three brands that hold their roots in Italy.

Square affogato has been a staple on the menu of Florence gelateria Vivoli for decades, and it has become world famous in the modern social media age. Finally, you won’t need to be walking the streets of Firenze to try it.

La Pavoni has partnered with Australian gelateria Piccolina and Melbourne coffee roaster ST. ALi to bring the dessert Down Under for the first time. The famously squared off edges of ice cream and hot espresso shot poured into the centre of a pre-chilled dish will be available in all eight of Piccolina’s locations and ST ALi’s South Melbourne café during August.

Head of La Pavoni Australia Leon Wolf says the historic Italian manufacturer’s lever coffee machines are perfectly placed to craft a top-tier affogato experience.

“For an affogato, the espresso must be bold, rich, and smooth – not overpowering, but full of character,” says Leon. “The manual lever system allows the barista to control pressure and flow with precision, extracting a beautifully balanced shot that pairs perfectly with artisan gelato.

“There’s something timeless about a La Pavoni lever machine – the ritual, the control, the craftsmanship. Hand-built in Milan, these iconic machines bring Italian flair not just to their design but also in the espresso they produce.”

The limited-edition La Pavoni Cellini Mini in matte white will feature in Piccolina stores for the duration of the partnership, with the staff using the machines to craft the dessert.

Leon says the Cellini Mini perfects the balance between the craftsmanship of La Pavoni and the ease of use required to produce quality espresso for the square affogato at scale.

“The Cellini Mini is a single-boiler machine built for those who appreciate both design and performance. It delivers consistent, full-bodied espresso with a

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La Pavoni, ST. ALi, and Piccolina have partnered to bring an iconic Italian dessert to Melbourne.

Images: Michael Pham.

T

Square affogato has been a social media sensation for years.

Typically, it’s been limited to the streets of Florence, but now three iconic brands have joined forces to bring it to Melbourne.

velvety crema, which is ideal for the perfect affogato,” he says.

While La Pavoni’s machines have been handmade in Italy for well over 100 years, partnered brands Piccolina and ST. ALi don’t have to go back so far to trace their roots there.

Piccolina was started by Sandra Foti, who named the brand after the nickname given to her by her grandmother – meaning ‘little one’. Now, it has grown to eight locations where it sells its traditional, Italian-style gelato in a range of flavours.

ST. ALi was founded in a South Melbourne warehouse in 2005 before Salvatore Malatesta took the reins in 2008.

Having cut his teeth in his family’s pizza and pasta shop as a child, then opening his

first café at Melbourne University in the late 1990s, Sal was an early leader in what would become Melbourne’s specialty coffee boom.

ST. ALi CEO Lachlan Ward says the use of the roaster’s Italo Disco beans further aligns the Italian heritage of the partnership to provide a more authentic experience for the customer.

“The Italian-style espresso made by Italo Disco creates a perfect contrast and melts into the sweetness of gelato. It brings balance and is the obvious fit,” says Lachlan.

“What excites me about this is the chance to bring something so iconic into a new context. Not to change it, but to celebrate it.

“There’s heritage at the heart of this collaboration. Doing it alongside Piccolina

and La Pavoni, who both understand the craft and the culture, just made it feel right.”

Sandra experienced the legendary Vivoli affogato firsthand while visiting Florence earlier this year, and was immediately inspired to bring its magic back to Australia.

“This is Vivoli’s story. We’re simply paying homage to something brilliant that moved us. We fell in love with it, and we wanted to recreate the experience, with the same care, respect, and joy for gelato and coffee lovers here in Melbourne,” says Sandra.

“We love what ST. ALi brings to this collaboration. Their dedication to coffee craftsmanship mirrors our passion for authentic gelato, and together we’re creating something truly special for Melbourne.

“This is not a reinvention, it’s not a remix. It’s a tribute from us from one corner of the world to another.”

Leon says the ability for La Pavoni to partner with other innately Italian brands on meaningful projects such as this contributes to its desire to continue building on its unique heritage.

“By aligning with other Italian icons, whether that’s in coffee, food, fashion, or design, La Pavoni reinforces its place within a broader heritage of excellence,” says Leon.

“These partnerships celebrate a shared commitment to artisanship, authenticity, ST. ALi’s Italo Disco beans will be brewed on limited-edition La Pavoni Cellini Mini machines in Piccolina stores.

Square affogato has been made famous by Florence gelateria Vivoli.

and quality without compromise.

“Every partnership becomes an opportunity to showcase Italian culture. La Pavoni, as the original espresso machine, is proud to stand at the centre of it. Together we’re not just creating an affogato, we’re creating an experience. One that blends the old world and the new, Italian heritage and Australian innovation.”

Lachlan says the alignment of the three brands on the creation of a high-quality product will be obvious to the customers who are lucky enough to try square affogato in August.

“This collaboration came about so

organically because it’s three brands that genuinely care about the details and the experience. There’s real Italian heritage running through all three, and that comes through in the execution,” he says.

Melbourne has typically been lauded as the coffee capital of Australia. Although, that title is now being challenged by Sydney while other cities and towns around the country are expanding their own café cultures.

Lachlan believes Melbourne is the ideal setting to launch square affogato because of the alignment of all three brands.

“Melbourne just gets it,” says Lachlan.

“We appreciate the good stuff and have a hunger to try new things. People know when something is done properly and call it out when it’s not.

“This collaboration works because each brand shares a deep respect for quality, authentic ingredients, and the joy of sharing something beautiful in the way Italians do best. It’s more than a product: it’s passion, provenance, and a perfectly balanced affogato.”

For Leon, Melbourne perfectly blends coffee’s heritage with the innovation needed to bring a dessert such as the square affogato to its streets.

“Launching the square affogato in Melbourne makes perfect sense – it’s a city that embraces innovation but demands authenticity,” he says.

“It’s where modern coffee roasting, Italian espresso tradition, and artisanal gelato can come together in a way that feels natural, elevated, and exciting.”

Square affogato will be available in Piccolina’s eight locations during August, as well as ST. ALi’s South Melbourne café from 4 to 10 August. Any available flavour of ice cream will be able to be paired with the espresso shot made on the La Pavoni Cellini Mini with ST. ALi’s Italo Disco beans.

For more information, visit au.lapavoni.com

beanscenemag.com.au 33

CRAFTED WITH CARE

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BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

The wellbeing shift

T

here’s a familiar sinking feeling that comes with accidently opening a work-related message outside of working hours, and then a conundrum: do you switch the work side of your brain back on, or leave your boss on ‘read’ for the next 12 hours?

With many hospitality venues using WhatsApp and personal social messaging platforms for work-related announcements and requests such as organising schedules, updating team members, and more, it’s a dilemma many shift workers in the industry have faced – and something soft ware developer Mason Fok sought to remedy in the creation of staff scheduling platform Tommy.

While there are already staff organisation apps in the market, Mason noticed a gap for a product that prioritises the worker’s needs and helps them to create a better work-life harmony.

“There are many scheduling apps that focus on the needs of the business first and the employees second. While this sounds right, it can lead to poor performance and burn out. Tommy’s mission is to make shift work better for everyone. Therefore, when building the platform we approached it from the perspective of the worker and introduced features that would specifically help them, which in turn benefits the workplace,” Mason says.

“One of the key aspects is that Tommy includes a messaging platform, so teams and managers can communicate via the app instead of their personal phone numbers or social media accounts. Messages don’t include read receipts after working hours either, so there’s no pressure for a team member to reply if they see a message but don’t want to respond right away. Swapping between work life and home life can be a barrier to fully relaxing and switching off after work.”

Mason and his team are also developing an AI-powered feature to provide shift workers with work-life harmony scores, a bit like the recovery score on a smartwatch. The private feature is not visible to the workplace and provides small nudges to encourage users that opt-in to prioritise their, and their team members’, wellbeing.

Of course, the app has also been built to serve the needs of the hospitality owners and managers that implement the platform. As part of the scheduling feature, managers can publish unassigned shifts that

Using Tommy, team members can clock in and out of shifts using their own phones or kiosk devices.

qualifying employees can express interest in, automate recurring shifts and shift reminders, and easily monitor staff costs while keeping secure information private.

Tommy also features time and attendance soft ware, which enables team members to clock in and out of shifts using their own phones or kiosk devices with the option to switch on GPS tracking, which can only be accessed while the team member is clocked-in. From the clock function, timesheets can be automatically generated. What’s more, the app can be integrated with other tools the business may already be using, such as Xero, QuickBooks, and MYOB. “One of the unique features of Tommy is that managers and supervisors can upload short videos for training purposes, which

Tommy Co-Founder Mason Fok noticed a gap in the market for a product that prioritises the worker’s needs.

Images: Tommy.

Named after Co-Founder Mason Fok’s dog, staff scheduling platform Tommy was developed to be the shift worker’s best friend by prioritising work-life harmony.

can be assigned to certain members of staff.

For example, if a café is putting a new drink on the menu, instead of circulating a PDF document with examples, a tutorial video can be uploaded,” says Mason.

“Relevant staff will get reminders that they need to watch the video and then can access it at a later date via the library.”

There are three versions of the Tommy app. Essential is free to download and can host teams of up to 10, while the paid versions, Plus and Pro, both include unlimited team members, starting from $4.35 per month.

“The Essential plan works well for a small but well-established team in which there is a recognised level of trust. When the business starts to grow, that’s when you might want to upgrade to the Plus or Pro version to unlock some of the extra features such as user permissions, management, reporting, and activity news-feeds,” says Mason.

“We established Tommy for the nursing industry but have recently introduced a hospitality version. Before launching, we piloted the system with a number of businesses in the sector and the feedback was really positive. We purposefully made the platform affordable, as a lot of tech these days seems to be getting more expensive for features you don’t always need.”

Those curious about Tommy can trial the app for free for 14 days without having to provide credit card details.

For more information, visit mytommy.com

beanscenemag.com.au 35

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Stone Age hospitality

Pastry Chef Joseph Stock has had enough of convoluted, manual supply-ordering practices, so he’s aiming to bring them into the 21st century with a new platform for the hospitality industry. oseph Stock has been a Pastry Chef for close to 20 years, but in all that time he believes parts of the hospitality industry have been left in the past. He’s found the difficult, often frustrating task of managing stock has remained largely manual in the 21st century, creating difficulties for suppliers and venues alike.

As a result, he has created a new stockordering platform targeted specifically at the hospitality sector, naming it Stokd after both his surname and the platform’s function.

Having trained in Sydney and grown up in New Zealand, Joseph says his experience in the industry means he has his finger on the pulse of exactly what can be improved.

“I’ve consistently seen suppliers give the wrong product or miss products on delivery, and I’ve used clunky ordering systems or multiple apps and websites that have led to so much lost time chasing suppliers,” he says. “How the industry operates is inefficient, so we’ve built a system to fi x that.

“With Stokd, we can streamline the process for both suppliers and operators across hospitality, whether that’s cafés, restaurants, or bars. We want every aspect of the ordering process to be easier, and to give more visibility on which products are actually available.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s toilet paper, coffee, or a bottle of vodka – our system shows all the data live in one click.”

Stokd has been developed using multiple venues as live testing sites, with Sydney roaster Mecca Coffee also offering support in its development. Mecca supplies about 60 wholesale clients – most of which are based locally – and operates a pair of retail sites.

“We’ve been helping Stokd with identifying what our pain points are, what we would love to see, and what we think is missing in existing ordering platforms as a supplier,” says Mecca Coffee Wholesale Relationship Manager Germán Salamanca.

“At the moment I’m not familiar with any platform that has both a really good back end as well as a beautiful front end that’s easy to use. The user experience is not as clinical as other platforms and you can tell it’s been designed by someone with experience in the industry. I think they’re doing a good job in that everything is being created to be friendly to use. It’s intuitive.

I think we’re onto a winner with Stokd.”

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Mecca Coffee consulted on the creation of Stokd.

Image: Stokd.

Germán adds the platform is a more cost-effective solution than some other, larger-scale sales soft ware.

“Small coffee roasters might not have a lot of money to invest in expensive systems to manage sales, so we still do a lot of things manually. Getting the orders is very manual and you can spend hours a day just processing everything,” he says.

“A lot of these systems are simply too costly to use, but Stokd is far more reasonable. It’s a great example of how the best solutions come from the user.”

The clarity on what products are in or out of stock can be a major pain point for venues. Joseph says Stokd has been developed as a solution to the longstanding problem.

“There are times when a supplier might not have an item listed on their website when they do in fact have it in stock, or an item they’re out of stock of is listed as available,” he says.

“Your expectation as a venue is you can get what you want when you want if you see it on your supplier’s system, and when you can’t it’s really frustrating. Having that visibility about which products are available is crucial.”

Germán says the difficulties in managing listed items, especially those in limited editions or short supply, are

equally felt by suppliers.

“It can be very difficult to manage stock, especially with something like a limited-run single origin that we only have 60 kilograms of available. You get a lot of people ordering, and then you run out of it incredibly quickly. That stock management aspect is critical,” he says.

Joseph says those management difficulties have been taken into account in the layout of Stokd for both venue operators and suppliers.

“In our system, suppliers have their products listed and once they run out they’re removed so it’s impossible to order something that’s not available. Then, you can pivot to a different supplier if needed,” he says.

“We’re used to so much technology in our lives, but in hospitality we’re stuck in the Stone Age. Stokd has been created to be an end-to-end ordering solution that spans multiple suppliers. We’re also integrated with Xero, MYOB, and Quickbooks.

“Stokd is built by hospitality operators who live the day-to-day struggles of the industry, and we want to make lives easier.

We’re not just another tech company, we’re hospo people solving hospo problems.”

For more information, visit stokd.com

THE MILK FOR CHAMPIONS

Jack Simpson (Axil Coffee)

Australian Barista Champion 2023, 2024, 2025

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

MONIN’s Green Tea Matcha syrup is designed to blend well in both iced and hot drinks.

The matcha movement

F

With the matcha hype showing no signs of slowing, MONIN has launched a new flavour that hits the sweet spot for both iced and hot latte fans.

rom social media being flooded with green lattes and iced drinks to baristas getting creative with new matcha flavour combinations, there’s no doubt we’re firmly in the era of matcha.

What started as a traditional ceremonial drink in Asia in the 12th century has been catapulted into the modern world by TikTok influencers and baristas with explorative palates – and café customers can’t get enough of the fine green powder.

Danni Choy, Brand Ambassador at syrup specialist MONIN, believes matcha is here to stay and has cemented itself as a staple of café menus across Australia and beyond.

“There’s been an obvious shift over the past few years – everyone’s doing matcha,” says Danni.

“It’s been big overseas for a while, but

38 beanscenemag.com.au

now cafés in Australia are really starting to catch on. We wanted to create a product that would meet the growing demand while also solving the time challenge for busy venues.”

Traditional matcha powder requires careful whisking and precise technique to avoid going clumpy and producing a bitter taste. Noticing this process was a sticking point at many cafés, MONIN sought to create a syrup solution that’s versatile, efficient, and focused on flavour.

“We saw a gap in the market. Not everyone has time to whisk a perfect matcha drink, especially if you’re trying to make a lot of drinks in one go. This syrup removes all that hassle,” she says.

“One of the biggest hesitations baristas and bartenders have with matcha powder is the texture. If it’s not whisked properly, it can leave a gritty mouthfeel. Our syrup offers the same earthy, slightly herbaceous

notes of real matcha but without the sediment or fuss.”

Noting its “beautiful balance and depth of flavour without the bitterness”, Danni highlights MONIN’s new Matcha Green Tea syrup is more than just a practical solution for venues.

“It’s ideal for lattes, iced serves, and experimental drinks that want to explore different flavour combinations,” she says.

“I love serving the syrup with sparkling water. It’s light, refreshing, and not too sweet. It’s kind of like the black coffee version of a matcha drink.”

SEAMLESS CLARITY

In the creation of the flavour, the team at MONIN knew designing a product that seamlessly integrates with a variety of different dairy and plant-based milks was key.

“It doesn’t curdle in steamed milk, which is huge. It holds up well in both hot and cold formats, and you don’t need to clarify it for cocktails. The clarity is a standout feature,” says Danni.

The clarity of the product removes the barriers for users to be creative and experimental. Thanks to its naturally green hue, matcha is an instantly recognisable drink, and MONIN is confidently doubling down on the trend.

“We’re really leaning into the green aesthetic,” she says. “Matcha is super vibrant – it’s definitely the hero for us.”

As for flavour pairings, the matcha syrup is a team player. Danni suggests combining it with the likes of cherry blossom, lychee, yuzu, and even white chocolate.

“You can go fresh, fruity, or nutty, and with or without milk – the list goes on,” she says.

“In Asia, matcha is still enjoyed in its purest form. It’s a lot more traditional over there and at times is unsweetened. On a global scale, however, matcha is all about the fun and playful twists. The popularity of strawberry matcha has been huge.”

While the food and beverage industry often experiences constant change in trends and fads, MONIN sees matcha as a staple ingredient that’s here to stay.

“I was making matcha lattes back in 2013 when I opened my first café, so this matcha ‘phase’ isn’t really a new wave,” says Danni.

“But it has evolved. We think this trend still has another decade in it, especially with how wellness is shaping consumer choices.”

The wellness mindset, also proving not just to be a trend, is now a cultural norm, particularly in countries like Australia.

Consumers are looking for flavour, functionality, and health benefits in their drinks. MONIN’s new syrup aims to deliver on these factors.

“People want healthier options, but they don’t want to sacrifice enjoyment,” Danni says. “You can have a drink that’s good for you and also delivers on flavour.”

Danni emphasises how there is an excitement among café owners to push the boundaries and explore new flavour combinations.

“Cafés are no longer limited to just coffee. They can compete with bubble tea chains and cocktail bars by offering drinks that are just as fun, layered, and innovative, and we are here to help with that,” she says.

With matcha’s striking colour, adaptable flavour profile, and perceived health benefits, it’s no surprise MONIN has made it a priority.

“It’s about giving venues the tools to be creative and efficient. With our matcha syrup, you don’t need a whisk, a bowl, or a lesson in tea ceremony. Just add milk, pour, and go,” says Danni.

A GREEN FUTURE

With matcha now a formal member of its family of syrups, MONIN continues to look to Asia for further inspiration on trends and interesting flavours. Yuzu, cherry blossom,

pandan, and black sesame are firmly on Danni’s radar.

“There’s a whole world of flavour out there that’s underused in the café scene.

We’re trying to bring that to the forefront and make it easy to use,” she says.

“Pandan in particular brings this beautiful coconut-vanilla profile that pairs amazingly with tropical flavours. In fact, we are launching a pandan range too, which is very exciting.”

As MONIN’s matcha syrup rolls out across Australia, it’s clear the company is helping to shape the flavour profile of the beverage space. For those curious to experiment, its Brunswick studio is open for tastings and training sessions.

“It’s all about inspiring people to create drinks that suit their vibe,” Danni says. “We have the tools and the expertise ready to go, so all you have to do is come and join.”

For more information, visit stuartalexander.com.au/pages/monin MONIN Brand Ambassador Danni Choy believes matcha is no longer a trend but a café staple.

Images: MONIN.

ROOM FOR CREATIVITY

MONIN prides itself on its unique approach to product development and is committed to creativity, engagement, and collaboration.

At its Brunswick studio in Melbourne, the team host sessions for members of the public, including baristas, bartenders, and drinks enthusiasts where they can co-create drinks, test new products and trends, and explore flavour pairings.

“If someone’s seen something cool on TikTok or wants to understand how to make a strawberry matcha, we’ll help them figure it out,” says Danni.

“We had one café visit recently just to explore texture with foams, boba, popping pearls, and how they could find new ways to elevate their drinks.”

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Fires, floods, and coffee

For Piazza D’Oro and the Kulnura Volunteer Rural Fire Service Brigade, coffee was the ideal bridge to foster new connections and support the local community.

C

offee naturally draws people together. With its inviting aroma and familiar warmth, it has a unique way of uniting individuals and creating a welcoming atmosphere. In fact, the team at Sydney roaster Piazza D’Oro are so confident in the power of coffee to bring people together that they teamed up with the Kulnura Volunteer Rural Fire Service (RFS) Brigade to help support its local community and fundraising efforts.

Located on the Central Coast in New South Wales, the volunteer RFS has been hit with an unrelenting series of challenges – from the 2019-20 bushfires that saw unprecedented destruction across the region to flooding and a break-in.

Hearing about its recent hardships, the team at Piazza D’Oro wanted to help.

For Sales Specialist Amy Grenfell, the partnership with the Kulnura Volunteer RFS is a personal one, inspired by a mix of community spirit, resilience, and great coffee.

“I started working with Piazza D’Oro in early 2024. I applied for the job because of the company’s sustainability profile. I live in a farming region, so its ethics around coffee really resonated with me,” says Amy.

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Images: Tyler Grenfell.

Piazza D’Oro has trained some of the Kulnura RFS team to craft coffee from its cart for community events.

“When I started the role, I saw Piazza D’Oro and JDE Peet’s global commitment to responsible sourcing firsthand, but noticed we weren’t doing a lot here in Australia.”

The absence of a local community project propelled Amy to look for potential ways the roaster could pursue its ethical commitment more locally.

“When the Harvest Festival came along, I saw a window of opportunity to bridge that gap and to do something meaningful both for Piazza D’Oro and the Kulnura Volunteer RFS,” she says.

“Coffee softens the blow for hard conversations. It brings people together and that’s exactly what their volunteer brigade needed.”

Amy’s connection with the brigade was also personal. With her husband an active member, she had witnessed firsthand how integral it was to the safety of the local community.

“I realised I could be the one doing the talking and the educating. The firefighters are often out there on the trucks, but they also need people to assist in raising awareness and helping with traffic control at road-related incidents and accidents. That’s where I saw my role,” she says.

With the support of the JDE Peet’s

engineering and technical team, the idea of creating a mobile coffee cart for the brigade was born. In June 2025, the Piazza D’Oro cart was launched at the Harvest Festival, the response to which Amy says was transformative.

“It wasn’t just about coffee,” she says. “It was a drawcard. Parents grabbed a coffee and chatted while the children played on the fire trucks and learned about fire safety. It created a natural hub for discussion that felt familiar and warm.”

The cart was stocked with Piazza D’Oro beans, which were served in Aqueous Home Compostable cups with pulp lids.

“Piazza D’Oro didn’t just provide the cups but also information on how to compost them. It was educational, not just convenient,” says Amy. The sustainable approach resonated with the fire-aware farming community.

Adding the coffee cart transformed the brigade’s stall and sparked conversations that previously weren’t being had.

“Last year, people walked by. This year, they stayed and talked. It felt like going to a friend’s house for a cup of coffee and a Tim Tam,” she says.

“Three other brigades have since reached out to ask if they can use the coffee cart

The Kulnura RFS Brigade is still rebuilding from a challenging few years.

for their events. It’s proven to be a really effective model, something functional we can replicate.”

In terms of supporting and growing the brigade’s capacity, the coffee cart played a strong role.

“New prospective recruits came on board after the festival and even more are showing interest. It’s opening up conversations the brigade never had before,” says Amy. Looking ahead, the brigade plans to open its station with the coffee cart on the third Sunday of every month. The wider goal is to provide education that extends beyond bushfire season. From how to stack firewood safely to where to get help in an emergency, the brigade offers a range of support for rural residents.

“We want the fire station to be a place where people know they can come. That it’s more than trucks and hoses, it’s about community,” she says.

Mark Towell has been a member of the Kulnura RFS Brigade since 1989 and assumed the role of captain in 2015. He says the coffee cart initiative was an instant ‘yes’ from the brigade’s point of view.

“We were all very accepting of it and thought it was a great initiative from Amy and the Piazza D’Oro team,” says Mark.

“The Harvest Festival is a huge event on the Central Coast. It is probably our number one source of fundraising for the year and the money goes towards equipment and the ongoing maintenance of the tools.”

Since the devastating bushfires six years ago, the brigade saw an influx in memberships, but after the floods the following year, the rate of new memberships slowed down.

“That has turned around a bit now though. In the past six months we’ve seen an influx in members and we want to keep building that momentum,” says Mark. “The coffee cart has definitely had a part to play in our growth so far.”

The initiative also aims to encourage a greater sense of community in the local area.

“When I was a kid, everyone met at the fire station on Friday nights for a sausage sizzle and a beer. We don’t have that sense of solidarity anymore. But now, it’s coffee and conversation – a space for the whole family,” says Amy. “Piazza D’Oro has always stood for community and sustainability, especially in the coffee-growing regions. But now, that ethos is visible right here in Australia.”

With the coffee team training some members of the brigade to step into the barista role, it’s hoped the cart can be self-sufficient for the pop-up events. Amy and Mark are proud of what the partnership has become and look forward to its continued growth.

All coffee was sold on the day, with 100 per cent of the raised funds going towards the Kulnura Volunteer Brigade. Piazza D’Oro also matched the funds raised.

For more information, visit piazzadoro.com.au

CUPS FOR PROFESSIONALS

Distributed in Australia by Ph: Ph: (03) (03) 9530 9530 8992 8992 Ph: +61 (03) 9532 1517 Email: Email: info@casaespresso.com.au info@casaespresso.com.au Email: info@casaespresso.com.au www.ancapcups.com www.ancapcups.com

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Ph: (03) 9530 8992 Email: info@casaespresso.com.au www.ancapcups.com

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

A new era of wellness

With the popularity of weight-loss injections climbing, the hospitality industry could experience a major shift in consumer habits. Riverina Fresh explores the growing interest in nutritional value, the impact it could have on Australia’s café industry, and the potential of lactose-free milk.

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Image: Cassiopeia.

A

ustralia has always been aligned with wellness trends. Many of the fashions that have swept the world first gained popularity in the country’s beachside cafés and innercity coffee shops – from chia puddings and cold-pressed juices to superfood lattes and café run clubs.

But there’s a new health movement that’s making its way to Australian shores from the United States (US) that could have a big impact on the hospitality industry and the buying habits of its customers.

Weight-loss injections – also known as GLP-1 drugs – that mimic appetitesuppressing hormones are on the rise. A recent health-tracking poll reported one in eight adults in the US has used them at one point, and one in 16 adults currently use the products.

The exact number of people using the drugs in Australia is not yet known, but a recent poll of GPs by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners found 49 per cent of respondents reported daily requests for the medication.

As CEO of Riverina Fresh, one of Australia’s leading home-grown dairy and food service providers, Craig Shapiro forecasts the trend could have big implications for the hospitality sector.

“The increase in popularity of these drugs is being driven by the US and what you can see from the American market is that they are changing consumer consumption – people are eating less. Some parts of the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) space are seeing consumption drop by eight to 10 per cent,” says Craig.

“If people are putting less on their plates, the entire food and hospitality sector is going to be affected.”

However, Craig doesn’t believe the trend will necessarily reduce the number of visits people make to cafés in Australia but instead change what they’re ordering, with the potential for nutrition to become even more important for consumers.

“While people using the GLP-1 drugs are eating less, they are often paying more attention to the nutritional value of what they are eating. For example, there’s an emphasis on ensuring they are getting enough protein to sustain muscle strength,” he says.

Australia has long been aligned with wellness culture, but could the latest trend change consumer habits at cafés?

“If you’re only eating bite-size amounts, you’re going to want your main meals to be nutritionally balanced. This interest in protein also ties into the wider trend for high-protein foods, which has resulted in a lot of protein-enhanced products such as yogurts, flavoured milks, and ready meals.”

In fact, Craig believes this movement provides a significant opportunity for the dairy industry. With dairy being a natural source of protein, Riverina Fresh has already seen a subtle uptick in the number of coffee drinkers choosing to

pair their espresso with milk instead of plant-based alternatives.

DAIRY BACK ON TOP

As a foodservice provider supplying plantbased alternatives to the hospitality industry alongside its fresh Australian milks, Riverina Fresh has a broad overview of the market and consumption trends. Craig says while different alternatives have risen and fallen in popularity over the past 15 years, now could be the time that dairy steps back into the limelight.

“Two decades ago, lactose-free milks

Image: Riverina Fresh.

The team at Cassiopeia use Riverina Fresh Lactose-Free Milk.

didn’t really exist, so that gave rise to plant-based alternatives. At first, soy was the most popular product, however, evolving consumer preferences saw a shift to almond and then, in recent years, to oat.

The drivers of change have included health and nutrition, environmental concerns, and product innovation,” he says.

“Today, about 25 per cent of what we sell to cafés is plant-based, with the remaining 75 per cent being dairy.”

According to Craig, these latest statistics indicate plant-based drink consumption among Riverina Fresh’s hospitality customers has peaked. Of course, that’s an average across the country, with its innercity customers sourcing more of a 50/50 split between dairy and alternatives, and regional venues showing a much higher preference for fresh dairy milk.

“Anecdotally, I think some people are making the switch back to dairy for health and nutrition reasons. Consumers are now a lot more aware of highly processed foods and they want to know exactly what’s in their cup,” he says.

What’s more, over the past few decades the dairy sector itself has seen wavering trends influenced by the wellness industry and diet culture. While 10 years ago fat may have been public-health enemy number one, with skim milks popular in cafés across the country, the narrative has shifted to embrace the benefits of healthy fats in foods like whole milk, avocados, and nuts.

“Just over a decade ago, skim milk was extremely popular, but now it’s one of our smallest selling products,” says Craig.

A LACTOSE-FREE SOLUTION

While Riverina Fresh has long offered a lactose-free version of its 100 per cent Australian milk, the team are eager to introduce it to more coffee shop operators as an alternative to plant-based options.

The process to remove the lactose to make it safe to drink for lactose-intolerant consumers simply involves adding the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose into simple sugars. This results in a naturally sweeter product that steams and textures like any fresh dairy milk.

“There will always be a space for plant-based alternatives, but I think as the interest in health and nutrition gains momentum we’ll see more people who can’t digest lactose opt for lactose-free dairy milks. Having a high-quality product that performs in the café or for the home barista like all of our fresh milks means there’s a viable lactose-free option for Riverina Fresh customers,” Craig says.

The natural sweetness of Riverina Fresh Lactose-Free Milk has made it popular among baristas competing in championships. According to Craig, they

like the subtle sweetness the milk adds to their creations. Australian Barista Champions Jack Simpson has used it as part of his routines over the years.

Katie Harris, Location Manager of Cassiopeia Café in New South Wales, has been using Riverina Fresh Lactose-Free at the four cafés she manages in the Blue Mountains and surrounding area for the past few years. She says using fresh lactose-free dairy, instead of UHT varieties that were previously the only option for many venues, has completely changed the game.

“The UHT milks were hard to work with. They didn’t steam well and the flavour profile wasn’t great. Since we made the change to using Riverina Fresh’s version, the only difference to using normal whole milk is the slightly sweeter taste, which many of our customers like,” she says.

“We now get people in most days asking for lactose-free dairy and it’s gaining traction. We still have a lot of customers who ask for alternatives like almond, but

I’ve noticed there’s been a gradual shift away from plant-based and that more customers are concerned about the use of ingredients such as seed oils in those products.”

With an in-house roastery providing all the beans for Cassiopeia’s venues, Katie says as a barista her preference is to serve the own-roasted coffees with dairy.

“We roast our house blend with the mindset that it’s going to be paired with dairy. A few years back when everyone was drinking soy, we had to tweak our recipe to make sure it complemented both types of milk,” she says.

“My personal preference is to have it with dairy as I think it tastes better that way. Being able to offer lactose-free dairy enables us to better serve our community’s needs. Of course, we’ll always aim to fulfil our customers’ preferences, but there’s definitely some movement in what people are choosing to pair their coffee with.”

For more information, visit riverinafresh.com.au

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Pakchain offers a range of takeaway cups in multiple sizes and materials.

Image: Pakchain.

The perfect package

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New to the Australian coffee scene but backed by years of experience, Pakchain is setting out to change how local businesses approach sustainable packaging.

aunched in February 2024, Pakchain specialises in environmentally conscious solutions tailored for cafés, hospitality venues, and small businesses that don’t want to compromise on functionality or style.

At its core, it provides compostable and recyclable packaging solutions for the modern hospitality sector. Among its most popular products is its Single Wall and Double Wall coffee cups, which are designed to suit a wide range of customers from eco-minded café owners to budgetconscious operators.

While Pakchain is a new name in the Australian scene, its Founders Paul and Christine Rayner bring expansive knowledge from their time operating Vegware Australia. Leveraging that expertise, they launched Pakchain to create what they describe as a more adaptable offering for the local market.

“With our experience from Vegware, we were able to introduce more products better suited for Australian businesses,” says Paul.

Their decision to launch Pakchain stemmed from a growing environmental awareness among consumers and business owners alike.

Their approach prioritises both sustainability and practicality. One of Pakchain’s strengths is its commitment to offering products that are either recyclable or home compostable, with a large portion of its range meeting Australian standards for compostability. For cafés and businesses trying to reduce their

environmental footprint, these certifications offer reassurance.

“Our main point of difference is that our products are either compostable or recyclable,” Paul says.

The company’s Single Wall and Double Wall cups are designed for maximum insulation to deliver quality and performance for hot beverages. Paul says the Double Wall variety is praised for its heat retention, while both styles feature plastic-free, aqueous lining and are available in multiple sizes.

“Everyone is raving about the quality,” says Paul. “They’ve got fantastic insulation, a great lid fit, and the feedback’s been exceptional.”

Despite the interest in sustainability, Pakchain recognises not all businesses are ready or able to shift completely to ecofriendly materials. As such, the company also stocks traditional PE (polyethylene) lined cups to cater to the economic realities of smaller operations.

“In states where PE lined cups are not banned, the industry still wants plastic cups as they are cheaper for small cafés or businesses,” says Paul. “We’re here to help as we understand how tough running a business can be.”

The balance between affordability and environmental responsibility is a cornerstone of Pakchain’s business model.

Its product range spans various price points to support businesses of all sizes and philosophies, whether they prioritise budget, sustainability, or both.

What’s more, its offerings go beyond just packaging. The company has carved out a

niche by specialising in custom print and branding, designed for roasters and cafés looking to make their packaging stand out.

“Coffee roasters love it,” says Paul. “We print their custom cups, warehouse them, and they can draw on that stock weekly as needed. It’s efficient and supports their branding and operations.”

This personalised service helps small businesses present a cohesive, professional image without the burden of managing large inventories. Paul says Pakchain’s fast lead times – often delivering the next day – further add to its appeal.

Education is also a priority for the company. Its website is a hub of resources, with information outlining each product’s materials, finishes, and end-of-life disposal.

“Customers know exactly what they’re buying and how to responsibly dispose of it. Our website has all the information they could need,” says Paul. “From materials to composting standards, we make everything transparent.”

As sustainability becomes a growing concern in Australia’s hospitality sector, Pakchain is helping lead the transition – one cup at a time. Through a blend of ecoconscious innovation, practical solutions, and brand customisation, the team are dedicated to proving responsible packaging doesn’t have to come at the cost of style or service.

“We’re here to help,” Paul says.

“And there’s a product for every kind of hospitality need or customer.”

For more information, visit pakchain.com.au

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

MICE2026 will feature extended hours to give more café owners and team members access to the event.

MICE momentum

Following a record-breaking event in 2025, Melbourne International Coffee Expo is gearing up for even more industry fun in 2026. BeanScene got an exclusive early peek at what organisers have planned for the next edition.

T

he organisers behind Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) and the advisory board of industry professionals that assist them aren’t the kind to rest on their laurels.

While in 2025 they may have pulled off their most successful event yet – tripling attendee numbers and hosting more roaster exhibitors than ever before – from the second the doors of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) closed on 22 March the team were masterminding how they could make the next edition even better.

“We were thrilled with the response to MICE2025. It was fantastic to see so many people from the international coffee community convening in Melbourne to do business, share knowledge, discover new innovations, and catch up with friends,” says Siobhan Rocks, General Manager Events at Prime Creative Media.

“While we hit many incredible milestones, the team were constantly

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keeping track of which elements were particularly popular and what could be improved for the next edition. MICE is an event for the coffee community by the coffee community, so we endeavour to host a show that’s valuable to everyone who takes part.”

TAKE A TRIP TO ORIGIN

One of the highlights of MICE2025 was having strong representation from many of the world’s coffee origin hotspots. From Nepal to Ecuador, Indonesia to Guatemala, delegates from producing countries introduced visitors to some of their most prized beans, shared insights into their traditional farming practices, and revealed innovations in the sustainability sector.

These unique opportunities to meet producers and key people championing production hubs has long been celebrated at MICE. On the back of the success of the origin activations at MICE2025, Siobhan says it will become an even bigger focus at next year’s event to continue to bridge the

gap in consumer education of crop to cup.

“We’re excited to announce the introduction of a new MICE feature called Trip to Origin. This designated area will celebrate the very first step in the coffee value chain: our coffee farms and farmers.

We want to invite our visitors to explore origin without having to travel thousands of kilometres outside of Australia,” she says.

Cristian Figueroa, Counsellor for the Embassy of El Salvador, was one of the delegates at MICE2025 who embraced making new connections with members of the Australian and New Zealand coffee communities. In the past few years, El Salvador has moved away from the commodity market and towards the specialty segment, a change that has been strongly supported by the local government.

“Now we are trying to organise international coffee trade missions to build a real brand identity around Café El Salvador, which is the brand we are promoting,” he says.

“MICE gave us a global stage to tell our story, meet potential partners, and learn from some of the best operators in the business. It’s a convention where innovation meets tradition, it’s something that is familiar to everyone but there are a lot of new and exciting things in the industry. For small producers like El Salvador, it’s a place where we can shine and connect with the broader coffee community.”

The new Trip to Origin segment for 2026 will be an educational hub demonstrating different processing methods, varietals, and coffee innovation at ground level. The space will also invite coffee lovers and consumers to better understand the coffee value chain through invitational speaking positions and seminars from Australian and international representatives.

“Education and consumer connection with farmers has long been a goal for many coffee roasters, and is as important as ever to celebrate,” says Siobhan.

“Having a better understanding of the production process and ongoing challenges facing our aging population of farmers is crucial to the wider Australian community understanding the industry’s justification for higher coffee cup prices. It is this shared knowledge that can really help bridge that lack of connection, empower coffee drinkers to value the beans in their daily cup, and appreciate this incredible profession.”

RETURN OF THE ROASTERS PLAYGROUND

roasters that brewed their favourite beans, hosted competitions to win merch, and chatted all things coffee with attendees.

A total of 40 roasters from across Australia appeared for a half-day stint, reflecting the wide variety of coffee companies and their respective roasting styles.

Craig Shapiro, CEO of long-standing MICE partner Riverina Fresh and member

Images: Prime Creative Media.

Another major factor behind MICE2025’s rip-roaring success was the addition of the Roasters Playground, supported by La Marzocco and Riverina Fresh. The marketplace-like space at the heart of the tradeshow featured a rolling lineup of

“IT WAS FANTASTIC TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COFFEE COMMUNITY CONVENING IN MELBOURNE TO DO BUSINESS, SHARE KNOWLEDGE, DISCOVER NEW INNOVATIONS, AND CATCH UP WITH FRIENDS.”

of the advisory committee, was delighted with the success of the new activation.

“For Riverina Fresh, the number one highlight was the re-engagement with the coffee roaster community. The Roasters Playground really helped with that,” he says.

“It was an incredibly buzzy atmosphere across the three days. Having retail and trade visitors every day of the event definitely added to the atmosphere. There were people everywhere and there was so much interest, curiosity, and excitement from everyone who attended.”

Organisers have already confirmed the Roasters Playground will return in 2026, with the ambition to showcase even more of Australia and New Zealand’s talented roasters. Spots within the Roasters Playground sold out for MICE2025, so the extension of event hours for 2026 will enable even more coffee businesses to take part as well as giving café owners and team members the ability to visit after standard opening hours.

“We want to give even more roasters the opportunity to connect with the coffee community and showcase their brands to a global audience. Thanks to sponsors such as Riverina Fresh, the Roasters Playground format introduces an affordable platform for small businesses to exhibit at a major international tradeshow without seriously denting their marketing budget for the year,” says Siobhan.

Fieldwork Coffee in Fitzroy North was one of the roasters to take part in the inaugural Playground. Founder and CEO Tim Williams says one of the highlights was the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with their customers.

“It was great to be part of the first Roasters Playground at MICE2025. We

One of the highlights of MICE2025 was having strong representation from many of the world’s coffee-origin hotspots.

beanscenemag.com.au 47

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

The popular Roasters Playground will return in 2026 with a new lineup of roasters.

had some thoughtful conversations with people genuinely curious about what we do at Fieldwork – sourcing in-season, washed process coffees, and roasting them light to let their character shine,” he says.

“It was encouraging to see such a strong interest in transparency, flavour, and intentional sourcing. We’d be glad to take part again.”

EVEN MORE TECH INNOVATIONS

With international hospitality tradeshow Host Milano taking place in Italy at the end of 2025, a wave of new tech and equipment innovations are expected to land on Australian shores in the new year – just in time for MICE2026.

The biannual hospitality, restaurant, and catering event is where many international manufacturers introduce new models, and Australia’s distributors are already making big plans to launch the new releases at MICE. As such, organisers have dedicated even more space on the show floor to showcase café machinery and technology.

As a long-standing supporter of the event, Coffee Works Express (CWE) is one of the major distributors increasing its presence at MICE2026. Natalie Kollar, Marketing and Brand Manager, says the triumph of the 2025 event has inspired the team to expand its stand next year.

“The energy at MICE2025 was incredible. All the added value, such as the talks, the extended education program, and the Roasters Playground, created a great atmosphere and attendees were really

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“MICE IS AN EVENT FOR ANYONE IN HOSPITALITY TO BROADEN THEIR COFFEE KNOWLEDGE AND FORM NEW PARTNERSHIPS.” engaged. We felt like we could properly connect with our customers,” says Natalie.

“We partner with a lot of brands and our aim at MICE is to give each one maximum exposure. For the past few years, we’ve had an open stand, which gives attendees 360-degree access to the equipment and our team. This year, Mazzer had launched a few new grinders, so there was a lot of buzz around them, as well as the Steam Single from Slayer and new machines from Wega and Astoria.”

With many of CWE’s partner brands expected to release new machinery and technology at Host Milano, Natalie hopes there will be some exciting launches making their debut on the CWE’s stand at MICE2026.

“We’re shaking up our stand format for 2026. I can’t say too much about it, but we’re really excited to reveal what we have planned for the event,” she says.

“Our distribution partnerships are extremely important to us and we’re very loyal to the brands we work with, so we’re investing in an even bigger stand to be able to showcase each brand in their full capacity in what we’re hoping will be a year of significant product launches.”

With 2025 marking the first year the event partnered with the Restaurant & Catering Association, attendees reflected a broader range of the Australian and international hospitality industry. As such, prominence of exhibitors and educational content covering the quick service restaurant (QSR) sector increased, something that’s set to be built on at MICE2026.

“We know coffee is critical to café operations, and increasingly important to restaurants and other hospitality venues looking to ensure their offering is top tier,” says Siobhan.

“MICE is an event for anyone in hospitality to broaden their coffee knowledge and form new partnerships that will help them provide the quality coffee offering that consumers search for. We’re excited to welcome more QSR-aligned brands to MICE2026 as innovation in this sector continues to grow at rapid pace.”

For information on how you can get involved in MICE2026, visit internationalcoffeeexpo.com

Roasters Directory 2025 Be part of Australian and New Zealand roasting history.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

IMA’s Matteo Barbarossa (left) during a panel discussion at MICE2025.

Image: Prime Creative Media.

What consumers want Can stimulus repetition influence coffee preferences, and does the capsule market provide a new opportunity for bespoke products? IMA Coffee Hub’s Matteo Barbarossa reveals the trends the big coffee companies are exploring.

T

o keep their fingers on the pulse and ensure their products remain relevant in a constantly shifting market, global coffee companies are continuously identifying trends and analysing customer consumption in their pursuit to do something few rarely achieve: predict the future.

In March 2025, some of the coffee industry’s most experienced thought leaders were asked to explore the future of coffee as part of Melbourne International Coffee Expo’s (MICE) comprehensive series of educational panel discussions.

Matteo Barbarossa, IMA Coffee Hub Area Manager, was one of the speakers to take part. He spoke about the evolution of coffee products, consumer trends, and taste preferences. The million-dollar question of the panel series, according to Matteo, was the direction the industry would take over the next five years.

MILLION-DOLLAR TRENDS

“One trend I’m seeing is a growing collective consciousness among customers about what they’re drinking, where it comes from, how it’s processed, and how it’s brewed,” says Matteo.

“A coffee isn’t just a coffee anymore: it’s a full pleasure experience condensed into a cup. The future of coffee is about more than just taste – it’s about meaning, wellness, and connection.”

Outlining how speciality coffee is no longer a niche, he emphasises how consumers are becoming increasingly

discerning about what they ask for in their morning cup.

“This thirst for knowledge is driving demand for single-origin and micro-lot beans, transparent sourcing, and highquality cultivars with unique flavour profiles,” he says.

“Innovative processing methods such as anaerobic fermentation, honey processes, or even experimental hybrids are elevating the flavour journey.”

Products that consider their environmental impact are another expectation customers are no longer willing to compromise on, says Matteo.

Biodegradable and reusable packaging, as well as supply-chain transparency, are reshaping how ethical sourcing is communicated to consumers.

“We’re seeing pressure for regenerative farming practices and carbon-neutral supply chains, and sustainable packaging becoming the norm,” Matteo says.

“Environmental and ethical concerns are pushing innovation in every direction.”

He emphasises how the ongoing impacts of climate change continue to shape the coffee industry. With challenges affecting coffee farmers on every continent, innovative companies are looking for alternatives to traditional agriculture.

“Alternatives such as lab-grown and molecular coffee are emerging. Barley-based “coffee” for caffeine-free consumers is also on the rise, as well as hybrid drinks blending coffee with tea, juice, or plant milks,” says Matteo.

Closely linked to the demand for environmentally conscious products is health-orientated and functional items, in line with a growing sector of consumers who view their purchases through a wellness lens.

“Coffee is becoming a delivery vehicle for perceived wellness,” he says. “Coffee is now a lifestyle. Even café concepts focus on storytelling, provenance, and ritual, with high-end brewing gear now available for serious home enthusiasts.”

And with advancements in technology flowing into the domestic coffee market, smart devices and data-driven brewing are becoming mainstream.

“People can now use personalised brew profiles that are stored in the cloud and show live quality control at roasting and brew level,” says Matteo. “These tools are efficient for every coffee enthusiast.”

THE POWER OF STIMULUS REPETITION

While these trends can be incredibly influential, the tricky part is translating them into products and sales. Something Matteo and the team at IMA are particularly interested in is stimulus repetition: the act of repeatedly exposing consumers to the same or similar sensory cues to shape preferences.

He says the Mere Exposure Effect concept, theorised by social psychologist Robert Zajonc, could help form coffee preferences. The concept suggests the more we encounter something, the more we like it.

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BUN020

Matteo highlights the rise of QR codes on coffee capsules to deliver information.

Image: Simone Matos/stock.adobe.com.

“People tend to develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar with them,” says Matteo.

“If a customer repeatedly experiences a particular taste in positive settings, they can develop a preference for that profile over time. Customers often need a narrative to attach to flavour, so repeating explanations about tasting notes or process can help them develop a palate and preference through cognitive anchoring.”

This theory can be used to justify the notion that coffee isn’t just about the taste – it’s also about the story.

“Repetition doesn’t always mean offering the exact same product. It can be curating a set of sensory experiences that reinforce a theme or category,” he says.

Matteo explains that through having a consistent tasting language across menus, the customer’s palate is shaped and refined via gentle cues. The repetition also encompasses an emotional dimension that can be enhanced by a customer’s baseline palate.

“When a customer always starts their day with your coffee, especially if it’s a specific brew, the repeated pairing of the coffee with routine builds attachment. The aroma, taste, and act of drinking become emotionally loaded,” he says.

“The key is to offer the client something that’s not so far away from their baseline, because if it is too different they will perceive it as something very different from what they believe is ‘good coffee’.”

CAPSULE POTENTIAL

On influencing the customer’s palate, Matteo also believes coffee capsules hold potential to create a more targeted experience. Capsules have long been a staple of convenience culture, known for being quick, clean, and consistent. But as the specialty world merges further into the

mainstream, Matteo says capsules are no longer just a vehicle for commodity-grade coffee but also an opportunity to provide a tailor-made product.

“Historically, capsules were associated with mass-market blends,” he says. “But that’s changing. We’re seeing more specialty producers applying the same precision to capsules as they do to whole-bean offerings.”

The shift signals a new chapter in which specialty and commodity-grade capsules share shelf space in grocery stores. A key driver of the evolution, according to Matteo, is the development of tailored roast profiles designed specifically for capsule extraction.

Unlike espresso or filter coffee, capsule brewing presents unique constraints, including low water volume, high pressure, and short brew times.

“Roasting for capsules is a different art form,” he says. “Only a handful of experienced roasters really know how to hit that sweet spot.”

Some roasters are already creating capsule-specific roasts, optimising everything from development time to final colour to ensure maximum expression of flavour for the brew method. Matteo says green-coffee selection for capsules is just as crucial, as it can also increase capsule brewing quality. With limited time and space to extract flavour, only certain green coffees truly shine.

“The limitations of capsules, such as small dosage and short brewing time, means you need green coffees that perform well under pressure. That pushes roasters towards beans that are naturally sweet, low in astringency, and well processed,” he says.

Consumers are also pushing for socially and environmentally friendly capsules.

Compostable capsules, once thought to be a compromise on quality, are now closing the gap thanks to plant-based materials with new gas-barrier technology. Matteo outlines how these new formats preserve aroma and freshness while also reducing landfill waste.

“More roasters are now using biodegradable materials for their capsules,” he says.

“Some companies are also implementing blockchain-enabled QR codes linking to platforms that share the origin and farm story of the coffee.”

These QR codes or NFC tags offer origin information as well as tried-and-tested brew profiles including information on temperature, flow rate, and pressure.

“Regarding the use of QR codes, as consumers invest in better capsule machines, roasters will push innovation by offering capsules that pair with smart home systems and customised routines,” says Matteo. “All of these changes are going to define the future of coffee.”

For more information, visit ima.it/coffee/

Celebrating 20 years.

Certified Organic and Fair Trade.

Over 60 Single Origin coffees.

BUN0200 Beanscene Press_90x210_ART.indd 1

1/7/2025 8:00 am

Images: Mazzer.

EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

The new small-format machines are an evolution of the classic Mazzer Mini born in the 1990s.

Faster, smaller, and authentically Mazzer

I

Mazzer has specialised in precise, quality-driven coffee equipment for decades, and its new duo of grinders is no exception.

n the ever-evolving world of specialty coffee – where consistency, precision, and efficiency are paramount – Mazzer has once again proven its strength with the release of two new compact grinders: the Mazzer Mini and Mazzer Mini G. Set to arrive in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2025 via its exclusive Australian distribution partner Coffee Works Express (CWE), these small-format machines are an evolution of the classic Mazzer Mini born in the 1990s, tailored for cafés, coffee carts, offices, and even the home barista.

According to Mauro Michielan, Mazzer

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Research and Development Technical Manager, the new grinders were developed to transform the barista workflow.

“The new Mini combines grinding speed, ease of use, robustness, and build quality. We are very excited to launch the Mini series in Australia,” he says.

Designed to bring professional-level performance to smaller-scale environments, the Mazzer Mini is available in two versions: the time-based Mini and the grind-byweight Mini G. While both are compact, they cater to different user needs.

Mauro says the Mazzer Mini is ideal

for baristas who are comfortable adjusting grind weight manually to suit their desired extraction. It features a touch interface, adjustable portafilter holder, and handsfree operation to streamline daily routines without sacrificing precision.

Meanwhile, according to the Mazzer team, the Mini G raises the bar further.

Baristas can dial in their espresso without recalculating the dose – saving both time and effort.

“Thanks to the embedded load cell, it keeps grinding the requested quantity even when you change grind fineness,” says Mauro.

Martin Wölfl, 2024 World Brewers Cup Champion and Mazzer Brand Ambassador, is a big fan of the Mini G, especially the 0.01-gram accuracy of the digital scale and the ability to see the actual ground on the display for hyper-precise dosing.

“It’s the perfect fusion of compact design and cutting-edge technology,” he says.

“A vibration filtering algorithm ensures consistent weight-based dosing even on unstable surfaces. It’s a dream tool for professionals in high-paced environments.”

CAFÉ CHALLENGES

Grind speed, dosing accuracy, and workspace constraints are familiar issues in cafés across Australia, especially when grinding decaf or single-origin offerings that are prepared in lower volumes.

According to Mauro, smaller grinders often struggle to maintain consistency throughout the day.

“The Mazzer Mini is built with the same care as the rest of the Mazzer range. We test them in specific conditions to ensure consistency during both the morning rush and the slower afternoon hours,” he says.

“They are great for cafés, coffee carts, at home, or in the office, especially for grinding smaller quantities of specialty coffee or decaf.”

Whether there’s a queue out the door or only a single order to prepare, having equipment that’s simple for the barista to use is key. Martin highlights how the grindby-weight technology in Mazzer’s grinders significantly simplifies the barista’s job.

“With automatic dose adjustment, the Mini G saves time and minimises coffee waste,” he says.

“And the compact, elegant design fits seamlessly into any setting, making it ideal for a wide range of uses.”

Along with sleek design, modern baristas seek tools that enhance workflow without compromising quality. This is where Mazzer believes the digital features of the Mini and Mini G shine.

“The Mazzer Mini is the perfect solution.

It combines precision, speed, and a spacesaving design that meets the unique needs of smaller coffee shops,” Martin says.

He highlights the Mini’s intuitive digital touch display, which enables easy time adjustments and a more efficient dial-in process. For the Mini G, the experience is even more streamlined as baristas simply place the portafilter or dosing cup in the holder and grinding begins automatically – making the experience a fully handsfree operation.

“It gives baristas full control over every shot, which is exactly what baristas love,” says Martin.

“The integrated professional-grade scale not only ensures dosing precision but also

“THEY ARE GREAT FOR CAFÉS, COFFEE CARTS, AT HOME OR IN THE OFFICE, ESPECIALLY FOR GRINDING SMALLER QUANTITIES OF SPECIALTY COFFEE OR DECAF.” reduces the need for external tools, clearing valuable counter space and reducing clutter.

The Mini G supports a hands-free operation that includes a magnetic stainless-steel dosing cup for added flexibility, and fits in beautifully wherever you place it.”

These small yet effective features in the Mini range are designed to appeal to

The Mini G is designed to be an accurate and efficient tool for dosing.

smaller venues, where bench-top space and optimisation are critical. Mazzer’s design approach is for the grinders to be pragmatic. Whether they are used as a primary grinder in a boutique coffee cart or a dedicated single-origin tool in a bustling café, Mauro says the Mazzer Mini series fits well into tight spaces without sacrificing functionality or aesthetic desires.

“The slim and sleek design of the grinders allows for all operativity in the front and reduces the side clearance between units,” he says.

CUSTOMISED TASTE PROFILES

Beyond the technology designed to streamline the barista’s role, Mazzer has also prioritised flavour optimisation. The Mini and Mini G grinders can be fitted with two distinct burr sets, each adapted to produce different flavour profiles. The 233M (standard fitted) 64-millimetre bearing steel flat burrs and the k202D special steel burrs are available as an option.

Martin outlines why the k202D burrs are ideal for lighter roasts.

“They highlight fruity, smooth tastes with lovely acidity and fewer fines,” he says.

“On the other hand, the 233M burrs are geared towards those who prefer a more traditional profile. They deliver a fuller body and a more classic, rounded flavour.”

Both burr types are designed and manufactured in-house by Mazzer to deliver a high level of quality control and craftsmanship, which is a hallmark of the brand’s long-standing reputation.

According to Mauro, in many cafés, grinders used for decaf or limited-batch single origins tend to lag in speed, creating a stagnated period during busy hours. Mazzer aims to address this issue head-on with the Mini series, with an ambition to ensure the increasing popularity of specialty coffees doesn’t slow down the barista and customer wait time.

“We’ve significantly boosted grinding speed thanks to a tailor-made asynchronous motor engineered for long-term reliability,” says Mauro.

Mazzer’s Mini and Mini G grinders are not just scaled-down versions of larger models: Martin says they are full-spec precision tools designed with modern baristas in mind. Whether it’s speed, space, functional design, dosing accuracy, or flavour clarity, he believes the new grinders check every box.

“I love the updates to the new Mini,” says Martin. “I look forward to being able to share the product with the public.”

For more information, visit shop-au.mazzer. com or coffeeworksexpress.com.au

beanscenemag.com.au 53

EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Schibello Coffee has turned to the Franke Mytico to help fulfil its clients’ needs.

Images: Schibello Coffee.

Magic of the Franke Mytico

B

Can automatic machines help baristas find the middle ground between flair and efficiency?

aristas perform a balancing act when making coffee. On one hand, there’s the desire to add a human touch of creativity that comes from a moment of barista magic. And on the other is the need to craft consistently good coffee at high speed to meet the demands of a fast-paced modern world.

It’s a compromise that has been considered by cafés since automatic machines entered the mainstream, but does the continuing advancement of the technology mean a middle ground is being reached between these two ends of the spectrum?

Sydney’s Schibello Coffee has been roasting for 25 years. The family-run business rode the wave of Australia’s specialty coffee boom and has seen firsthand the difference quality machines can make to a café, hotel, or any hospitality venue.

“We’ve been roasting since 1999 when my father, Ross, and his Co-Founder, Tony, started it all,” says Schibello Coffee Group General Manager Sal Schinella. “We’re

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still proudly family-run, with the next generation now helping to evolve who we are and what we can be. It’s pretty special to be a part of that.

“We’re here to support cafés, share great coffee, and build enduring connections with our customers. A lot has changed over the years – trends, tastes, and tech – but our bonds with our partners are core to what we do. That’s never shifted, it’s what drives us every day.”

Schibello has enjoyed a long collaboration with automatic machine manufacturer Franke Coffee Systems and it’s a relationship Sal says continues to grow as customer expectations change.

After supplying two of Franke’s flagship models to a range of clients, he admits he wasn’t originally sold on incorporating the Franke Mytico into Schibello’s café operations – but those doubts have now been unequivocally put to bed.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Franke, using the A600 and A400 in our hotel and corporate accounts for years.

They’re reliable and consistently deliver at

scale – after testing many machines, we always come back to Franke,” says Sal. “When the Mytico first launched, we weren’t sure it was the right fit for our core café market, since the human touch is such a big part of what makes this industry special.

But after trialling it and getting to know it better, we really saw its potential.”

Sal says the Mytico treads that middle ground between precision and flair, and helps cafés dish out quality coffee while supporting the barista’s individuality.

“Balancing quality and efficiency is tougher than ever, especially for venues struggling to retain experienced baristas or manage high volumes with limited resources. The Mytico helps streamline operations, reduce training time, and maintain high coffee standards,” he says.

“The Mytico doesn’t replace the barista’s craft, it supports it. It delivers consistency that meets today’s coffee industry needs and ensures baristas get to spend more time connecting with customers.”

Schibello has recently embarked on a refresh of its brand identity and released

new eye-catching bags alongside its latest blend, Trinity.

The roaster’s new packaging designs are inspired by the traditional Italian card game Briscola, which Sal played with his father and grandparents over coffee. It’s a game that inspired their love of the beverage and its culture.

Sal describes Trinity as Schibello’s take on a lighter roast and says getting the best flavour out of the blend showcases the quality of the Mytico.

“For lighter coffees like Trinity, achieving the perfect flavour and extraction requires a precise recipe and consistent execution. Doing this reliably in a busy café demands a lot of training and focus, which can be challenging with manual machines,” he says.

“This is where the Franke Mytico excels.

It controls every step – grind setting, dosing, tamp pressure, and flow rate – to exact specifications every time. Its ability to adjust flow rate is especially impressive and versatile for bringing out the best in each coffee. This precision lets cafés deliver the balanced flavours lighter roasts need without relying on barista guesswork.”

This type of strong performance expected from the Mytico, according to Sal, is not just limited to the one machine in the manufacturer’s range.

“Franke coffee machines stand out

because they offer the precision and control we expect from traditional machines, but with the consistency and efficiency of automation. They’re highly customisable, allowing us to set and refine our brew recipes to extract exactly what we want from each coffee.

“We also love that the Mytico, in particular, is modular – it can scale with a venue as demand grows, offering flexibility.

Also, it just looks slick. Coffee machines are the heart of a café, so aesthetics matter too.”

Despite the strong performance of Franke machines with Schibello’s coffee beans, Sal says the personal touch the brand provides its partners sets it apart.

“One of the biggest standouts with Franke is the support: it goes far beyond just the machines. Their training, 24/7 phone support, and the strength of our longstanding relationship really set them apart.

The team genuinely cares and it means a lot,” he says.

“When we launched our recent rebrand, Franke Australia were one of the first to pick up the phone and congratulate us. That kind of personal connection and attention shows they’re not just a supplier – they’re a true partner. Add that to the reliability and low maintenance of their machines, and it’s clear why we continue to work with them.”

As more cafés continue to contend with rising labour costs and difficulties

in retaining staff, could there be an even greater lean towards automatic machines and the qualities they bring to the table?

With the future of coffee remaining unclear due to a range of global factors – including green bean prices and lower harvest yields – and domestic factors such as rising rent and labour costs, Sal believes the continuing move towards automatic machines will keep the quality of coffee consistent.

“The future of coffee is definitely leaning into smarter, more precise automation – especially as processing methods and roast profiles become more complex. Automatic machines are evolving to meet these demands, not just for espresso but across a range of brew methods,” says Sal. “We’re already seeing exciting innovations in automated cold brew and pourover, opening up new possibilities for consistency and creativity.

“Our brand refresh reflects who we are today and where the coffee industry is heading, while staying true to the values and culture that started it all. We’re all in at Schibello: constantly researching, exploring, and investing in the areas that will help us deliver the best possible coffee, now and into the future.”

For more information, visit coffee.franke.com The team at Schibello say Franke’s automatic machines help bring the best out of their beans.

beanscenemag.com.au 55

EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Crafting consistency

B

How choosing the right gravimetric grinder can help baristas in their goal of crafting a consistent, quality cup.

after cup.

But what goes into crafting this ideal setup? The beans, of course, are integral.

The coffee machine, too, as is the training and capability of the barista using it.

The same goes for the water, milk and alternatives, and tamping pressure.

Yet the grinder itself, the coffee’s first point of contact in the cup creation station, is crucial. After all, a variation of just a couple of grams will result in a significantly different shot.

This desire to create a consistent dose size to within tenths of a gram has seen grinder technology progress towards gravimetric – also known as grind-byweight – technology.

The Markibar Izaga W is becoming a major player in the shift to grind-byweight, according to Honeybird Coffee Owner Ryan Lynch and Zimmah Coffee Co-Founder James Murdoch, who both supply the machines to customers around Australia through their partnerships with Barista Group.

“We supply about 100 cafés across the country with our Honeybird beans, and I’d say we have our own equipment free on loan (FOL) in more than half of those. Within that, we have more than 20 Markibar Izaga Ws around the country at the moment,” says Ryan.

“I’ve been drawn to grind-by-weight technology since it was first developed.

I’ve tried every brand that’s come out with it and attempted to implement them into our fleet, but with no real success until the Markibar.”

The consistency provided by the Izaga W was a key reason in Honeybird’s switch.

“It’s a pretty big decision to go a certain way with equipment, but I need to know my customers can use it to make a really good coffee from the get-go and be able to deal with volume and demand,” Ryan says.

“There’s a lot less variability they have to worry about with the Izaga W to be putting out really good coffee more often.”

One typical criticism of gravimetric grinders is their increased sensitivity to the café environment. With carefully calibrated scales and sensors typically on the outside of the machine, one knock or stray movement can disrupt the machine’s

56 beanscenemag.com.au

Images: Barista Group.

aristas around the world continue to embark on the quest to find the exact method that will yield consistent quality coffee, cup

“I would be very happy to put my grandmother on this grinder,” says Ryan Lynch of Honeybird Coffee.

calibration, and the grind weight can be thrown out of whack.

The Izaga W, however, has internal scales that are designed to consistently control dosing without the need for barista adjustment. James says these internal scales make the model a more durable and caféfriendly machine.

“The grinder’s scales being inside the grinder is a big thing, because when baristas are rushing to supply lots of different customers, they can be rough with the equipment. They could bang the portafilter on the spot it usually sits, which also happens to be the scales,” he says.

“That makes it much more likely the machine is going to go out of calibration.

Secondly, because scales on these types of grinders usually protrude out, if someone moves it for cleaning they’ll often accidentally pick the grinder up from the scales, which will ruin the calibration.

“The internal scales mean people working with or around the Izaga W are far less likely to accidentally put it out of calibration or damage it.”

A key point of difference in the Markibar Izaga W’s café-readiness is its ability to switch between Instant Dose and On Demand functions at the touch of a button, with the work mode and status of the dosing chamber shown on its display in real time.

When Instant Dose is activated, the machine will automatically prepare the dose for the next cup and hold it in the chamber until the portafilter is re-inserted. Then, the dose will immediately drop, saving baristas precious time in peak periods.

“This grinder is great if you’re looking for the potential to work at speed. If you’re busy, you usually can’t get much faster than just putting the portafilter in and having the coffee drop in straight away. That’s what Instant Dose is,” says James.

“If you think about how much time it takes for a grinder to grind on demand, between five and 10 seconds a cup, it’s a lot of time saved with this function.

“It’s really easy to press a button and switch between modes. If you go from a busy period to a quiet period, you just press a button and then it goes back to dosing On Demand, which means the coffee won’t get stale sitting there. Then, if it gets busy again you put it back into Instant Dose where it’s pre-dosing, and it’s very, very fast.”

James says the Instant Dose function is just one of a multitude of features that make it a quality option for fast-paced, hardworking café environments.

“It’s very fast and very good in that the coffee is already collapsed, but it’s also not very loud. It’s easy to clean – you just lift part of the machine up and poke a bottlebrush cleaner down, where other grinders can be more difficult to clean,” he says.

Gravimetric grinders like the Izaga W are designed to help baristas create a more consistent cup.

“We’ve got 15 to 20 of them out there at the moment and we’ve been supplying them for about 12 months. We haven’t had a single problem with any of them yet. The issues we found in grinders we were previously supplying haven’t come up in the Izaga W.” Ryan says the efficiency and consistency gained through not only the Instant Dose function but also its ease of use enables cafés and staff to place a stronger focus on improving the customer experience due to the trust that can be placed in the grinder to produce a quality cup every time.

“Having this grinder allows you to hire for personality, not skills straight away. I would be happy to put my grandmother on this grinder, and she would be able to put out a very good coffee very easily,” he says. “It takes out the need to have someone watching the grinder and grind size like a hawk.

“Sometimes it can be hard in hospitality to get staff with the skills you want and it’s impossible to oversee everything yourself all the time.

“In most cafés there is a lot more at play than just coffee. The Izaga W helps my customers make their product incredible.

Because it’s easy to use, you can just hire good people and know you’re going to get good coffee.”

Barista Group aims to supply some of the

world’s most innovative coffee systems and resources, such as the Markibar Izaga W, to the Australian coffee industry. Its main focus is providing tools that are engineered with precision to improve the workflow of

cafés and venues around the country to save them time and money.

For more information, visit baristagroup.com.au

Images: Trimatt.

EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

McIver’s Tea and Coffee has brought its tea packaging printing in-house with Trimatt.

Taking back control

Packaging is often a customer’s opening interaction with a brand, and McIver’s Tea and Coffee is partnering with Trimatt to take back control of that crucial first impression.

P

ackaging is the customer engagement king. It’s the first impression a potential consumer has of a brand, and the quality of what’s in the bag bears no weight if the bag itself doesn’t draw attention.

In a bustling space like Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market, where busy food and beverage traders vie for the business of locals and tourists alike, the ability to craft an intriguing brand proposition and capture a potential customer’s interest is integral to success.

McIver’s Tea and Coffee has been trading at the Market since 1972 and has grown to operate an additional site in Brunswick.

Initially, McIver’s sold health foods, supplements, and tea and coffee. In the early 2000s, it pivoted to focus solely on tea and coffee.

“We switched from a multi-pronged approach to just tea and coffee. Nobody was really into tea at that point, so we pretty heavily pushed into that. Caffeine customers

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are a cheerful bunch,” says McIver’s Owner Catherine Underhill.

“We don’t roast our coffee ourselves; we have a primary roaster and then two other roasters we work with. Our current primary roaster told me his father could smell coffee in a hessian sack and know what it would taste like when it’s roasted. I realised I would never be able to do that, but we’re great at the retail side.

“We source most of our tea though, and blend all but three of them ourselves. We’re really putting a lot of effort into finding indigenous, reliable sources and making blends from that.”

Recently, McIver’s elected to bring its packaging potential back into its own hands.

After previously relying on bulk-orders and a manual labelling system for its tea packaging, the business purchased a Trimatt ColourStar AQ LT to bring those elements in-house – and to great success.

Now, the need to hold large, cumbersome volumes of pre-printed stock

has been eliminated and the business has greater control and agility in its packaging production process.

“Having the Trimatt in-house removes the need to have up to 50,000 versions of each colourway lying around. Space is always at a premium, no matter how much you have you’re always going to fill it up.

We could do a bulk order for 50,000 units of one bag and work our way through it in a few months, but where would we put the other 200,000 for our other products?” says Catherine.

“Now, we can just get blank bags, redesign them when we want to, and print runs of 100 bags at a time.

“We sell tea by the kilogram and offer bulk options too, which limits our packaging needs. Therefore, to be able to print our bags in smaller runs as we need them is both a space and cost saver.”

The ColourStar AQ LT is the entrylevel model of Trimatt’s ColourStar package printing range. It is targeted at

businesses with a limited product portfolio that still desire the agility and flexibility that comes with being able to print their own packaging.

The digital printing solution has adjustable product handling and a fivemillimetre print head height adjust, as well as a ‘full bleed’ feature for those that require edge-to-edge packaging printing and want to eliminate white borders.

It uses organic pigment, waterproof, light-fast, and scratch-resistant inks that can print on paper, cardboard, and even cotton, and measures a compact 1580-millimetres wide by 800-millimetres deep. It also offers on-demand CMYK digital printing for short runs.

Catherine says the ability to print in-house with the ColourStar AQ LT has given McIver’s the ability to create a unique look and feel for each of its tea products while saving time in-store. In fact, she says the whole process has been a “liberating” experience.

“We have 70 different teas, so we can now easily create unique packaging for all of those in a fraction of the time it would take otherwise,” she says.

“We’re currently in a switch-over process, so it’s amazing to be able to try something or even make really simple changes to the packaging such as altering the volume or origin. You don’t only end up with bags all in one colour, but you also don’t end up with three pages of labels that might have the wrong information on them.

“We print what we’re going to pack, so we don’t have overruns. It’s quite liberating to be able to go at it gently rather than needing to dive in and change everything all at once and have one decision impact thousands of bags.”

Since McIver’s has implemented the ColourStar AQ LT into its operations, not only has labelling, storing, and packing product become a faster and less labourintensive process, but the creation of excess waste that would otherwise be bound for landfill has been limited.

Catherine says the added dimension of sustainability has long been important to McIver’s.

“We used to get six different versions of bags printed and then have to label them afterwards, and that was really messy and incredibly time consuming. We didn’t have a bag labeller, so we were doing that by hand. Given the size of the business, it was possible but not ideal,” she says.

“Using the Trimatt means we’re not using labels as well as bags. We’re very dedicated to the fact when we sell our tea, it comes in just the one bag. It’s not boxes inside other boxes, all of which is then wrapped in cellophane.

“We’ve worked on being as

“HAVING THE TRIMATT INHOUSE REMOVES THE NEED TO HAVE UP TO 50,000 VERSIONS OF EACH COLOURWAY LYING AROUND.” environmentally friendly as possible for a long time. We’ve been offering 50 cents off for customers who reuse their container since about 2003, and we do our best to offer a high-quality product at a reasonable price.”

Catherine says Trimatt’s customer service potential was also a key driver in McIvers’ selection of the ColourStar AQ LT and that support in operation of the machine is only a phone call away should she need it.

“In the end, we were tossing up between Trimatt and another company, but we elected to go with Trimatt because the interface was easier to operate. It came with the computer, the soft ware, and everything you need to get started, plus the soft ware gets updated as needed,” she says.

“It’s a very rounded operation. There

were other companies overseas and in Australia who we were initially considering, but that ability to pick up the phone if something goes wrong is so important.

“We’ve only had one issue we needed to get in touch with Trimatt about. Not only was it very minor but it was also solved incredibly quickly and effectively by the team.”

With the continuing rise of online shopping, the stresses that can come with maintaining physical storefronts, and the ongoing pressures on the coffee industry, streamlining operations where possible in any business could be the difference between success and stagnation.

Adding that agility and efficiency has, according to Catherine, been helped by the addition of the ColourStar AQ LT. “In what we do, there’s always change.

The coffee business right now is definitely in a state of flux,” she says “Even though we like being eminently brandable and scalable, I like the fact we’re at a level where we can send our product all around Australia and do good business but also retain the positive aspects of still being small.

“In the long run, bringing packaging inhouse with the ColourStar AQ LT has saved us time and labour, made us more agile, and helped add another layer of professionalism to our product as opposed to it looking more like a workshop operation.”

Trimatt will showcase a larger version of the ColourStar AQ LT – the ColourStar AQ V – at Fine Food Sydney in September 2025 for tea and coffee roasters interested in a live demonstration.

For more information, visit trimatt.com

In 2023, Trimatt won the MICE Product Innovation Award for Coffee Accessories with its ColourStar machines.

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EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Slayer prides its products on being “for us, by us”.

Images: Cimabli.

Small but mighty

F

New to the Australian market, the compact Slayer Steam Single is designed to make everyone – from seasoned baristas to coffee enthusiasts – feel at home.

inding a dynamic espresso machine that ticks all the boxes for an efficient performance can be a challenge for coffee lovers. Many high-level home baristas, smaller cafés, popup venues, restaurants, and bars seek an affordable and easy-to-use machine which also offers the intuitive user experience that comes with a professional model.

Under its Slayer brand, Italian manufacturing company Cimbali has recently released a new espresso machine that might just fulfil those exact criteria.

The compact Steam Single is the latest instalment in Cimbali’s legacy of machines and the first single-group model from Slayer’s Steam product line.

Setting out in 2007 with a mission to craft the modern machine, Slayer’s founders consist of baristas, roasters, café owners, and technicians. The brand’s original ethos “for us, by us” still rings true today and has evolved to “make coffee better” for its customers around the world.

The uncompromising nature of Cimbali and Slayer products is something Slayer Brand and Product Manager Tommy Gallagher highlights as a key feature of the brand.

“The focus at Slayer has always been

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uncompromising when it comes to our professional machines,” he says. “And when I say uncompromising, I mean the products don’t make the kind of concessions to convenience that home machines typically do. We always value quality.”

Built on the idea of ultimate convenience and unwavering quality, the new Slayer Steam Single is an attractive proposition to the coffee-educated home market.

However, its modern applications mean it also appeals to a wide range of professional coffee environments.

“We are fortunate enough to have cultivated an audience among home enthusiasts as well as in the hospitality scene,” says Tommy.

Coinciding with the growing desire to make barista-level coffee at home, the machine is best suited to a small-yetconsistent flow of coffee volume. Despite this, Tommy says it can also hold its own in the busier environments of restaurants and bars with a “thoughtful coffee program”.

“It is well designed for anywhere you might find a single-group machine. It’s great for anyone who likes to prepare coffee and enjoys that process,” he says.

“In the home, and at mobile applications such as coffee carts, pop-ups and events, is

where the Steam Single really shines.”

To create a timeless product, the team at Slayer looked to combine many of the popular features of its most successful commercial machines. Ease of use was a key priority, which is characterised by a few key components of the Steam Single.

“Most notably, the machine features a freshwater reservoir and drain tray that doesn’t require installation for plumbing.

This means it’s simple to set up and move between venues that might not have a conventional bar,” he says. “What’s more, the easy-to-use pre-infusion and volumetric programming only adds to its efficiency.”

Whether in use regularly throughout the day or just a few times each morning, the machine is designed to make managing both peak periods and quieter times easy. Through its smart interface, it can save the user’s ideal shot for a reliably consistent espresso.

“The Steam Single allows you to manually brew at two distinct flow rates in a very consistent and intuitive way. Once you’ve pulled a shot you love, the interface lets you quickly and easily ‘save’ that shot and ‘replay’ it endlessly,” says Tommy.

“For busy periods, thoughtful features such as the automatic group purge and

automated cleaning cycles make it faster and easier to keep drinks moving.”

For many users, one of the highest priorities is producing consistent espresso, which requires both temperature and pressure stability.

“The Steam Single uses a 900-watt heating element in the dedicated group boiler to keep the temperature stable,” says Tommy.

“A commercial-style rotary pump keeps smooth and consistent brew pressure, while a dedicated pre-infusion circuit ensures the ability to brew at two distinct flow rates in a consistent and repeatable way.”

Developing trust in a coffee machine and learning how it operates is crucial for any hospitality business owner. For high-end coffee venues, the Slayer brand remains focused on stability and the machine’s water delivery.

“Be it through manipulation of pressure or flow rates, at Slayer we’ve always focused on water delivery in our machines as a crucial part of the design,” says Tommy.

“Being able to manipulate water delivery in a consistent and repeatable way lets you change how coffees present themselves beyond the limitations of altering grind or dose.”

For high-end venues, Tommy says manipulating water delivery lets users lean on their expertise and exploit what makes the coffee unique in a way a

flat nine-bar machine can’t.

No matter the type of coffee being used, the Steam Single is designed to operate smoothly with single origin, light roasts, and seasonal blends. To get the most of the machine and the beans, Slayer also gives customers and the public access to educational videos on its products and equipment.

“Brewing coffee manually is very easy on our machines,” says Tommy. “The group actuator lets the user toggle between flow rates in real time as they brew. We have a great series of videos on our YouTube channel walking users through the many ways to exploit brewing with different flow rates.”

The barista dashboard is the central tool for users in ensuring the internal systems are operating as planned, and includes builtin alerts for maintenance and cleaning.

“The dashboard has a service indicator reminding users when preventative maintenance is due,” he says. “It also displays service alarms to help troubleshoot technical issues, which is super helpful for busy individuals and businesses.”

As with all Slayer products, in the creation of the Steam Single the team focused on creating a compelling design that emphasises every stage of the coffeemaking process. Ensuring the machine is seamless and fun to use is all part of

exploring the opportunities of coffee.

“When tools are fun to use, it’s easier to learn more about your craft,” Tommy says.

“We want our tools to cultivate more coffee enthusiasts, and the Steam Single is Slayer’s most accessible attempt at that while staying true to our promise of professional, commercial performance.”

With promising and encouraging feedback from the industry so far, Tommy highlights how this motivates the Slayer team to keep producing customerfocused equipment.

“Baristas familiar with our commercial machines have told us they feel immediately at home when using our Steam Single, which is always great to hear,” he says.

For regular commercial use, the typical lifespan of the machine echoes that of other Slayer and Cimbali products.

“Slayer is rooted in professional commercial equipment,” says Tommy.

“The Steam Single is designed to be heavily used, and the design ensures the machines are well laid out to be serviced with ease.

“Our approach at Slayer is always sustainability. We design and build machines that can be repaired and restored, so there’s no need to replace. And that includes our new Steam Single Slayer.”

For more information, visit slayerespresso.com

The Slayer Steam Single offers barista-style coffee for at-home enthusiasts.

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SKILLS AND EDUCATION

Special-tea café culture

While specialty coffee is firmly rooted in the Australasian psyche, interest in specialty tea is still somewhat niche. T2 explores the parallels between the two industries and how a thoughtfully curated tea offering can elevate a café’s credibility.

I

n just three decades, the way many people in Australia and New Zealand prepare coffee has changed dramatically. The third-wave movement revolutionised coffee drinkers’ approach to and value of their morning brew, not just highlighting the bean’s journey from plant to cup but also the skill and creativity of the many hands it passes through.

While coffee consumers have become much more discerning, the same care and attention is yet to be broadly embraced for its beverage bedfellow – despite their similarities in processing, terroir, and sustainability. Tea is still widely consumed at commodity grade with little thought put into the brewing process beyond how long the bag should be in the water.

However, the team at Melbourne-born tea specialist T2 are on a mission to show consumers the huge spectrum of flavours the plant can deliver. More specifically, they believe hospitality venues are missing out on the opportunity to tap into the growing specialty tea movement.

T2’s Sally Morris says there are many parallels between the specialty coffee and tea industries. Images: T2.

WHAT IS SPECIALTY TEA?

Unlike specialty coffee beans that earn the title through achieving scoring criteria implemented by the Specialty Coffee Association, there is no official governing body in the tea industry that implements specific criteria products must reach to be called ‘specialty tea’.

Organisations such as the European Speciality Tea Association (ESTA) are actively working to establish clear definitions and standards, and have proposed factors such as known supplier, farm, location, production dates, and processing methods to distinguish specialty teas from commodity teas. However, these efforts are still in development and no global consensus has been reached.

“Tea is a bit more nuanced – it’s all about interpretation,” says Sally Morris, Senior Buyer and Product Developer at T2.

“When we think about specialty teas at T2, we are referring to single-origin teas that are rare and special. These can be traditional Chinese teas, region-specific teas, or newer varieties coming out of places such as Nepal, New Zealand, or Hawaii.”

Despite the term ‘specialty’ being less regimented in the tea industry, Sally says there are many parallels with the coffee

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sector. She explains that in the same way all Arabica coffees are part of the Coffea Arabica species, all true teas (not tisanes such as peppermint or chamomile) are part of the Camellia Sinensis species, with variation coming from different cultivars and processing methods.

“For the production of specialty tea, the leaves are picked by hand and processed as a whole leaf, which delivers the best flavours.

It’s very different from the commodity market, where teas are sieved using large machinery to produce a fine particle – similar to ground coffee – for use in conventional tea bags,” says Sally.

“All the teas we know and love from

across the world – from white and green to oolong and pu’erh – come from the same plant. It’s the way the plant is processed that determines the flavour and drinking experience.”

The flavour differences in teas largely come down to whether the process of oxidation is encouraged or prevented.

“On one end of the scale is white tea – the least processed – which is picked, allowed to wither, and then dried.

Something like shou pu’erh, on the other hand, is oxidised and fermented, which will yield a very different flavour profile,” explains Sally.

Like specialty coffee, terroir is also a

All true teas are part of the Camellia Sinensis species.

major contributor to the final product.

China is the world’s largest producer of tea – growing up to 2.2 million tons per year – with India and Kenya in second and third.

However, Sally says T2 is also exploring up-and-coming growing regions such as Hawaii and New Zealand. While neither are mass-market producers, she says they are highly regarded and helping redefine what tea origin can mean, especially for consumers who care about provenance, sustainability, and quality over quantity.

“Year on year, global tea yield is falling, so at T2 our sourcing principles focus on supporting an industry that champions the tea farmer and sustainable farming practices,” she says.

“Sixty per cent of the world’s tea comes from smallholder farmers and some of those are supporting incredible sustainability initiatives in biodiversity and regenerative farming. Through our sourcing principles we strive to support the growth of a truly sustainable industry.”

HOW TO BREW SPECIALTY TEA

When brewing specialty tea, there are some simple rules to be followed. Like coffee, pouring boiling water directly onto the leaves can scorch them and negatively impact flavour.

“While some tea types can handle boiling water, for others it will scorch the leaves and bring out the bitter tasting flavonoids you don’t want,” says Sally.

“As a general rule of thumb, black tea can be brewed at about 100 degrees Celsius, white and oolong teas about 90 degrees Celsius, and green tea about 80 degrees Celsius. However, it’s all

about experimenting to see which temperature gets the best out of the tea you’re preparing.”

In terms of equipment, Sally says you don’t need expensive kit to brew great quality tea.

“If you have a temperature-adjustable kettle and something to brew your tea in like a teapot with infuser or gaiwan, you’re good to go. Compared to coffee, it’s a much lower investment equipment-wise,” she says.

“Keeping the tea in an air-tight container is essential for freshness but also because tea is a great absorbent material and will soak up any aromas it’s stored near. In fact, tea has a much longer shelf life than roasted coffee as long as it’s stored correctly and out of direct sunlight.”

Sixty per cent of the world’s tea is grown by smallholder farmers.

AN OPPORTUNITY YET TO BE EXPLORED

With so many similarities to the specialty coffee sector and a world of flavours waiting to be discovered, specialty tea holds many opportunities for the hospitality industry, according to Sally.

“Discerning coffee drinkers who appreciate the nuances of terroir will be amazed by the magic of specialty tea,” she says.

“A lot of people stop drinking coffee after midday so there’s huge opportunity for cafés to offer a range of specialty teas that are unique and diverse, and often lower in caffeine. For baristas who are passionate about the coffee they brew, there’s an opportunity to unlock an even wider spectrum of flavours.”

Preparing specialty tea draws on many of the existing skills baristas rely on every day, especially those who are experienced in producing pourover coffee.

“Using the expertise of the incredible baristas who are out there, I think we can get even more out of the tea world than anyone has before,” says Sally.

Sally says all T2’s products come with comprehensive brewing instructions and that the team are always available to discuss preparation techniques.

“At the moment, many cafés are yet to incorporate specialty teas into their menus, but when you look into the origins and the diversity of what you can achieve from one leaf, it’s mind blowing,” says Sally.

“There are tens of thousands of different teas out there that we should all be exploring.”

For more information, visit t2tea.com/en/au/ wholesale-contact-us.html

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SKILLS AND EDUCATION

Many café operators are having to find ways to shrink their outgoings and increase revenue. Image: rawpixel.com/stock.adobe.com.

Operation: cutting costs

It’s becoming increasingly expensive to operate a café in Australia or New Zealand.

Brett Bolwell, Founder of Barista Equip, shares five tips for café owners to keep costs down and potentially increase revenue.

O

ver the past five years, Australia and New Zealand’s café scenes have endured an unrelenting series of obstacles that have seen prices rise across the board – from greenbean prices to staff wages to rent. As a result, many operators are having to find ways to shrink their outgoings and increase revenue in order to stay afloat as consumers reduce the number of coffees they consume outside of home.

“The rising cost of operating a café is one of the industry’s most pressing issues right now,” says Brett Bolwell, Founder of equipment and solutions provider Barista Equip.

“The price of green beans has received a lot of attention recently, which is an issue that will likely continue, but labour costs have also increased dramatically – as have rent, power, and many other factors that go into running a café.”

However, as a solutions-focused individual, Brett believes there are ways café owners can reduce some of their outgoings, as well as create avenues of opportunity to bring in additional revenue.

1. EMBRACE THE POWER OF AUTOMATION

Since the rise of the Puqpress in the early 2010s, the adoption of automated equipment

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to streamline the coffee brewing process has become increasingly common in coffee shops across the region.

While Brett admits investing in new automatic equipment may have a significant initial outgoing, he believes the potential savings in labour costs, efficiency, and consistency often outweigh the expense.

“One of the biggest challenges for large coffee chains and busy city-centre stores is the speed the barista team can deliver drinks.

If there’s a queue out the door, customers will often go onto the next café where they won’t have to wait so long,” he says.

“Introducing an automatic milk steamer such as the Perfect Moose can significantly improve efficiency and reduce wait times.

Cafés that implement automatic technology such as this can expect to reduce the labour attached to milk steaming by between 25 and 40 per cent.”

For the preparation of chilled coffee drinks such as iced lattes and cold brew, dispensing solutions such as the FloSmart can offer similar efficiency.

“We’ve been working with one of Australia’s largest coffee shop groups to reduce the time it takes to produce chilled beverages,” says Brett.

“We can officially now say we have the fastest cold coffee dispensing unit in the world, reducing the current average time of

around one minute 10 seconds per serve to just under six seconds to prepare two. That’s more than 500 per cent quicker.”

With staff wages often the second biggest expense for café owners after rent, Brett says technology like the FloSmart can reduce labour costs by up to 40 per cent.

2. INVEST IN EQUIPMENT THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME

Most people know the saying ‘buy cheap, buy twice’, but when operating a business sometimes the budget won’t stretch to the top-of-the-range model of the many items needed to operate day to day.

However, Brett suggests many of the latest innovations in equipment and technology are prioritising longevity without the heft y price tag.

“Grinder burrs are a good example.

Many manufacturers are now releasing burrs coated with materials such as Alinox that can provide more than seven times the lifespan of standard steel burrs, without costing seven times the price,” he says.

“That not only saves the cost of replacing the burrs but also the time and expense of having a service technician change them.”

Water filtration is another area in which Brett says café owners could save time and money.

“Filtration companies are in the business of selling more filters, so they’ll often set up a cyclic change every six months – there are some cafés out there now changing their filters three or four times a year,” he says.

“Most water filters will last a year, but what’s important is how much use they are getting and whether they need to be changed. There’s no point in changing them just because you’re on a cycle and it’s due, so find out how much they’re being used and replace as required.”

3. A LITTLE BIT OF WORK GOES A LONG WAY

Maintaining equipment, keeping it clean, and reporting any minor issues can save servicing costs down the line. According to Brett, keeping up these small but frequent actions can reduce the number of visits technicians make for repairs.

“Speaking to some of the biggest roasters in the region, many of them are prioritising reducing maintenance costs as this is something they have control of compared to green-bean prices,” says Brett.

“A busy store might receive three or four service visits a year for minor issues and one or two for major servicing. If this can be reduced by one or two per year, the operator will see a significant cost reduction – especially if they have multiple venues.”

Even if servicing is covered under your coffee partnership, avoiding major issues will reduce machine downtime and ensure the venue can keep serving customers – and keep the till ticking over.

4. DON’T MISS OUT ON THE SIGNATURE DRINKS HYPE

Having a strong menu of core drinks that serves the demands of its customers is central to a successful café business.

But as trends come and go, Brett says it’s

worth keeping an eye of what’s in vogue to maximise sales and attract new customers.

“For many venues, it’s worth developing a wider chilled drinks menu. Cold coffee is no longer just a trend and is a great way to reach new markets such as Gen Z. While most people still have their morning coffee ritual, many are seeking an alternative in the afternoon such as iced matcha.”

Recently partnering with Da Vinci Gourmet syrups to act as its exclusive Australian Distributor, Barista Equip has been keeping abreast of market research in the area. According to Brett, broadening the menu and adding signature drinks specials presents an intriguing opportunity to increase revenue.

“Margins on signature drinks are much higher,” he says. “High-end drinks such as pistachio-foam lattes might have a cost of goods of about $2.50 but can sell for $8 or $9. Compared to a standard latte, it’s a significantly better profit margin.”

5. CONSIDER GOING MOBILE

Rent is another area in which Brett sees opportunity for cost savings. While most operators are locked into leases, those looking to open a second or third venue could explore the option of coffee carts and mobile venues.

“At the moment we’re getting a lot of interest in our luxury coffee carts, and I think this will only grow in the next year or so,” he says.

“From a business perspective, it’s low rent and a greatly reduced initial setup expense. Placing a cart in a retail setting, the operator can run a profitable business with a very small footprint. The barrier to entry is very low.”

For more information, visit baristaequip.com.au

The FloSmart milk system in situ at Sweet Brew in Tasmania. Image: Sweet Brew.

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

The cup of community

M

Ancap cups have been part of coffee competitions around Australia for more than a decade. Casa Espresso Director Antony de Fina reveals how the Italian-made cups affect the drinking experience.

elbourne’s Casa Espresso – Australia’s only official importer of Italian-made Ancap cups – has been a big supporter of the coffee community since 2012 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Whether it be through sponsoring events like the Australian Specialty Coffee Association’s (ASCA) Australian Barista Championship or backing individual baristas looking to flex their muscles on the

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competitive stage, Casa’s Ancap cups have become a competition mainstay according to Director Antony de Fina.

The pride Antony and Casa take in their support of Australia’s barista competition landscape is palpable. He says not only do the cups enable baristas to get the best result possible on the stage but also that supporting these events is a significant point of pride for his business.

“We have been strongly involved in the

coffee industry through the years and we’re a big part of the sector outside of purely selling retail products. We like to think of ourselves as a strong part of Australia’s coffee community,” says Antony.

“We pride ourselves on doing anything we can to encourage people to get involved in competitions and support them when they get to the stage of being involved.

“It’s a great thing to do. We’ll go along to a competition and see someone that

“THERE’S A PARTICULAR EGGSHELL SHAPE IN THE BOTTOM OF ANCAP CUPS THAT’S DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THE CREMA. IN OTHER CUPS, IT’S A MORE SQUARED OFF SHAPE WHICH CAN MAKE CREMA DISSIPATE WHILE YOU’RE POURING THE SHOT.”

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A QUALITY CUP

Casa Espresso Director Antony de Fina says Ancap cups are one of the premium cups on the market.

Image: Casa Espresso.

came into the store and bought cups from our business, or who we sponsor. Seeing them competing on that stage gives us a lot of satisfaction.”

Casa Espresso imports a range of Italian coffee machines, accessories, and tools into Australia, and Antony believes Ancap cups are some of the best on the market.

“We’ve been operating for nearly 20 years and import a number of Italian products. We launched Ancap cups at the very first Melbourne International Coffee Expo in 2012 at the Melbourne Showgrounds. We had the Export Manager, Emilio Bellion, come out from Italy,” he says.

“Ancap cups really are one of the premium ceramic cups on the market, and I think really the only true Italian cup that is properly distributed in Australia. There are others with Italian sounding names, but they’re not made in Italy.”

What makes Ancap cups different, and what sets them apart as a leader in the industry?

While introduced to the Australian market by Casa Espresso a little more than a decade ago, the cups have been made in Italy for more than 50 years. Antony says established methods of production and the use of high-quality materials make them a must-have in any café setup.

“It’s not until you get into the cup game that you look at different cups and realise the huge differences between them,” he says. “Ancap cups have a non-porous glaze, so the finish means you’re not constantly bleaching them which is something that happens with lower quality cups. They’re also kiln fired at more than 1400 degrees, which makes them very chip resistant and gives the glaze and density of porcelain an excellent lifespan.

“When you’re using top-quality porcelain, excellent kiln firing techniques, and quality glaze, you’re getting a product that really does stand out from the crowd.”

According to Antony, this results in cups with a longer lifespan than other options and are therefore a better investment for café owners and roasters.

“The longevity of these cups will

outlast cheaper cups made with different materials and techniques,” he says.

“Cheaper cups will chip in a year and look second-hand, which means you will have to throw them away. Our cups can be in the field for five or six years and they still look brand new.

“Since you’re not constantly replacing your cups, long-term they’re a better investment. Our cups are at the top end of what’s available.”

THE INFLUENCE OF DESIGN

According to Antony, even the design of the cup is carefully manufactured to ensure the best results for baristas, and the best experience for coffee consumers.

“There’s a particular eggshell shape in the bottom of Ancap cups that’s designed to enhance the crema,” he says. “In other cups, it’s a more squared off shape which can make the crema dissipate while you’re pouring the shot.

“The cup has very nice individually bevelled edges, so it’s a good mouthfeel for the person drinking from it. There are also a range of sizes. We have cups that suit the retail market, of course, but we also have cups that are specifically designed for competition.

“The Palermo 150 is our competition cup, which is used by a lot of baristas in competitions here in Australia. We pride ourselves in taking an industry approach with our cups, not just a specific retail approach.”

When purchasing Ancap cups from Casa Espresso, customers are not limited to different varieties of white cups. From its Contrade Itlaliane cappuccino cups that feature images of the Italian countryside to the ability to custom-brand cups, Casa Espresso provides Ancap cups to a range of high-end customers.

“About 50 per cent of our sales to roasters are branded cups. We have done cups for ST. ALi, Pura, Da Vinci, and Paul’s Milk, and have even collaborated with car brands like Ferrari and Maserati,” he says.

“We have two methods of branding. We can get them done in the factory in Italy for large-scale production, or we have our own kiln in Australia we can fire up for relatively small numbers of production.

“We also have a line of decorated cups that we sell into boutique retail stores, and we have some new ranges that are about to land in Australia which are really exciting.

My favourite is the Supernova Espresso range, which has a lunar theme. It also has a lid and no handle, so it’s a really unique product.”

For more information, visit casaespresso.com.au

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SKILLS AND EDUCATION

Victor Vu of Ona Coffee Melbourne is the 2025 ASCA Australian Latte Art Champion.

Ram

Three-time Australian Latte Art Champion Victor Vu shares his step-by-step guide to crafting the majestic ram latte-art design.

A

ccording to Victor, this ram design was first made popular by Thai latte artist Kittipich Boonsawasd, also known as Knot. It’s since become a favourite among baristas who are trying to level up their latte-art skills.

“I’ve seen so many baristas pouring this design at events and smackdowns,” says Victor.

“It’s a really fun pattern for baristas to expand their skills – the face is cool because it’s created with a single drag.”

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The Australian Latte Art Champion says that, while the ram head is challenging, with plenty of practice it can be perfected for an impressive pour.

“I would rate the ram head design as intermediate to hard, but when done correctly it looks super cool,” he says.

After scooping the Australian Latte Art Champion title for a third time in 2025, Victor deferred his place due to the arrival of his first children in June. He will once again compete for the world title in San Diego in 2026.

From the nine o’clock position, pour a 12-leaf rosetta down the left-hand curve of the cup in a slight ‘S’ curve.

Pour a shorter nine-leaf rosetta to the right of the first, then a six-leaf rosetta next to the second.

After the third rosetta, continuously drag a line along the right-hand side of the rosetta to form a curve.

Turn the handle to four o’clock and pour a four-leaf rosetta just above the other rosettas.

On top of the final rosetta, drag the milk up towards the top of the cup then curve towards the right-hand side to form the top of the head and the eye.

Create a small circle for the nose and then a double wave for the lips, before pulling up and then down to follow the line of the final rosetta.

Next, pull up to meet the top of the head in a triangle shape to form the inner face.

Still using the continuous pour, drag the milk to create rolling bumps to form the ridge of the horn, curling in on itself at the end.

Images: Prime Creative Media.

Using a 10-ounce cup, start by mixing the milk with the coffee until the cup is around a third full.

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MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COFFEE EXPO

THE WORLD’S DESTINATION FOR COFFEE Become a part of the world’s destination for coffee at MICE 2026. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to contribute to the southern hemisphere’s leading coffee event.

GET INVOLVED internationalcoffeeexpo.com/get-involved

26–28 MARCH 2026

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

Jessica MacDonald is the Marketing and Admin Coordinator of the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association.

Two decades of collaboration

O

The NZSCA celebrated 20 years of improving New Zealand’s specialty coffee scene with an awards night and new board appointments.

n 30 May, the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA) marked a milestone by hosting its 20th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Hastings.

Fittingly, the occasion was celebrated the previous evening with the annual Sucafina Recognition Awards dinner, a night that combined light-hearted fun with heartfelt tributes to the people who’ve shaped the industry.

The evening kicked off with the much-anticipated quiz hosted by the ever-entertaining Paddy Kennedy and Alan Bruce of Acme Cups. This year the victorious team, The 4th Crack, clinched the title by a single point and proudly took home their prize – a bag of Hawke’s Bay apples.

The night also included a moving look back, as David Burton opened with stories that predated the Association itself, providing powerful context to just how far the New Zealand specialty coffee community has come. A panel discussion followed, featuring David Thomas, Carl Sara, Roz Cattell, and Emma Markland Webster, who shared personal highlights and reflections. One theme stood above the rest: the incredible ability to rally together and lift each other up.

At the Sucafina Recognition Awards, Richard Corney was recognised for his pivotal role in opening space for industryshaping conversations. A champion of progress, his leadership continues to foster a culture of transparency, collaboration, and growth. He was named winner of the Development Award.

Mike Murphy’s long-standing commitment to ethical sourcing and sustainability saw him honoured with the Historical Contribution Award.

His leadership at Kōkako has made an indelible mark on the industry. From board roles to green practices, his influence runs deep.

Since joining the board in 2016, Roz

The NSCZA has welcomed seven new board members. Image: NZSCA.

Cattell has consistently gone above and beyond, and has been recognised with an Ongoing Contribution Award. A relationship builder and problem-solver, she also led the Association through turbulent times as President, showing strength and grace under pressure.

Glen Woodcock and Glen Crompton have been elevating coffee standards in Hamilton and beyond for almost 30 years as the quiet force behind Rocket Coffee. Their dedication to quality has helped define the region’s coffee identity. ‘The Glens’ have also been recognised with an Ongoing Contribution Award.

At the AGM the next day, members reflected on the past year’s successes, including advancements in sustainability, a prosperous events year, and member education before welcoming a newly elected Board.

Carl Sara of Sucafina has been elected President, with Richard Corney of Flight Coffee to serve as Vice President. Scott Pepler of Havana Coffee has been appointed Second Vice President, while Alice Burton of John Burton will serve as Treasurer.

Continuing their terms are Wayne Burrows of Zephyr Coffee Roasters and Sarah McMath of Meadow Fresh, both in their third year.

Andrew Feldon of Mouthwater Coffee, Bonnie Liam of The Coffee Dojo, Leon Dumper of Milklab, and Sean Ellis of Kaffelogic are all newly elected board members.

A special farewell goes to outgoing President Megan Wyper of Acme Cups and Vice President Tom Handiside of La Marzocco, as well as Ken Shi of Aoraki Coffee and Steve Jae of La Marzocco whose contributions have been deeply appreciated.

After nearly eight impactful years with the Association, Emma McDougall departs to pursue a new chapter. Stepping into the Marketing and Communications role is me, Jessica MacDonald, returning to the team with energy and insight.

For more information on the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association, or to join, visit nzsca.org

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Minor Figures shakes up the alt-milk offering

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

On the world stage

Australia’s largest skills and trades showcase, the 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships & Skills Show, wrapped up in spectacular fashion on 14 June.

WorldSkills Australia’s record-breaking event saw more than 35,000 visitors.

Images: WorldSkills Australia.

D

rawing record crowds of more than 35,000 attendees, the 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships & Skills Show celebrates the craftsmanship and unity of the nation’s best young apprentices and trainees.

Held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 12 to 14 June, this year’s event brought together more than 600 competitors from around the country.

The competitors went head-to-head in more than 60 skill categories, ranging from cyber security and cabinetmaking to cookery, floristry, and plumbing.

The 2025 gathering was one of the largest National Championships in WorldSkills Australia’s 44-year history, described as a high-energy celebration of vocational excellence. Through the awards, the WorldSkills program continues to shine a light on the vital role trades and skills play in Australia’s economic future.

Trevor Schwenke, CEO of WorldSkills Australia, celebrates the championships and emphasises the record-breaking event.

“This has been one of the biggest and best National Championships in our history and a true celebration of what’s possible when young people, educators, government, and industry come together to back skills,” says Trevor.

“Brisbane was an incredible host. It was fantastic to walk the floor and witness the outstanding level of competition, as the nation’s best young skills talent gave it their all. Their passion was inspiring and I’m sure many visitors are now considering where a vocational career could take them.

“We’re grateful to the Queensland Government, TAFE Queensland, our partners, and the entire Brisbane community for embracing this event and

helping us raise the profile of vocational education nationally.”

TOP HONOURS AND MEDAL TALLY

After three days of fierce competition, New South Wales was crowned the overall winning state, topping the medal tally with outstanding results across multiple categories.

The Best of Nation award went to LilyGrace Toohill of Victoria in the Jewellery category, who was recognised as the highestperforming competitor across all categories.

VETiS Shield – NSW was awarded Best Performing State for Vocational Education and Training in Schools, while Evatt Shield – Melbourne East Region was awarded Best Performing Region.

Competitors who excelled in WorldSkills-recognised international categories may now be selected to join Team Australia (The Skillaroos), representing the nation at the 48th WorldSkills International Competition in Shanghai, China, in 2026.

The WorldSkills event has been running for 44 years.

A SHOWCASE OF SKILL, DEDICATION, AND POSSIBILITY

Hands-on Try’aSkill stations proved a major drawcard for students, families, and career seekers at the three-day event.

Thousands visited the co-located Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo, connecting with training providers, industry leaders, and employers.

International interest was also strong, with more than 60 Asia-Pacific delegates visiting as part of a global knowledge exchange hosted by TAFE Queensland.

Representatives from China and TimorLeste also took part in the competition as special international guests, highlighting the global collaborative spirit of the program.

Hon Ross Bates MP, Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training, outlines the significance of the event for the national economy.

“I congratulate our latest medallists and all competitors who gave up their free time to hone their skills, and who put themselves forward to compete at the highest level, on the country’s biggest skills stage,” says Ross.

“This major event has also been welcomed by our tourism and hospitality operators-with the event injecting millions into the local economy.”

“I thank WorldSkills Australia, TAFE Queensland, expo exhibitors, and all whose collective effort ensured the tremendous success of this event – further elevating the status of training and skills nationwide.”

For more information, visit worldskills.org.au

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CAFÉ SCENE ON LONSDALE 23 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, Australian Capital Territory, 2612 Open daily 7am to 3pm Smashed avo, eggs benny, and granola bowls are the bread and butter of Aussie café menus, but this hotspot in the heart of Braddon, just a few kilometres north of Australia’s Federal Parliament, is switching up the game with Japanese- and Koreaninspired sandos.

Owner Lachlan Exton and Head Chef Cho Hoon elected to pursue sandos as the venue’s calling card after an insightful trip to Asia. Venue Manager Denil Maharjan says Canberra has been the perfect city for On Lonsdale to create a unique brand around its food.

“They’re sandwiches, but they’re made on this big, fluffy milk bread and are chock full of Asian fillings like chicken or pork cutlets.

It’s a really different approach compared to other cafés in the area,” says Denil.

“The boss and the head chef really enjoyed the food they had in Japan and South Korea, and they thought it would be The café is in a former industrial building near the heart of Canberra.

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On Lonsdale’s sandos deliver a different type of food experience.

Images: On Lonsdale.

cool to have something like it in Canberra.

It’s a city where people like to try new things, there’s a large Asian demographic, and a lot of multicultural people, so it’s the perfect spot for it.”

Denil says the different type of food offering at On Lonsdale keeps customers coming back for more.

“It’s a bit of a surprise for people when they walk into the café for the first time, because they’re used to more typical food offerings,” he says.

“Once they try our sandos though, they love them. Everyone’s first reaction tends to be that it’s something a bit different and interesting, but it’s really good. People are always convinced to come along and try.”

Alongside its expansive menu of sandos, On Lonsdale serves a range of Ona Coffee beans with Riverina Fresh milk, and uses a Sanremo Café Racer machine.

“The Café Racer is easy to use and has different programs, which are simple for baristas to set up their dialling and recipes.

It’s consistent and easy to manoeuvre around,” says Denil.

“We use Ona Coffee, not just here but in our other venues as well. We’ve been using them for the past couple of years because I think they produce some of the best coffees – not just from the area but in Australia. It’s a no-brainer for us to go with Ona. “I really want to thank Ona’s Founder Sasa Sestic, because he works really closely with us and it’s been helpful to be able to grow together.”

Denil says On Lonsdale uses Riverina Fresh Full Cream Milk to bring the best qualities out of Ona’s beans.

“I’ve been a barista for the past five years and tried a few different milks with different suppliers, but I found Riverina to be really good when it mixes with coffee,” he says.

“It’s incredibly creamy and has a great, distinctive taste when compared with other milk brands, and it complements the coffee well.

“I think it would be the go-to choice for most baristas.”

Image: Salt Bean.

SALT BEAN 12 Bells Boulevard, Kingscliff, New South Wales, 2487 Open daily 6.30am to 12pm

STEFANINO PANINO Collingwood Yards, Unit 4/30 Perry Street, Collingwood, Victoria, 3066 Open Tuesday to Thursday 9am to 3.30pm, Friday 9am to 10pm, Saturday 10am to 10pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm A café that welcomes all walks of life, Stefanino Panino in Collingwood Yards is an eclectic and vibrant spot to sip a coffee and grab a bite.

What originally opened as a ‘hole in the wall’ panino shop in Lygon Street, Brunswick East, has relocated to a permanent home in the neighbouring suburb of Collingwood.

Owner Stef Condello is relatively new to Melbourne’s café scene. Pivoting from a career in education, he found COVID was his “catalyst for change”.

“I’m a primary school teacher by qualification. I taught for seven years, two as a year level coordinator before I made the move after the lockdowns,” says Stef.

“I began a short stint in a long-standing, high-quality butcher shop. Using the skills I gained there, I opened the first iteration of Stefanino Panino on a shoestring budget.”

With commission housing at the end of the street, as well as a multimillion-dollar inner city development around the corner, the café welcomes a wide variety of

Salt Bean serves Bun Coffee’s Shade Grown Rainforest blend.

“I’m a firm believer that people just want a good, consistent, smooth cup of coffee.

When we’re crazy busy, we make sure the quality doesn’t slip. That’s everything.”

With a love of coffee rooted in his Melbourne upbringing, and more than three decades of hospitality experience, for Rob choosing Byron Bay’s Bun Coffee as his roasting partner was an easy decision .

The café uses the roaster’s Shade Grown Rainforest blend, with rotating single-origin options for black-coffee drinkers.

“What I love about Bun Coffee’s blends is that, when we have a massive operating window, they perform under pressure which is essential for a high-volume café like ours,” says Rob. “During our busiest times, which is usually in summer, we’ll go through 100 customers – from artists, locals, and tourists to boomers and zoomers.

“We love the variety of people that visit, we get a bit of everything,” he says.

The menu focuses on Italian offerings with an Australian spin, with panini and coffee by day and a variety of small plates and wine by night.

“I’m proud to be an Italian Australian. Too often I see the American/Sopranos Italian thing happening in Australia, which gives me second-hand embarrassment,” says Stef.

“I try to keep as far away from that vibe as possible.”

When it first started in Brunswick, the café only offered black filter coffee.

“Now we have a full espresso setup.

Genovese is our sole coffee supplier and we now have three milk options,” he says.

With the oat latte the most popular order among customers, Stefanino Panino uses Minor Figures’ Barista Oat to pair with its house blend.

“Minor Figures was recommended to us

by Emilio Genovese from Genovese Coffee, so we started to use them,” says Stef.

“We’ve found working with them smooth and easy – whenever we need anything, they are super responsive. We only use their oat milk in our café and we’re very happy with it.”

kilograms of coffee per week.”

Rob says the quality of the coffee isn’t the only reason their partnership has remained in place for so long.

“David Kennedy from Bun is a fascinating guy, and is always finding new and interesting coffees. Sometimes he’ll say, ‘come try this,’ so I’ll drive down to Byron Bay and we’ll sit down, try out the new coffee, and talk rubbish for a few hours,” he says.

Immersed in the resort lifestyle, the café is surrounded by a mixture of restaurant options, including Thai, Mexican, seafood, and gelato.

“We move with and adjust to the seasons,” says Rob. “It’s a unique position to be in a resort, but we enjoy seeing all different types of people walking in.”

Image: Sam Wong.

Tucked in the beachside enclave of Kingscliff, New South Wales, Salt Bean draws inspiration – including its name – from its small and vibrant community that welcomes everyone from holidaymakers to the neighbourhood surf crew.

The café has been a local institution since 2005, when Kingscliff was still a sleepy seaside town. Fast-forward 20 years and the venue boasts a 60-seat covered alfresco area and is part of Salt Village, a coastal resort with five different accommodation options.

When current Owners Rob and Klaudia took over in August 2017, they had a clear vision for the café’s future. Since then, the business has doubled in size and weathered the challenges of COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis.

“After years in the Gold Coast hospitality scene, we had the experience to get started on streamlining the business from day one,” says Rob. His main aim is for the café to be known for delivering consistent service and quality coffee and food.

“We’re the brekky specialists,” he says.

“We’re closed by midday, so we’ve got that early crowd nailed down.

Stefanino Panino is located in the arts hub of Collingwood Yards.

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CAFÉ SCENE Images: Slow Daze Coffee.

SLOW DAZE COFFEE 3 Northwood Street, West Leederville, Western Australia, 6007 Open Monday to Friday 6.30am to 2.30pm, Saturday 7am to 1pm On the back of the success of their first foray into café ownership, business partners Jamie Wolf and Courtis Lovell opened this West Leederville hangout just over a year after launching Obi Coffee in Subiaco.

When the opportunity to take over the former Myrtle Ivy space on Northwood Street came up, the friends jumped at the chance to make it their second site.

“I managed Myrtle Ivy for six years before I went on to do my own thing, so it felt like a real full-circle moment to come back to a place I’d spent so much time and rebrand it as our own café,” says Jamie.

Now known as Slow Daze Coffee, the café is still strongly connected to the local community. While Obi is more of a pick up and go venue, its sister site invites visitors to kick back and take it slow – whether that’s chilling out with a pourover coffee on the alfresco seating or chatting to Venue Manager and Head of Coffee Rebecca Klees about life and her latest signature drink creation.

The house blend is roasted exclusively for Slow Daze by the team at Micrology Coffee Roasters in Osborne Park – another nod to one of Jamie’s former employers. The roast, which delivers notes of milk chocolate, caramel, and cherry, is designed to be

Customers are encouraged to slow down and take time out of their days to enjoy good coffee and food.

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Slow Daze’s house blend is roasted by Micrology Coffee Roasters.

paired with milk while also ticking the box for the venue’s long-black drinkers.

The team also offer a rotating selection of single-origin and pourover options, which are largely sourced from Australia’s eastcoast roasters.

“People in WA don’t often get access to coffees from the east coast. We source from

the likes of Code Black Coffee and Kindred Coffee,” says Jamie.

Rebecca always ensures there’s something new and exciting on the menu with a lineup of seasonal signature drinks. Her innovations often feature house-made ingredients like blueberry syrup and banana foam.

The small on-site kitchenette is also the source of many of the tempting food items on the curated menu. Homemade sausage rolls are perennially popular, as are the focaccias stuffed with inventive combinations such as sopressa, brie, and hot honey.

With community at the heart of the business, the Slow Daze team are proud supporters of non-profit organisations CafeSmart and Healthy Mind Menu.

“This will be the third year we’ve supported CafeSmart through Obi and now Slow Daze, and we intend to do it long term. Through my career and time at Myrtle Ivy and Micrology, I’ve seen the amazing work they’ve done in our community and beyond,” says Jamie.

“I’ve recently also become an ambassador for Healthy Mind Menu, which champions mental health in hospitality. Last year we hosted a charity soccer match and raised $15,000 with players from the local hospitality sector. There are already plans to host a similar event this year.

“Hospitality can be a tough industry sometimes, but Healthy Mind Menu provides an environment in which people understand the pressures of the job and what we’re going through. When staff are supported community-wise, the venues perform better and it’s a nicer space to be in as a customer as well.”

Images: Slow Daze Coffee.

ST PETERS BAKEHOUSE 66 Seventh Avenue, St Peters, South Australia, 2044 Open Monday to Friday 6.30am to 5.30pm, Saturday and Sunday 6.30am to 4.30pm In South Australia, bakeries are more than just a food stop. When someone asks where to stop in Adelaide, Anthony, General Manager of St Peters Bakehouse, says there’s only one answer.

“Bakeries are a community tradition here. At St Peters, we’ve built our brand around premium quality, great value for money, and quick service, while also delivering exceptional results,” he says.

“We have served generations of customers, from hardworking tradespeople to retirees who come in to enjoy a bite to eat and a coffee. Over the years we like to think we’ve become a local favourite where everyone feels at home.”

Currently, St Peters operates four locations around Adelaide in St Peters, Ridgehaven, Elizabeth, and Thebarton.

According to Anthony, providing highquality coffee is just as important as its hand-crafted baked goods.

Expanding into Queensland from Victoria, The Winey Cow has set up shop on the Gold Coast.

Image: The Winey Cow.

“Our all-time favourites are our chunky beef pie and award-winning vanilla slice, along with our famous carrot cake from our bar cake range. They are all truly amazing,” says Anthony.

The coffee to accompany these sweet treats is Piazza D’Oro’s Mezzo blend, which is prepared on La Marzocco machines.

“We are as passionate about our coffee as we are our baked goods, which is why we partnered with Piazza D’Oro. We use the finest beans to craft a coffee that’s rich in flavour, with delightful hints of caramel and smooth, subtle tones,” he says.

“We’ve been using La Marzocco coffee machines for a few years now. They’re perfect for our busy pace and serve amazing espresso without compromising on quality. As someone who loves coffee, I absolutely love what we offer at St Peters.”

When the winter weather lashes Adelaide, Anthony says there’s no better place to settle in for a belly-warming meal and coffee than any of St Peters’ locations.

“With our warm, inviting fireplace, it’s common to see people enjoying a coffee or a bite to eat while relaxing in our welcoming and friendly setting,” he says.

THE WINEY COW 5/11 Woodroffe Ave, Main Beach Queensland, 4217 Open daily 5.30am to 2pm What began as a thriving café 11 years ago in Mornington, Victoria, has extended its reach to the Gold Coast’s café scene.

Known for its vibrant brunch menu and commitment to local sourcing, The Winey Cow’s second home is nestled in the heart of Main Beach, just moments from Tedder Avenue and the shore.

Over the past two years, it’s built a loyal following of locals, families, beach lovers, and office workers.

Owner Campbell Henderson says the café leans into the community at every turn. From food to coffee, The Winey Cow champions local collaboration.

“In all our venues, we try and use local suppliers wherever we can – wine, coffee, produce. It’s all about supporting the people around us,” says Campbell.

This community focus led to a strong partnership with Gold Coast roaster Paradox Coffee.

“It’s a genuine partnership,” says Campbell. “We’ve hosted thought leadership events together to share insights and help grow our industry. Their support and unwavering customer service has been amazing.”

While coffee is a big draw, brunch is

St Peters Bakehouse operates four locations in South Australia.

Image: St Peters Bakehouse.

where The Winey Cow truly shines. The menu is designed to encapsulate “food that people wouldn’t cook at home”, inviting guests to enjoy imaginative dishes in a relaxed, family-friendly setting.

The café’s signature Brunch Stack – a twist on classic eggs benedict – remains a standout, joined by a broad lineup of egg-based dishes, burgers, salads, and rotating seasonal specials. Its specialty latte selection includes the ever-popular pistachio latte, while a full mimosa menu celebrates the spirit of brunch.

“We’re becoming a go-to venue for boozy brunches, where mimosas flow and friends, families, and even furry companions are always welcome. It’s that perfect blend of fun, flavour, and feelgood hospitality.”

Behind the bar, the team focus on innovation and efficiency, powered

by Barista Equip’s fit-out, which includes a Sanremo Café Racer threegroup machine, Mahlkonig grinders, and the Perfect Moose automatic milk steamer.

Campbell highlights how Barista Equip has helped his business reach its potential.

“Barista Equip is always ahead of the curve. They’re quick with delivery, support, and service,” says Campbell.

“Brett and the team are market leaders, especially when it comes to maintenance and repairs.

“It’s another solid partnership we’re proud of.” beanscenemag.com.au 77

GET TO KNOW

Vlasto Bartoska Name:

Vlasto Bartoska

Venue:

Ona Coffee Sydney

Instagram:

@vlastobartoska

Image: Matt Berry.

The MONIN Coffee Cup Australia champion reflects on his journey from Slovakia to representing Australia on the world stage.

How has your hospitality journey led to where you are today?

I’ve been in hospitality for a long time, more than 12 years. I started working in coffee in my hometown, Nitra, in Slovakia, at a café/cocktail bar called Záhir Nitra, which was founded by my good friend and mentor Luboš Rácz. That gave me experience in both coffee and cocktails, and I was there for about six years.

After school I went to Prague, which was where I got more into coffee as a barista in grocery store cafés. I was there for about six years too. That’s when I started to get involved in competitions like the Brewer’s Cup, before moving to Australia.

I’ve been in Sydney for about three-and-a-half years.

I was working with The Maybe Group, roasting coffee while also being a barista, and then I moved to Ona Coffee in Marrickville.

What inspired you to start competing?

I wanted to push the boundaries and step out of my comfort zone. My first time competing was the 2016 Brewer’s Cup and it was just beautiful. The whole industry tries to push boundaries and be better, and that was the moment I realised coffee can be more creative.

When I started working in hospitality as a teenager I had really good people around me. There was a bar in Nitra that was not just one of the best in Slovakia but one of the best in Europe. It was inspiring to work alongside bartenders who had great capacity in their jobs. They were my tutors and it really was like a small family. They had respect and passion for what they were doing and it’s the same feeling I have now.

How does Eastern European coffee culture differ to Australia?

There’s a huge difference in the coffee cultures of the different cities I’ve worked in. In Prague, many people prefer drinking coffee after 3pm and it’s more about black and fi lter coffee.

Australians love their coffee, but not many people living in the Sydney CBD take their coffee black. Instead, they work in an office and like the routine, so they always have a cup of coffee in the morning.

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It was always a dream of mine to move to Australia, because my brother lived here for a few years. I visited him for the first time in 2013 and realised one day I wanted to come here by myself, and eventually the opportunity arrived.

How are you feeling about competing in the MONIN APAC Coffee Creativity Cup final?

I’m excited to deliver what I’ve been practising, not just for the past couple of weeks but for my whole time in this industry. I’m excited to share what I’ve been working on for almost my whole life. It’s such a good feeling to be able to compete in Kuala Lumpur and to have such good support from MONIN and Ona Coffee, and also from my partner, Claire at Condesa, who is coaching me.

It’s all about hospitality, so I would love to use the event to build a bridge between my background in the cocktail and bar industry and the coffee industry.

These competitions have so many competitors who are trying to reach the same level, who are trying their best.

That’s a big challenge, but I’m looking forward to it.

Will you change your routine for the final?

I’ll be creating the same Tiramisu 2.0 cocktail, but I don’t want to spoil anything. All I will say is I’m planning to elevate the whole experience.

The NEW Astoria AB200 blends ergonomic design with intuitive features—adjustable drip tray, durable components, and innovative filter holders—for a seamless, stylish, and efficient coffee-making experience with ultimate comfort and precision.

Rover combines compact Italian design with precision shot timers, adjustable tray, and smart automation—delivering consistent results, effortless maintenance, and barista-level control for a flawless coffee experience, every time.

Venere redefines the barista-customer connection with timeless design, advanced ergonomics, and refined details—illuminated workspace, stainless steel steam wands, and elegant finishes— for a truly elevated artisanal coffee experience.

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