Beanscene August 2022

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AUGUST 2022

A World-Class Coffee Magazine

AUGUST 2022

Veneziano Coffee’s 20-year evolution

Why convenience and speed are changing the game Brazil’s secret to success

The importance of supply chain relationships

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Move with

confidence Building a foundation for barista excellence

Cheer on & support your local baristas!

It’s been a few years since MILKLAB have run a Barista Battle - And we’re back bigger than ever, celebrating baristas in all their masterful, latte art pouring glory! Enjoy the vibes on the night with good tunes, food, drinks and the chance to win some cool prizes.

The MILKLAB Barista Battle state heats will be happening in August:

Perth, Kaltiva Coffee Roasters – 8 Aug Melbourne, Au79 – 8 Aug Sydney, The Goodsline – 11 Aug Canberra, East Row Specialty Coffee – 24 Aug Brisbane, Elixir Coffee Roasters – 25 Aug Adelaide, Veneziano Coffee Roasters – 27 Aug IT’S FREE TO JOIN AS A SPECTATOR. SCAN THIS QR CODE AND GET YOUR TICKET Spots are limited so get in before they sell out!

Winners will go on to represent their states in the finals held at the MILKLAB Barista Social Club at MICE. The winner of the Australian final will then compete in the international final against MILKLAB Master Baristas from other countries for the chance to win a trip for two to London!

Daily workshops and access to leading coffee experts to educate, up skill and inspire you!

A social, creative space with multiple coffee machines (only the best from our friends at La Marzocco) where baristas can fine tune their plant-based milk texturing and latte art skills under the expert guidance of our MILKLAB Master Baristas. A place to socialise, network and most of all, have some fun while building your barista skills.

DAILY WORKSHOPS AT 11AM & 2PM REGISTER TO JOIN MILKLABCO.COM

27-30 SEPTEMBER 2022 WE’RE LOCATED NEXT TO THE BARISTA STAGE

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

PROUD PARTNERS

MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COFFEE EXPO 27 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2022 MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE WWW.INTERNATIONALCOFFEEEXPO.COM

Host of the 2022 World Coffee Championships

TICKETS NOW ON SALE MICE2022: WORTH THE WAIT

AUGUST 2022

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contents 16 20

NEWS STUFF ON THE SCENE

INDUSTRY PROFILES

22 26 55 67

71 75 79 82 84 86 10

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KNOWLEDGE LEADER

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MERLO MOVES UP

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IS YOUR CUP COMPOSTABLE

Veneziano Coffee celebrates 20 years of business evolution CELEBRITY COOK

Alice Zaslavsky talks gadgets, heritage, and praising pour over A TRUE PARTNERSHIP

Melitta on supplying businesses with end-to-end coffee solutions THE HUMAN CONNECTION COMPANY

Why service and simplicity are key to Bluestone Lane’s magical coffee experience PASSIONATE PARTNERS

Minas Hill on the importance of long-standing relationships in the supply chain NEXT GENERATION

St Ali CEO Lachlan Ward shares the company’s refocused goals A MOVING MILK MARKET

Why dairy price increases will help sustain the future of the industry

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THE DADDY OF ALMOND MILK

Why Happy Happy Almond Daddy almond milk is the happier choice A QUARTER OF A CENTURY

Maltra celebrates 25 years of industry service

Merlo ups the ante on turnkey business solutions for the hospitality market BioPak questions the validity of compostable cups DIVERSIFIED SERVICE, SIMPLIFIED QUALITY

Naked Syrups on how to find smarter ways to increase profit margins THE SECRET TO SUCCESS

The BSCA explains how Brazil achieves record volumes with record quality

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How Fairtrade partnerships improve livelihoods and businesses MICE2022

It’s time to shine at the biggest industry event of the year

COVER STORY

Barista Attitude ambassadors explore the Tempesta’s intuitive functions THE PROBLEM SOLVER

Why Brew Solutions Australia’s Andrew Stacy is more than a coffee technician FUELLED WITH ENERGY

Why convenience stores are changing the game when it comes to coffee quality

SCALING UP

ADM Packaging Automation upgrades its manufacturing capacity to meet demand CLOSING THE GAP

La Cimbali’s S60 is determined to break fully-automatic barriers ASSISTING BARISTAS

Can an automated milk steamer match a barista’s skill set?

THE RIGHT MOOD

Say hello to Nuova Simonelli’s third-generation Oscar Mood

SKILL BASE

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MORE THAN A FAIR GO

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

BUILDING BONDS

Toby’s Estate Swirl Club unites the barista community

CROP TO CARTON

Chobani’s Oat Milk Barista Edition is now made with 100 per cent Australian oats

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HOW TO AVOID CAFÉ WASTE

Mocopan’s Chloe Tathem shares tips to reduce latte art wastage ESPRESSO YOURSELF

Victor Vu shares his WLAC Hunting Hawk design

CAFÉ SCENE

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THE REAL COMPETITION HERO

BRITA on what goes into making a competition-worthy water

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CURIOUS BY NATURE

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BASE CAMP IS BACK

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CAFÉ SCENE

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Monin explores customer curiosity for quality and locality of products Cafetto’s barista base camp returns Around Australia and New Zealand BACK AT THE WORLDS

NZSCA highlights Alan Bruce’s return to world competition PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Celebrating industry appointments

beanscenemag.com.au

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MORE THAN JUST A BLACK COFFEE

www.mocopan.com.au

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BeanScene

covershoot

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au MANAGING EDITOR Sarah Baker sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au JOURNALIST Hayley Ralph hayley.ralph@primecreative.com.au

Covershoot location: Barista Attitude headquarters, Susegana, Italy Covershoot product: Barista Attitude’s Tempesta espresso machine: www.barista-attitude.com Australian distributor: Coffee Works Express: cwe.com.au BeanScene has attempted many covers over the years, but this one marks the first one staged overseas, in Northern Italy.

“Our August edition will be the one on display at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) in September, hosting the World Barista Championship. It therefore seemed fitting that the very espresso machine the baristas will be using on the competition stage – the Tempesta by Barista Attitude – would grace the cover of this special issue of BeanScene,” says Editor Sarah Baker.

Cinzia Pietrobon, Barista Attitude Brand Manager and Michele Marchetti, Creative Director of Display agency, helped coordinate the covershoot on the other side of the world.

“Having the cover on BeanScene means a lot for Barista Attitude. It is for sure a great opportunity to catch the attention of the Australian market on our project, machine, and also to show how much we care about brewing good coffee,” says Cinzia.

The shoot took place at Barista Attitude’s headquarters in Susegana, Italy. Cinzia says it was important to bring energy and passion to the shoot, in order to represent the brand’s tradition, territory, and innovation for manufacturing coffee machines.

Michele adds that the shoot was “stressful but full of joy and energy”.

“We had to achieve the perfect light, the perfect brew. We didn’t count how many espressos we made exactly, or how many photos we took, but we always pushed ourselves to do better,” he says.

From a photography point of view, he says the most challenging part was capturing Tempesta’s technical and design capability to improve the barista’s job and produce a quality coffee in just one frame.

The key was first finding the best angle and light, then focusing on the espresso extraction. “We were working pretty hard and the feeling was that the next shot would be the right one, but at a certain moment we realised that the perfect match was there: the right light, the right angle and the perfect brewing,” Michele says.

“We think the end result has a kind of energy concentration of different elements of Tempesta (working area light, display, push button) captured in one moment brewing an espresso.”

Why convenience and speed are changing Those curious to see the Tempesta the game can experience the machine at The importance of supply chain relationships MICE on the Coffee Works Express stand, and watch the best baristas in the world compete with it with on stage. co AUGUST 2022

A World -Class Coffe e Magaz ine

Veneziano Coffee’s 20-year evolution

Brazil’s secret to success

Move

nfidence Building a foundation for barista excellence

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ART DIRECTOR/DESIGN Daz Woolley ART DIRECTOR Blake Storey DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Courtney Walker courtney.walker@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS TEAM LEADER Janine Clements janine.clements@primecreative.com.au PHOTOGRAPHY Marco Dapino, Marta Vismara, Martina Corà, Diana Bovoloni, Luca Rinaldi, Michele Illuzzi, ASCA CONTRIBUTORS Victor Vu, Emma McDougall, Chloe Tathem, Peter Harley, Amy Morison, Lucette Moulang, Kate Felton, Sarah Bartlett HEAD OFFICE Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 p: 03 9690 8766 f: 03 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.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.

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

Chloe Tathem is the Queensland/ Northern Territory Barista Trainer of Mocopan. She joined Mocopan in 2021 and is based in the Brisbane/Gold Coast region and travels through QLD/NT-wide providing coffee training to corporate customers and independent cafés.

In 2020, Chloe was part of the Hope Project, a QLD Government initiative teaching rural indigenous high school students coffee skills. This sparked her love for teaching and led her to join Mocopan and continue providing the next generation with barista skills.

Nadine Miller is BRITA Marketing Director Australia/New Zealand. Nadine is a creative leader and marketing strategist who loves a good latte. She is passionate about having a positive impact to the planet by inspiring people to enjoy great drinking water sustainably.

Founded in 1966, BRITA operates in 69 countries across five continents.

Working with the coffee industry for several years, BRITA brings water filtration expertise offering tailor made filter solutions.

Victor Vu is the 2020 ASCA Australian Latte Art Champion and fifth-place World Latte Art Champion. Born in Vietnam, Victor worked for three years in hospitality before coming to Australia where he has spent the past seven years perfecting his latte art skills.

Victor won the 2018 Milklab Barista Battle, 2019 Victorian Breezey Masters, 2020 ASCA Southern Regional Latte Art Championship, and the National title. He currently works at Ona Coffee Melbourne.

Emma McDougall is the Communication and Administration Coordinator for the NZSCA. After gaining a degree in hospitality management, Emma has worked in Sydney, Dublin, Auckland, London, and most recently, Wellington. She has owned and managed cafés and tech-judged the New Zealand Barista Championship in 2015 and 2016. Now, she gets to help run them. One of the greatest joys she gets from the coffee industry is watching young people progress through their coffee journey.

A word from the Editor

KEEP ON MOVING

T

he envy of Australians escaping to Europe for some summer sun has been a constant struggle to watch from the sidelines, but on home soil, things are heating up in their own way.

We’re past the halfway point of the year, the National Coffee Championships are likely taking place as this magazine hits the shelves, and then it’s the big one, the World Barista Championship and Brewers Cup Championship at our very own MICE. Anticipation is high, interest from the international market is peaking, and the event is surely to be one of the industry highlights of the year, if not the past three.

Underneath that layer of excitement is an industry still in recovery mode, but navigating its direction post-pandemic. It’s tough out there.

We’re in an inflationary period where petrol prices have risen, as has the price of potatoes, lettuce and the humble Bunnings snag. As such, there’s been an unprecedented lift in milk prices, both on-shelf and farmgate across Australia, and freight prices continue to soar. No doubt those extra few cents added to the average price of coffee will sting a little, but what’s the alternative? We haven’t abandoned our cars because of the petrol price hike, and consumers aren’t likely to abandon their daily cup of coffee. Rather, they’ll continue to pay the market price as long as quality and consistency remain high, and that’s where the pressure lies.

What has changed however, is how and where people get their coffee.

For some, that discovery has been supermarket shelves, for others, it’s online, or as I discover in this edition, it’s the convenience and fuel sector that’s about to see an “express revolution” (see page 39). The stereotype of ‘fast and flat’ coffee is being turned on its head, with the potential for market growth huge when done right, and with the aid of automation.

On the other side, there’s a market craving human connection, and as Nick Stone from Bluestone Lane addresses, business is not really about the product at all, but fulfilment, escapism and facilitating connection as society faces an isolation pandemic (see page 67).

Australian roaster Veneziano Coffee Roasters has undoubtedly used its strength for connection to build its national brand presence, and this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Australian manufacturer Maltra Foods marks 25 years, and roaster Merlo Coffee 30 years. Their longevity in this fast-paced market is attributed to people first, product second. It’s this humble outlook that has seen them navigate decades of challenges and triumphs, and contribute to what makes Australia’s coffee landscape unique.

SARAH BAKER

Follow us on Twitter @BeanSceneEd ‘Like’ us on Facebook @BeanSceneCoffeeMag Follow us on Instagram @beanscenemag Follow us on LinkedIn @BeanSceneMag

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NEWS

AUSTRALIANS PLACE FIFTH AT WORLD COFFEE CHAMPIONSHIPS Coffee Expo from 27 to 30 September at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Victor Vu of Ona Coffee placed fifth in the WLAC.

Image: Luca Rinaldi

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Ona Coffee Head Roaster Danny Wilson placed fifth in the WCIGS.

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Image: Michele Illuzzi

Daniel Shadbolt of Veneziano Coffee Roasters represented Australia in the WCRC.

events include the 2022 Australian Barista and Brewers Cup Championship, taking place at the Melbourne International

Image: Luca Rinaldi

The World Coffee Championships saw three Australians compete on the world stage from 23 to 25 June at World of Coffee Milan.

Victor Vu of Ona Coffee placed fifth in the World Latte Art Championship (WLAC). His free pour patterns consisted of a Spartan Helmet and Taurus bull, his designer latte partner was the Hunting Hawk, and his macchiato design was a Happy Chameleon.

Ona Coffee Head Roaster Danny Wilson also placed fifth in the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship (WCIGS).

Danny’s signature cocktail was an Espresso Memento, consisting of four espresso shots with 20 grams in and 40 grams out, 25 milligrams of passionfruit syrup, 30 milligrams of gin, and 90 milligrams of sparkling apple juice.

Daniel Shadbolt of Veneziano Coffee Roasters represented Australia in the World Coffee Roasting Championship (WCRC).

The next World Coffee Championships

METRO TUNNEL DIG FINDS 167-YEAR-OLD PRESERVED COFFEE BEANS An Australia-first discovery deep below the CBD has revealed Melbourne’s famed coffee culture may be decades older than first thought.

More than 500 coffee beans have been unearthed in a Pompeii-like deposit near the site of the future Town Hall Station, one of two new underground CBD stations being built as part of the Metro Tunnel Project.

“Like the organic remains found at Pompeii, the beans have been carbonised, which has led to their preservation. It’s almost like the grocer locked up and left and then we get to see inside 167 years later. There’s nothing like this type of deposit in Australia,” says Excavation Director Meg Goulding.

Before construction on the entrances to the underground Town Hall Station could begin, an archaeological excavation took

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Five hundred preserved coffee beans dating back to 1855 have been evcavated in Melbourne’s CBD.

place to recover and document artefacts from the site.

The perfectly preserved beans, from

as far away as Sri Lanka, were stored in a grocer, which burnt down in the early hours of 19 September 1855, some 170 years ago.

“It’s wonderful that the Metro Tunnel Project, which will change the face of Melbourne, has also given us this incredible insight into the city’s past,” says Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan.

“The area surrounding the new stateof-the-art Town Hall Station will no doubt be home to Melbourne’s beloved coffee culture for generations to come.”

It’s believed the Gold Rush drove an increase in coffee consumption, despite the city’s coffee obsession having long been attributed to late 19th Century Melbourne coffee houses and then the waves of Greek, Italian and Turkish immigrants in the 1940s and ’50s.

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NEWS

ASCA SOUTHERN & WESTERN REGION COFFEE CHAMPIONS CROWNED Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters is the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) Southern Region Vitasoy Barista Champion for the second year in a row.

Gabrel Tan of Veneziano Coffee Roasters placed runner up and Jak Michael Ryan of St Ali placed third in the competition, which took place at Kensington Town Hall on 30 June.

“This routine embraced the skills and techniques behind the machine, things I do on a day-to-day basis, and I’ve experimented and refined what I do a lot,” Anthony said.

His routine focused on his fascination with coffee and its ability to create a sensory experience that delivers a genuine connection between the barista and the

coffee drinker.

All competitors in this event used the Barista Attitude Tempesta machine, the official machine sponsor of the 2022 World Barista Championship.

Jae Kim of St Ali won the 2022 ASCA Southern Region Latte Art Championship.

Ming Wan placed second and Darcy Lillis Jones of Axil Coffee Roasters placed third. Jae’s winning patterns including a Fighting Fish, Schnauzer dog, and Safari Zoo design.

Riverina Fresh proudly supplied the competition with its Gold milk, Victoria Arduino with its Mythos Grinder, and Sanremo with its espresso machine.

Sinwu Nam of Code Black Coffee won the ASCA Southern Region Cup Tasters

ASCA Southern Region Brewers Cup Champions.

ASCA Southern Region Cup Taster Champions.

Championship. Jae Kim of St Ali placed second and Ning Chi Cheng placed third in a hotly contested event with 30 competitors.

“I knew I had a good chance to win. I was very confident,” Sinwu said.

Minas Hill was appointed this year’s official Australian Green Bean partner for the competition.

Harry Ko of H.A Bennett & Sons won the ASCA Southern Region Brewers Cup Championship. Devin Loong of Ona Coffee placed second and Archie Chiu of Code Black Coffee placed third.

“I was so emotional when I realised I had won. I’ve been waiting since 2016 for this opportunity and to see my hard work pay off is really special to me,” says Harry.

ASCA Southern Region Latte Art Champions.

All images: ASCA

Southern Region Vitasoy Barista Champions.

ASCA Western Region Brewers Cup Champions.

Nicole Novak of Five Senses Coffee won the ASCA Western Region Cup Tasters Championship which took place in conjunction with the Southern Region Championship.

“I’m honoured to represent the coffee industry for the Western Australia region.

I hope it empowers other women to compete and put themselves out there,” says Nicole.

Matthew Smithies of Five Senses Coffee placed second and Ru Teow of Laika Coffee placed third.

Bahrel Latief of The Wolf Espresso won the ASCA Western Region Brewers Cup Championship. David Train of Project Origin Coffee placed second and David Trotta of Kindred Coffee placed third.

“It’s like a dream come true. Being a homebrewer as well as a barista, the

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ASCA Western Region Cup Tasting Champions.

coffee industry has connected me to so many new friends who have helped me a lot. It’s nice to know that no matter where you are, coffee brings people together,” Bahrel says.

All regional winners will compete in the ASCA Australian National Championships, taking place from 17 to 20 August at the Melbourne Meat Market.

Grown from plants for barista-made coffee Made in Australia with 100% Aussie grown whole oats, almonds* and soy beans.

GROWN BY AUSSIE FARMERS Grown in fertile Australian soils by a small group of local farmers.

MADE BY US We proudly manufacture our milks at our Wodonga factory in regional Victoria, using our expertise to transform nature’s ingredients into milk.

LOVED BY CUSTOMERS Made exclusively for trade, our Barista range has been specially formulated to froth like dairy milk to deliver the perfect plant-based coffee every time, allowing the coffee beans to shine.

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Vitasoy Café for Baristas Almond is smooth, decadent, and has a high-quality sweet almond finish that completes the ultimate almond milk coffee experience.

Together with coffee, it creates an experience that’s complete, mouthwatering, and utterly delicious.

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MATT LEWIN, AUSTRALIAN BARISTA CHAMPION

*Our almonds are carefully grown and harvested in Australia, ground abroad and finally, blended into the milk you love in Albury-Wodonga.

CONTACT INFO For more information or to place an order, you can contact your local distributor at 1800 000 570 or customerservice@bega.com.au

STUFF ON THE SCENE

Stuff on the scene NORCO MERLO COLD BREW LATTE Two Aussie icons – Merlo Coffee and Norco Milk – have combined to create a coffee masterpiece that will please even the most discerning coffee connoisseur.

New sugar-free Norco Merlo Cold Brew Latte is made using a Merlo custom roasted blend, sourced from five different origins that have been finely balanced. Mixed with premium fresh Norco full cream milk, the result is a wickedly smooth with a bold caffeine hit that is perfect for on-the-go consumption. The partnership leverages the strengths of both businesses and has already proved to be a popular favourite among iced coffee drinkers searching for premium, real coffee taste, and the benefits of no added sugar.

For more information, contact info@merlo.com.au or call Norco Milk on 1800 60 30 20 for distribution details.

BRITA PURITY C 150 QUELL ST BRITA PURITY C 150 Quell ST filter cartridges expertly reduce carbonate hardness and limescale deposits in many professional equipment, resulting in fewer machine breakdowns. The filter medium retains metal ions, such as lead or copper, and reduces substances that can negatively affect taste and aroma, such as chlorine residues.

For more information, visit www.brita.com.au

WEGA NOVA The Wega Nova breaks down the classic aesthetic architectures of coffee machines. It features a system for adjusting the height of the cup bearing surface, anti-burn and adjustable steam wand, wide work spaces, and dual LED lights integrated in each group.

The Wega Nova symbolises the beauty of necessity.

For more information, visit cwe.com.au

IMF 15-KG AUTOMATIC SHOP ROASTER IMF’s new model, a 15-kilogram automatic drum shop roaster, offers all the technological components of its larger industrial drum roaster, in a small and compact dimension.

New features include a larger, user friendly 12-inch Siemans touchscreen, 1000 roasting profiles storage, and Riello burner, just like the industrial roasters. The model comes standard with integrated afterburner using recirculating low NOX heat technology to reduce emissions by up to 47 per cent, and exclusive Vortex and Equalizer technology for consistency.

IMF’s management software includes a 12-step profile with 50 adjustable parameters that control bean and air temperatures, as well as drum speed and airflow at each step to one degree accuracy automatically. Users also have the ability to manually override in real time.

IMF and its Australian agent Roastquip will exhibit one of the new automatic IMF 15-kilogram automatic shop roasters at the 2022 Melbourne International Coffee Expo in September.

For more information, visit www.roastquip.com.au

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VITASOY’S CAFÉ FOR BARISTAS ALMOND MILK Vitasoy’s Café for Baristas Almond Milk is made using Australian-grown, non-GMO almonds from sustainable-practicing almond farms. Supporting Aussie farmers and rural communities is part of Vitasoy’s mission to ‘grow a better world’, but it doesn’t stop there. It has an additional focus on advancing sustainable practices and initiatives, like its partnership with the Mulloon Institute – a not-for-profit organisation whose goal is to bring millions of hectares of Australian agricultural land back to life through regenerative practices.

Crafted in collaboration with Matthew Lewin, Australia’s 2019 Barista Champion, this milk was made for coffee. With a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a round, smooth finish, it allows coffee to really shine, while making it easy to achieve that perfect texture for froth and latte art. It’s also endorsed by the Australian Specialty Coffee Association.

For more information, visit soy.com.au

A WOLFF BADGE OF HONOUR Putting it out there... Wolff Coffee Roasters consider all coffee drinkers as its heroes.

Whether you see yourself as a “hero” or not, are you more the ‘load-me-up, quadruple shot, a give me more caffeine’ kinda coffee drinker? Or, the coffee lover who is all about the ritual, the flavour, with ‘zero’ caffeine side effects?

The new soft enamel pins are inspired by Wolff Coffee Roasters Founders Peter and Penny Wolff. Peter is a caffeine hero himself, and lover of delicious extra-caffeinated blends.

Penny is more a low caffeine blend gal, advocating for those late afternoon cups without the sleeping sacrifices. It’s all about the flavour, right? A true “caffeine hero” knows when to dial it down. It doesn’t matter if you are crazy about caffeine or your body is a caffeine-free temple, be proud of it. Consider this your badge of honour.

For more information, visit wolffcoffeeroasters.com.au

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN CHARACTER. WMINI

STUNNING ITALIAN DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE MEETS MODERN FINISH.

MELBOURNE | INFO@CWE.COM.AU | 03 9462 5055 SYDNEY | SALES@CWE.COM.AU | 02 9533 2693

KNOWLEDGE LEADERS

Everyday evolution Veneziano Coffee Roasters is celebrating 20 years of business. BeanScene talks to company Founders Craig Dickson and Rocky Veneziano about growth, relationships, and why customer service can never be overlooked.

E

ach morning, Rocky Veneziano starts his day sitting at the Veneziano café bar in Richmond. He asks the baristas how they are.

He shakes the hands of customers. He makes a menu recommendation, and enjoys an espresso.

From Rocky’s early days working in hospitality, he has seen the benefit of being approachable, and the relationships that form from simply being accessible.

“Prior to starting Veneziano, I worked in cafés and noticed that every time a customer asked to speak with the owner, they were never around,” Rocky says.

“Just the other day I was sitting downstairs when a customer came up to me, asked if I was Rocky Veneziano, and if he could shake my hand. Another customer from England was amazed by the café. He messaged all his friends back home and bought every coffee on the menu. At the end of our chat, he asked what my surname was and looked dumfounded at my response. ‘But that’s the name of the café’ he said.”

Customers just want to feel connected, and for this reason, Rocky will always pick up the phone.

“They want to be listened to and heard, whether that be an issue or problem to be sorted or something they’re happy with. We always listen,” Rocky says, of the company’s wholesale partners nationwide. “We’re not untouchable, we’re approachable people with the door always open.”

This year marks Veneziano Coffee Roaster’s 20th year of business. The company was established in 2002 and was first located out of a small warehouse in Bond Street, Abbotsford in Melbourne.

Craig Dickson joined Rocky’s new venture shortly after, and the pair launched the business with just four people and a business base roasting about 200 to 300 kilograms of coffee per week.

The pair first met while working for coffee roaster Douwe Egberts (DE), where Craig was State Manager for

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Victoria. He would recruit baristas for on-the-road sales roles, and Rocky was one of those recruits. Their time at DE together sparked a passion for hospitality and a desire to make specialty coffee accessible. The encounter of these two individuals formed a friendship that would reunite years later.

“All I wanted to do was create a business that would leave a legacy, leave something behind that we’ve built, but I think we’ve done more than that,” Rocky says. “I’m so proud of the impact we’ve made on coffee and to the people who live for it.”

The pair became pioneers of specialty coffee at a time when Craig says ‘specialty’ didn’t really exist in the industry’s vocabulary.

“Other brands at the time were predominantly producing mainstream coffee. Specialty coffee wasn’t really known, but we were certainly in that space and wanted to make it accessible to the general community,” Craig says.

“WE’VE GROWN FROM A COMPANY WITH TWO GUYS TO A ROCK-SOLID COMMUNITY AND A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.” Where Veneziano really started to make some noise, Craig adds, was when then-employee Dave Makin started winning barista competitions.

He won the ASCA Australian Barista Championship twice, and placed runner-up at the 2008 World Barista Championship (WBC) in Copenhagen.

“Under Veneziano, we’ve won the Australian Barista Championship

five times, Australian Latte Art Championship three times, and the Australian Roasting Championship twice. We’ve also placed second in the national competitions about five times and once at the WBC. “Did I mention how much I hate second place?” Craig laughs.

Those early days of barista championships sparked the company’s passion for competition, and it’s been part of its DNA ever since.

Veneziano’s nurturing of talent has continued with the likes of Erin Sampson, Jade Jennings, Mike Wells, Craig Simon, and Jen Marks, to name a few. Current-day competitors include Daniel Shadbolt, 2022 Australian Roasting Champion; and Gabrel Tan, runner-up at the 2022 ASCA Southern Region Barista Championships. The company also credits training Simon James of Genovese Coffee, Con Haralambopoulos of Gridlock Coffee, Joe Tynan of Café imports, and Caleb Cha of Humble Tigers.

“Look at this talent and where they’ve ended up. We’ve had lots of influence on many people over the years. Our entrepreneurial spirit is key to our culture. When we see our people move on to build their own businesses, it makes us nothing but proud to have instilled that quality in them,” Craig says.

“We’ve grown from a company with two guys to a rock-solid community and a very successful business, which enables us to keep nurturing and developing people.”

Craig says opening its River Street roastery and café in Richmond in 2018 was another key milestone not many roasters would have considered 20 years ago.

“Back then, transparency wasn’t really a thing. Most people wanted to isolate their recipe and hide what they were doing. We, on the other hand, wanted to share it. Come have a look at our Willy Wonka factory and see what we do. We have opened the doors for everyone,” Craig says. “Knowledge sharing has always been a big driver of what we do.”

Another key driver has been

ROAD TO SUCCESS

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Craig Dickson and Rocky Veneziano started Veneziano Coffee Roasters out of a small warehouse with just four staff members. It now has more than 100 staff and a national brand presence. The pair credit their entrepreneurial mindset, customer service and dedicated customers.

KNOWLEDGE LEADERS

Craig Dickson and Rocky Veneziano opened Veneziano Coffee’s River Street roastery and café in Richmond in 2018.

Veneziano’s entrepreneurial mindset, which inspired the tagline ‘everyday evolution’. It represents Veneziano’s ambition for continual and consistent changes in order to improve everyday lives through the relationships it creates, products it develops, and knowledge it shares.

“We never sit on our laurels. We’re continually changing and challenging our standards, thinking ‘what’s next’, ‘what can we do different?’”

That mindset has seen the brand create one of the first cold brew cans in Australia, oat milk cold brew in a can, nitro coffee on-tap, and even launch a Pinnacle Series premium-range of coffees in the middle of the global pandemic.

“We’re always trying to be the first and develop something new. It might not be perfect the first time, but we’re not afraid to try. That’s the everyday evolution of Veneziano,” Craig says.

Even during the peak of COVID-19, Veneziano’s sales went up year-on-year and e-commerce sales trebled.

“We’ve never had a year where we haven’t grown the business, not once in 20 years,” Rocky says. “A large

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attribution to this growth has been Craig’s ability to think outside the box, be unafraid of failure, and to inspire our people to do the same.”

Over the years, that confidence has seen the company expand its offering to Canberra, Brisbane, South Australia, Western Australia, and Sydney.

“We’ve got wholesale customers in every state in Australia and clients that have been with us since the beginning,” Craig says. “Now, thanks to our cafés, espresso bars and online stores, we’ve built a whole new community of Veneziano consumers.”

Longstanding relationships with suppliers have also been key along Veneziano’s 20-year journey. This includes producers from Sethuraman Estate in India and the Matão Women in Coffee Project (Mulheres do Café) in Brazil, cocoa manufacturer Maltra Foods, tea provider Tea Drop, and machine manufacturer La Marzocco.

“Veneziano was one of two roasters committed to using La Marzocco coffee machines from the start. Today, we are one of their biggest customers and very proud of the relationship we’ve built over the years. That’s why we have

such a great relationship with Guido [Bernardinelli, Chief Executive Officer at La Marzocco], because he remembers us from 20 years ago,” Craig says.

Thanks to such partnerships, Craig says Veneziano has become a successful and high-level specialty coffee business, but one that retains a family feel.

Craig says the longevity of the company has nothing to do with him or Rocky. Rather, it’s always been about developing the team and coaching them to succeed.

“Everything comes back to our people and the support we have for our customers and staff. We look after our talent and make sure they feel supported.

It’s for this reason we have people like Jade Jennings and Daniel Shadbolt who have been here seven years, Mike Wells who’s been here 10 years, John Paul Sutton 9.5 years before starting his own Veneziano distributorship, Jack Allisey 11 years, Ryan Jones 12 years, Karen Clarke 13 years, Minh Ly 14 years, and Mini Rana 15 years,” Craig says.

“I remember in the early days packing coffee on the floor with Minh.

We’d be on the machine packing coffee by hand, making sure we got the coffee out for the day. Minh was a computer engineer in Vietnam. Since he’s been in Australia, he’s become our packing champion on the warehouse floor, helping automate our processes and transition our packing and warehouse team through enormous change and growth.”

The future of Veneziano is bright, and one that will forever involve Minh and the honour-board listing of employees and former coffee champions.

Craig says the aim is to continue growing and become one of the industry leaders across Australia in all states in the specialty coffee industry.

“We have to be in the top five of roasters in Australia now for volume,” he says. “We want to use that position as a force for positive impact across the industry, make a difference to everyday lives and do our bit to ensure coffee is around forever.”

Rocky says it’ll be interesting to see what the next 20 years holds, but one thing’s for certain. He’ll still be sitting at the Veneziano coffee bar, drinking a morning coffee and talking with customers.

“We may not be employed any longer, but I hope I’m still here to enjoy a coffee,” Rocky says. “The venue has my name on the doorway after all.”

For more information, visit venezianocoffee.com.au

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CELEBRITY COOK

ALICE IN FRAMES

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Alice Zaslavsky is an award-winning author and one of Australia’s favourite broadcasters. She is the cookery columnist for The Weekend Australian Magazine, host of Saturday Breakfast on ABC Radio Melbourne, culinary correspondent for ABC News Breakfast, and creator of digital food education program Phenomenom. When Alice isn’t on stage hosting international culinary talent, she can be found at home, doing what she enjoys best – cooking.

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Scan this code to order Alice’s new cookbook The Joy of Better Cooking

Alice’s joy for better coffee Alice Zaslavsky talks to BeanScene about her love for coffee gadgets, her Georgian heritage, and the moment she praised a pour over in Toronto.

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ith the description of Alice Zaslavsky’s suite of kitchen coffee appliances, the cook and bestselling author could be mistaken for a barista.

“We have every little gadget imaginable: a Comandante grinder, Moccamaster, coffee leveller, even a benchtop water filter to brew our coffee with. My husband Nick is a disciple of coffee and of alternative brewing,” Alice says.

“I really appreciate all these tools because it also gives me a precedent to get every kitchen gadget I want.”

The pièce de résistance is a La Marzocco Linea Mini in a custom designed pink and sea-foam green courtesy of Dan Schonknecht, Owner of Specht Design.

“Her name is Zsa Zsa Gapour and she is very, very extra,” Alice says. “The design is inspired by a vintage Chanel skirt that Dan wrapped around the side and back panels. What he’s done for the art of coffee appreciation and machine design is phenomenal. He’s world-class,” she says.

The machine is pride of place at Alice’s Mornington Peninsula home, but she recently discovered how portable it is.

Alice had intended to make a tiramisu for an Italian-themed dinner party but ran out of time. Instead, she and Nick packed the LM Mini, Mazzer grinder, coffee beans, coconut ice-cream and liqueur, and made affogatos instead. “It was the easiest show-stopper ever,” Alice says.

When Alice travels, is filming or shooting her cookbooks, Nick will pack the Moccamaster, beans, and a portable water filter to make “proper coffee” on-the-go. Batch brew is also her go-to when hosting Saturday Breakfast on ABC Radio Melbourne.

“Nick will wake up at 4am just to brew a batch for me and the team,” Alice says. “I think he genuinely enjoys the process of making the coffee. Whereas I’m all for the journey, but I’m also very ready for the destination.”

By Sarah Baker Originally from Georgia, part of the former Soviet Union, Alice says traditional Georgian coffee is drunk black, and cooked in sand.

“My first recollections of coffee were at my grandmother’s house, and my mum and my aunties reading the coffee grounds, which is definitely something they’ve passed on to me. Whenever I have a proper Turkish coffee, I’ll still turn it over and read people’s fortunes with it,” Alice says. “I’ve got a real affinity for coffee. Even before I was drinking it, I always knew it had a mystical element to it.”

Alice looks for that mystical element in each coffee shop she visits. Back in her hometown of Melbourne, it’s Monk Bodhi Dharma and its sister cafés that taught her how to appreciate terroir, seasonality, and the art of roasting. On a recent promotional book tour of Canada, it was a coffee shop called The Library Specialty Coffee.

“I was preparing myself for crappy North American coffee, and on my first day in downtown Toronto, I walked down Dundas Street West and turned into this coffee shop. And would you believe, it had all this Melbourne café style branding – very St Ali. I thought I’d just get a batch brew, but it got even better. I asked for a pour over, and they said, ‘which of these four single origins would you like to choose from?’ I was almost teary. I was completely surprised.

It’s just a sublime little spot that gave me everything I needed,” Alice says.

Back in Melbourne, Alice is passionate about the coffee city she calls home, so much so that she stopped at Market Lane for espresso on her wedding day. But the thing she appreciates most, is that locals won’t tolerate subpar coffee.

“We just won’t stand for it. There’s too much good coffee in Melbourne and that demand drives supply. Roasters in Melbourne are buying great beans because they know that they can roast them and sell them at the price they deserve to be,” Alice says. “People will pay what it’s worth to drink great coffee.

We even bought that $140 coffee once to try and experience its taste, and shared it, like a great bottle of wine. We take our food and coffee seriously. We’re not doing it to show off. It’s just because we appreciate artisanal produce.”

That appreciation has resonated with Alice from a young age. Growing up in Georgia, which Alice describes “at the crossroads of Russia, the Middle East and Western Asia”, the food culture was a spice trail of flavours melded together.

“Coming from Georgia, people assumed that meant empty shelves and sad food memories, but actually, it was really spice driven, flavourful, and very fresh. Lots of people grew their own fruit and vegetables, including my grandfather,” she says. “All of that was made into the most delicious dishes. Every memory of my childhood is surrounded by food, and it hasn’t changed.”

When Alice and her family moved to Sydney in 1991, her parents – university academics– travelled a lot around the world to conferences. Each new destination was an opportunity to visit the local supermarket, see what was regional, and load up on seasonal produce.

“I had this immersive upbringing and understanding of food and culture – it was just the gift I was given,” Alice says.

At just six years of age, Alice had to learn English from scratch. She used food snacks to befriend people at school and says her most vivid memory of Australian cuisine was putting a big teaspoon of Vegemite in her mouth at the school canteen, mistaking it for chocolate spread. “I can’t say that I’ve ever got around Vegemite,” Alice says. “I don’t have a jar of it in my pantry.”

One pantry Alice did become very familiar with however, was the one in the MasterChef kitchen when she appeared on season four of the reality show. A secondary school teacher at the time, Alice went on the show to encourage her school kids to participate in a food and culture elective. She had every intention

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CELEBRITY COOK of going back to teaching, but as time went on, Alice’s food ambitions grew stronger.

“Education was always at the heart of what I wanted to do, and it’s what I’ve been doing for the last decade,” Alice says.

Alice released best-selling children’s cookbook Alice’s Food A-Z in 2015, but it was her first adult cookbook in late 2020 that really created a buzz. In Praise of Veg has tipped over 100,000 copies in print and won the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards for best illustrated non-fiction, with accolades around the world from Germany to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The vegetable bible is published in 11 countries, including most recently, North America, where it’s “flying off the shelves”.

“It’s doing what it needs to do in the world. People are really resonating with it and contacting me to say, ‘thank you for completely changing the way that I think about vegetables,” Alice says.

Her third cookbook, The Joy of Better Cooking, is a journey to confident, intuitive cooking, with stacks of vegforward recipes and handy kitchen skills and know-how to help build the foundations for a lifetime of better cooking.

“This book is about debunking and demystifying cooking for people who walk into a kitchen and feel like they don’t belong. I’m here to tell you that you are a better cook than you think you are. You need to stop putting so much pressure on yourself. We have real limiting beliefs when it comes to cooking and those beliefs set us back. I really hope The Joy of Better Cooking sets people free in the kitchen,” Alice says.

Alice’s empowering words are a reflection of the joyous person she is.

Still a teacher at the core, Alice says she can’t help but have a growth mindset in the way she lives her life and be an encouraging voice to those around her. Even through her own process of creating this new book, Alice says she’s a better cook for the experience.

“Every time I get into the kitchen, I get better. It doesn’t matter how many times I cook something, there’s always more to learn,” she says. “That’s what draws me to food. I’m an adventurer and a discoverer. I’ll never stop finding new things to keep me challenged and interested.”

Alice’s vegetable bible, In Praise of Veg, has produced more than 100,000 print copies.

To order Alice’s new cookbook The Joy of Better Cooking, access the QR code on the previous spread.

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COVER STORY

A buddy system BeanScene speaks with world champion Barista Attitude ambassadors to see what impresses them about the new Tempesta espresso machine, and why its intuitive functions are suited on and off the competition stage.

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Image: Marco Dapino

hen the stage is set for the 2022 World Barista Championship (WBC) in Melbourne and the grandstands are full of spectators, one piece of equipment will command attention, not only for its unique design and custom Melbournethemed wrap, but its ability to stage the talent of the world’s best baristas.

CONSISTENCY AND CUSTOMISATION

Tempesta by Barista Attitude

Image: Marta Vismara

Tempesta by Barista Attitude is this year’s Qualified Espresso Machine of the WBC, taking place from 27 to 30 September at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo.

“I wish I was there to compete with it,” laughs Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, 2019 WBC runner-up and 2016 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. “For sure, the baristas will enjoy the stability of the temperature in the water boiler, the water flow, and its design for workflow.”

But it’s not only champion baristas who will appreciate their first experience with Tempesta. As a café operator

himself at The Rabbit Punch in Athens, Michalis says Tempesta’s stability and consistency between pressure and temperature is key to a perfect extraction with replicable flavours. What’s also important in a café environment, he says, is being able to easily explain to customers how each variable impacts the overall tastes profile of a coffee.

“By using the screen and the curves on Tempesta’s display screen with all the details of every second of the extraction, we can share this with our customers,” Michalis says: pressure per second, temperature, millilitres per second, and total water amount used. “[This way], you can see if your extraction goes well or not. For example, you can see if your coffee grind size is too fine or not by looking at the water flow.”

He adds that the parameters can be easily and quickly changed on the touchscreen interface, depending on the barista’s needs. Extraction data can also be recorded and shared among baristas to replicate.

“You have the ability to save all the parameters to create your own

Barista Attitude ambassadors (from left) Andrea Allen, Diego Campos, Emi Fukahori and Michalis Dimitrakopoulos.

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COVER STORY

All images: Martina Corà

extraction by using different pressure profiles, and then repeat this again and again with perfect consistency,” he says.

In Tempesta’s standard mode, Michalis likes to play around with the different temperature settings, and sometimes the pre-infusion.

“In the boiler, we are using two of the best sensors to always have consistency in the temperature without losing precision or downtime,” he says.

With the Flow Rate Control (FRC) version, Michalis also enjoys mixing up the pressure profiles and extractions. It’s this ability to customise the machine’s functionalities to the needs of the barista that Michalis says makes Tempesta an appealing model for any standard of barista.

ULTIMATE CONTROL

ERGONOMIC EXCELLENCE For Emi Fukahori, 2018 World Brewers Cup Champion, fourth place 2021 WBC competitor and Owner of Mame Specialty Coffee in Zurich, connecting with customers is also paramount, even more so after the global pandemic, which for her, has underlined a longing for socialisation.

“Coffee shops don’t act just as a coffee stop, rather, it’s a place where

people can take a break and have a small human interaction with an enjoyable cup of coffee. So, it is really important that baristas have easy access to spend time with their customers, and that baristas work with a machine that can accompany this part of the barista job,” she says.

Essential to this connection is maintaining workflow and having the space to move around a coffee machine effortlessly while observing the display screen and shots.

“For me personally, I appreciate when espresso machines are slim and specious like Tempesta, so that they don’t scare customers and baristas can remain accessible. Of course, it’s important that Tempesta delivers what baristas wish in shots, and Tempesta does, but baristas also have the important job of interacting with customers and Tempesta is inviting to do so,” Emi says.

The idea of space is also considered among the operational features of Tempesta. Emi’s personal favourite is that there is enough space between

Image: Marco Dapino

For reigning World Barista Champion Diego Campos of Colombia, using Tempesta is all about having connection and control over the end product.

“The most important thing is to be able to control temperatures, pressure,

water flow, and additionally, it has to be a machine that allows me to interact with the customer,” he says.

To do this, Diego says baristas can program different recipes, and prepare more than one coffee recipe at the same time, making it possible to use the machine in an automatic way.

“I think that today, the specialty coffee industry is very focused on making the client – who is the person that values and appreciates the product that we prepare – feel and experience coffee from a friendlier and closer point of view,” Diego says.

Baristas can eaily control temperatures, pressure, and water flow on Tempesta by Barista Attitude.

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the spouts of placed portafilters and the drip tray.

“To extract precise shots, baristas nowadays use scales on the drip tray, and it is really easy to do so on Tempesta. After each extraction and flushing the group heads, baristas have full access to wipe the drip tray and machine wand so smoothly.

This ease is gold, as we would like to stay clean the whole shift,” Emi says.

Also beneficial is the ability to steam small or large volumes of milk. “[The steamer] is so smooth to move around, the power of the steamer is excellent, and the adjustment of the power is so precise.

When I would like to steam a tiny amount of milk, for a macchiato for example, it is barista-friendly to have just a tiny bit of power. When I need to steam three lattes, with a big jug full of milk, it’s so powerful to steam at once,” Emi says.

“As a coffee shop owner, wasting milk every time a barista steams a tiny amount of milk is an [issue]. Tempesta allows baristas to freely manage this.”

Emi says fellow coffee shop operators will also appreciate Tempesta’s ability to deliver consistent shots in both high and low peaks of service.

“Baristas have to perform well when there is a queue or a customer to serve, and we need a buddy who can perform together,” she says.

“As a working ‘buddy’ for baristas, Tempesta performs precisely based on settings made on each group – one or two for a usual house blend, the third [group] for manual use, for example. With this high performance, it is easy to clean around the machine, so it is easy to work with.”

A FOUNDATION OF TRUST

When 2021 WBC Runner-up Andrea Allen first used the Tempesta espresso machine, she says it was a fun experience which quickly saw her producing “incredible espresso”.

“I’m not typically an incredibly technically intuitive person, but the technology of the machine is easy to understand and accessible as well as comprehensive,” Andrea says.

She notes at this point in time, most espresso machines are comprehensive in their technical capabilities and offerings. Therefore, for Andrea, having that mindset as a standard means the machine’s design and profile becomes the selling point, as a tool baristas in the hospitality sector can use to their full potential.

“Technology and machinery should always be the foundation upon which excellence is built. You can have the most incredible, beautiful equipment, but

www.coffeetools.supply

without the heart and skill of a barista, it’s simply a machine,” she says.

For this reason, Andrea says baristas can trust that the Tempesta will play its part so that they can focus on service.

A large reason for this, she adds, is because of the backing and decades of experience from CMA, which has been manufacturing espresso machines since 1969, and is well experienced with parts supply, fabrication, and quality control.

“Their programs, hospitality, and trajectory for this project is just the beginning. It’s a great moment to join Tempesta in the next wave of specialty coffee,” Andrea says.

Michalis Dimitrakopoulous agrees.

He started working with the Barista Attitude project in 2016 and says the team has always strived to create the best espresso machine for the barista.

“By testing every machine, we’re trying to be one of the most flexible in the market,” he says. “It was one of my dreams to be part of this team and work to create the perfect espresso machine for the best experience of making coffee.”

For Michalis, and the other Barista Attitude ambassadors, that dream is now a reality.

For more information, visit www.barista-attitude.com

Co�fee is not sustainable unless the farmers are paid fairly.

Only then can they nurture the environment and plan for the future.

Choose Fairtrade. fairtrade.org @fairtradeanz

TECH PROFILE

The problem solver Andrew Stacy is more than just a coffee machine technician.

He’s an essential service for the coffee industry, as well as a counsellor, communicator, and customer service ambassador.

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n the days where café operators are at their peak of stress due to a machine breakdown, leakage or blockage, Brew Solutions Australia Technical Manager Andrew Stacy arrives with an open mind and a calming influence.

“It’s my job to gather clear information to find out what’s actually going on and coach the customer through the situation. When people feel they have been understood and know what your intentions are, it builds trust,” Andrew says. “At the time, customers are understandably worried about loss of workflow and downtime. You’re dealing with that plus the pressure to fix something.”

Andrew started working with a small coffee roasting repair agent in 2006. He didn’t grow up with any aspirations to be a technician, but when a family friend offered him a job helping clean the roaster, working front of house and fixing machines, it led to an apprenticeship, an electrical licence, and a trade certificate.

“I can clearly remember the first brand I worked with was Rancilio. Their machines were the be-all and end-all of the industry, before the multi-boiler phase,” Andrew says.

He worked with domestic appliances before joining the corporate coffee space for several years. When Andrew moved to Brew Solutions in 2016, he says it reinvigorated his passion for working with business owners, and the satisfaction he gets from seeing a problem and fixing it.

“Fortunately, over the 16 years I’ve been in the industry, equipment has changed, problems have changed, and it’s kept me interested,” Andrew says.

He notes the advent of the multiboiler, complexity of fast-switching, digitalisation, and addition of extra boilers, gears, and LED-touchscreens displaying shot times have been a huge evolution.

“Older machines used to have mechanical pressure switches that were driven by steam and would go ‘clunk, clunk, clunk’. You had to listen to those

Brew Solutions Australia Technical Manager Andrew Stacy.

noises to identify the issue,” Andrew says. “Technology has really come a long way. The principles are still the same – hot water, steam, brewing, pumps, water flow, flow meters – just the methods are a bit different now.”

What’s unique about the evolution of coffee equipment, Andrew adds, is that consumers have driven a lot of the market innovations.

“Coffee, when I started, was simply pulling the lever a couple of times, and scraping the top of the coffee off. There was no talk about how many grams it was. Everything was a 17-gram basket, or a nine-gram single. When the consumer started to change things by weighing their coffee and wanting precision, such as 22-grams in the basket, not 17, industry manufacturers started to adjust their equipment accordingly,” Andrew says. “That’s when we started seeing the

introduction of scales and more precision in the flow rate to achieve the preinfusion before pulling the shot.”

What’s also changed, is the volume of coffee machine options on the market. To ensure Andrew and the Brew Solutions team remain at the forefront of technology changes, requires constant customer feedback and manufacturer contact.

Andrew is in charge of Brew Solutions’ technical division and service department, overseeing equipment, sales and the coordination of jobs and custom relations. Each morning, he leads his team in a ‘tech talk’, a daily brief to affirm the day’s work and talk through any complexities that may be involved.

“The more complex machines become, the more common it is to see issues,” Andrew says.

“Twenty years ago, the internal

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TECH PROFILE workings of a machine were pretty straightforward compared to what we’re looking at now. Today, we have things such as auto flushing, and if it doesn’t work every single the time, because of a software issue or because the sensor isn’t quite aligned properly, it becomes a bigger problem that affects the way the operator uses the equipment and disrupts the regular work pattern.”

Even the industry understanding of ‘servicing’ has evolved. Gone are the days of picking up a tool bag and a box of spare parts to fix a busted group seal. Now, it’s about a “whole picture approach”.

“What I’ve learned over the years is that being a good coffee machine technician is about having good principles, applying etiquette, and understanding the customer’s needs and expectations. Once you understand that, you can apply a solution,” Andrew says.

To get to this point, Andrew and his team apply the principle ‘seek to understand’, first listening to the customer share a brief of the problem.

The technicians then identify the ‘top three’ expectations from the customer’s list.

“The first problem the customer shares is usually the most important one.

The second issue they might mention is that the steam wand is a bit rattly and makes noise. And then they describe a third problem, such as a leak,” he says.

“We always apply our service method and protocols, but if you service those top three things, and nothing else, the customer feels like a negotiation has taken place.”

Brew Solutions covers a broad spectrum of equipment and works mostly in the traditional coffee machine

Brew Solutions technician Hanis Rozali embraces the company’s ‘top three’ appraoch to customer service.

market space. To ensure technicians are well prepped for the job, call outs are transferred into a job system where the issue and notes can be passed on, much like an ambulance responding to an emergency call. An internal messaging platform also enables the technicians to connect on important customer considerations, such as the need to be mindful of budget, ensuring they’re not 10 minutes late to the job, or to enter a site via the backdoor.

“Our job is about how to best serve the customer. That includes our principle of human interaction and seeking out that set of customer expectations, understanding their needs and how we can apply ourselves to meet those expectations. It doesn’t always mean picking up a screwdriver,” Andrew says.

Very few coffee machine technicians come into the role with past coffee

Brew Solutions Technician Esneyder Rey puts customer service first.

industry experience, however it’s the breadth of knowledge and skill level from software engineers and mechanical engineers that’s reinvigorating the role.

Andrew is also studying an engineering diploma to further his own development.

“I’ve always been that person that if I saw something was broken, I knew I could fix it and make it better. Fixing machines is still so rewarding and studying is definitely helping to expand my knowledge and possibilities,” he says.

Andrew still finds enjoyment in those “high-five moments” where he sees the impact his work has made. The other side of the job that’s often not talked about, however, is the impact and pressure applied to machine technicians.

“Sometimes we don’t come up with a fix. Some things just don’t work, and we can’t wave a magic wand to fix something then and there. There are those peaks and troughs and times that accumulate. When you’re going back-to-back, job-to-job, working with emotional customers, the stress can build up because we carry the weight of expectation,” Andrew says. “One of the more liberating things about working in a team, however, is the ability to share those experiences and normalise the situation.”

Thankfully, Andrew says no two days are the same, and each presents a different challenge.

“I’m really fortunate to work with [Co-founders] Geoff and Leigh Michelmore and the whole team. We have a great time when we’re altogether.

There’s something to always challenge me, and that’s what keeps things interesting.”

For more information, visit brewsolutions.com.au

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Tevo Mini Tablet ®

One tablet in the group head removes coffee oils, grounds and stains, improving the taste and aroma of espresso after the machine is cleaned.

Tevo® Mini Tablets also leave no trace of odour.

Tevo® Mini Tablets are registered by Australian Certified Organic (ACO) as an allowed input in organic systems. Tevo® Mini Tablets are free from phosphate and Genetically Modified Organisms.

Safe for all machine parts, Tevo® Mini is listed with NSF Protocol P152. It has been tested, evaluated and passed the most stringent toxicology and corrosivity standards.

The ingredients and formulation of the products that are NSF certified are safe, leave no harmful residues and do not cause corrosion within the coffee machine.

Tevo® Mini Tablets can be used to clean domestic style automatic machines and also placed in the group handle for small traditional espresso machines.

Visit cafetto.com to learn more.

100 TABLET OPTION AVAILABLE

enquiry@cafetto.com | www.cafetto.com

TECH PROFILE

Fuelled with energy Fuel and convenience stores are changing the game when it comes to coffee quality, with Urbanista proving it is possible to receive a barista-made coffee at speed.

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hen a customer traditionally walks into a service station to pay for fuel, they’re greeted by a counter of chocolate bars, chips, and gum. But not at Urbanista Café & Convenience. Here, the first thing the customer sees at the dedicated café and convenience store, is the coffee machine and barista.

“I was very conscious not to make the service station look like every other service station, and it’s the best thing I could have done,” says Eddy Nader, Managing Director of Nader Petroleum Group.

Eddy’s father started working in the service station industry in 1970. Eddy joined the family tradition in 1992, and in 2015, he decided to shake things up.

Seeing the growth potential for a quality coffee offering, he rebranded his BP outlets to Urbanista Café & Convenience stores. Due to the success of the model, one store has expanded to six, with coffee the primary focal point, and oil taking a secondary position.

His first outlet to apply the Urbanista brand was at BP Smeaton Grange (now branded Ampol), in Sydney, which won Australian Service Station and Convenience Store of the Year in 2016.

The next year, Urbanista’s second site at BP Condell Park (now branded Shell) in Sydney’s southwest won the same award.

This year, its Shell Colyton site jointly took the accolade and is a finalist at the Asia Pacific NACS Retailer of the Year Awards.

During COVID, with many coffee shop outlets closed or operating under restrictions, Eddy’s Urbanista outlets became coffee destinations.

“Our growth during COVID went through the roof. Between the six locations, we do about 8.5-tonne of coffee per year. We’re not a typical pushbutton express coffee. We have a custom-made blend, trained staff, and that quality attracts customers from all directions. We’ve maintained that reach even as things opened back up,” Eddy says.

Traditionally, Eddy’s team would

Urbanista Café & Convenience stores go through about 8.5-tonne of coffee per year.

spend hours teaching new staff members to make coffee. But now, the first thing they are shown, is how to use the Perfect Moose milk texturing device before undertaking barista training.

“The Perfect Moose is an absolute game changer for a business like ours,” Eddy says.

With the high volume of staff turnover Eddy is experiencing, he says the automated foaming device in each of his locations reduces the pressure on staff workload. If a new staff member “ups and leaves” after a month, Eddy says the replacement can maintain the brand’s quality output almost instantly because the Perfect Moose is such an easy and consistent device to use.

“Even in busy periods, we’ve been able to cut down on staff because we’ve got the Perfect Moose. In one of our stores, we used to have two people working behind the coffee machine in the afternoon because of the ‘home-time rush’. It did more coffee between 4.30pm and 7.30pm than it did in the morning.

Now, we just have a single person on and

have eliminated the need for a second because of the Perfect Moose,” Eddy says.

By cutting down on a second staff member at an award rate of $30.20 per hour, working four hours Monday to Friday, Eddy says it’s a cost saving of around $120 a day, 52 weeks of the year, equating to $6240.

Beyond cost savings, the Perfect Moose is helping achieve Eddy’s main criteria for speed and consistency.

“With the Perfect Moose, you can make 100 coffees in a row and the milk will come out exactly the same 100 times over. Previously, there would have been so many inconsistencies, such as burning the milk,” he says. “A lot of tradies will come in the morning and want their coffee extra hot because it needs to last while they’re driving or going to a job site. With the Perfect Moose, you can easily adjust the temperature range of the milk to the preference of the customer.”

One of Eddy’s Urbanista stores does close to 600 cups of coffee a day, and the

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TECH PROFILE

The Perfect Moose helps alleviate Urbanista’s staff pressures and enhances output efficiency and consistency.

majority are milk-based orders ranging from full cream to skim and almond milk. The Smeaton Grange site does about 400 cups per day. And at its busiest site, Condell Park, of which 60 per cent of orders are double shots, Eddy says the orders are “one full cream milk to two lactose-free orders, and three almond milk”.

“With Perfect Moose, there are three different colour jugs. Black for cappuccino milk. White for flat whites, and green for all alternative milks, so there’s a jug for every milk preference,” he says. “One customer orders a half soy half skinny. You just shrug your shoulders and get the job done.”

The other noticeable benefit of the Perfect Moose, Eddy adds, is how much it reduces milk wastage because it weights the volume of liquid pending the order size.

“Baristas use to just pour the volume they thought was sufficient to the volume, but that’s not accurate. With the Perfect Moose, it will actually measure the liquid to the very drop and tell you to ‘take some out’ if it’s too much,” he says.

Barista Technology Australia CEO Brett Bolwell says Eddy’s success through the convenience sector is just the start of an “express revolution”.

“Barista-made coffee is so prevalent in Australia. I think we’re really fortunate in this country to have a really high calibre of coffee consumers who expect good coffee no matter where they are, which includes being on the road and getting it at the same

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place as your fuel,” Brett says. “Only now is there realisation that the petrol and convenience markets provide an incredible opportunity for growth over the next three to five years due to the size of the market.”

Barista Technology Australia is currently supplying many drive-thru outlets with equipment that helps support workflow, speed, and consistency. To date, Brett estimates about 11,000 Puqpress have been sold in Australia over the past two years. He says the automated tampers have become “a benchmark” and “non-negotiable” for any new business. Brett says a further 750 outlets now have the Perfect Moose, and that figure is set to jump considerably. Flow telemetry software is the newest product in the Barista Technology Australia distribution range, with 100 already on the market, and 500 about to be installed in a prominent chain outlet.

Kerry Forde, Head of BP Retail for The Number 8 Group, New Zealand, says installing Flow has become an integral element in coffee quality management, and will be extending it to their other existing BP sites.

Mike McGill of BP New Zealand, says prior to installing Flow, the petrol chain believed it was making great coffee, but upon seeing the data via Flow, it quickly realised it was not.

“It was a real eye-opening experience.

We went to work using the Flow data to improve the coffee our customers were receiving. In what felt like no time at all,

met recipe percentage was increasing and so was the positive feedback from the customers,” Mike says. “We were constantly being told by the customers how they loved the new bean, only there wasn’t a new bean, we were just making the coffee how we were supposed to from the start.”

As a result, Mike has seen BP NZ coffee sales increase and in other areas of the shop as customers peruse while getting their coffee.

“To date, using the Flow system has been a great experience and we will be sticking with it,” Mike says.

Brett adds that the same experience can be said for many other customers, with sale improvements increasing on average 15 to 20 per cent when shot consistency is met.

For businesses looking for the full suite of automation packages, Brett says the Puqpress, grind-by-weight grinders, Perfect Moose and Flow telemetry are the four key products any coffee operator should have on their workbench.

“We’re committed to making coffee more accessible and much more consistent,” Brett says. “What we’re seeing now, is more people coming to us saying, ‘we want to put together drive-thru offerings, but we want to make it faster than what everyone else is doing’. The goal will soon be one-minute service. It’s all about speed – and very good quality coffee.”

For more information, visit baristatechnology.com.au

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TECHNOLOGY PROFILE

g

Scaling up ADM Packaging Automation is upgrading its manufacturing capacity to better service a national market. BeanScene explains how the Australian company has scalable solutions to meet growing customer needs.

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t the heart of Australia’s coffee scene in Melbourne, ADM Packaging Automation has established itself as an industry leader for customised and flexible packaging solutions. Its full spectrum in-house service brings design concepts to life through production, installation, operation and aftermarket maintenance services.

As Director at ADM, George Fakhry heads up the mechanical engineering research and development side of the business. His primary aim is to complement the rich and diverse expertise of Australia’s coffee roasting industry with reliable, high-quality equipment.

“Our team has been designing and

building food packaging machines and accessories for almost 30 years now,” he says. “We have a range of units that are purpose-built for different packaging requirements, from coffee and baking supplies right through to confectionary and even pet food.”

After many years working out of its workshop in Preston, ADM is relocating to a new facility, 15 minutes up the road in Thomastown. According to George, this 2200-square-metre site is over four times the size of its current space, and will allow the company more breathing room to develop and manufacture automation equipment, such as the DP3 Series packaging line.

“The DP3 Series is entirely conceptualised by us and manufactured here in Australia,” he explains. “Within

this portfolio, the DP31 is an expanded model on the original DP30, optimised for the coffee industry with a stage two section for opening, supporting and filling of bags. It can support 250-gram, 500-gram, one and two kilo packing requirements.”

The DP31 can weigh and dose either whole beans or ground coffee, and features a suction cup mechanism to open the bags as they are fed through the system, accurately filling and sealing at the press of a button.

George says feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting an increase in business activity by 50 per cent or more.

“We introduced this model upgrade in 2016, and have installed more than 20 units to Australian customers. “In many

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TECHNOLOGY PROFILE cases, this has been to replace failing, lower quality machines imported from overseas,” George says. “We supply the DP31 to roasters of various sizes around Australia, from sites packing two tonnes through to 25 tonnes a week – that’s around 5000 bags per day.

“Not only is our machinery Australian made, but we’re also catering specifically to a local market. There is a huge movement at the moment towards boutique operations doing small batch or contract roasting at around three to 12 tonnes at a time.”

George says the solution is extremely scalable, taking on a modular structure that can range from a single unit right through to a fully automated line.

This is important, he points out, as each roasting or packing business will endeavour to meet unique goals supported by its own equipment.

“No two premises are identical,” he says. “We can organise the pouch filler to be an inline ‘L’ or return ‘U’ style arrangement, modified to suit specified requirements. Our engineers are also experienced with integrating our machinery into existing frameworks and floorplans, creating a tailored flow of automated production.”

ADM’s DP31 is compatible with all sized and shaped bags, including paper or plastic gusseted block bottom, flat bottom, doy pouch, rippa zippa, and pull-tab packs. High powered vibration settles the product within the bag, before tightly sealing and printing the best before date on the exterior.

“A key part of our innovative approach is keeping the coffee fresh during the packaging process and throughout the shelf life,” George says.

“Our unique handling and transporting of beans to the packer doesn’t use vacuum feed systems. We believe that can damage the beans while they’re being processed. Instead, we use a bucket elevator that sits at the start of the machinery line, and it’s much gentler.

“What’s more, a lot of the new bags

ADM is passionate about providing Australian customers with Australianmade packaging solutions.

ADM’s DP31 machine can weigh and dose either whole beans or ground coffee, helping some businesses increase activity by 50 per cent.

are made in the dog bone zip tab style pouches, which allows small samples of the coffee to be discharged before zipping back up again. They come out in a trapezoidal shape rather than a square, so that’s a consideration for us when setting things up. We’ve utilised dedicated components to combat these difficulties and prioritise the benefits of zip style and quad seal pouches.”

The entire process can be overseen from the Central Control System, which features a user-friendly touchscreen interface. Electrical and pneumatic schematics eliminate the need for multiple bulky control cabinets. The hub can be positioned separately to the equipment if required.

“The system can support up to 99 programs, which the operator can copy and paste into their unit with their own modifications within minutes,” George explains. “When we install a machine, our engineers will download about five recipes ready to go, and then the

customer has the ability to make changes or create their own to suit different sized bags or weights.

“One thing about the coffee industry is that roasters often want to do multiple sizes on the one machine throughout the same day – especially those operating on a smaller scale. The benefit of our system is that the set-up is only five minutes, making it really easy to change over. It’s also a toolless job, bar maybe one small screwdriver.”

It’s George’s vision to provide Australian product to Australian customers, to save them having to import lower quality equipment from overseas.

Many ADM customers have expressed gratitude they are not having to chase up external service technicians over the phone in different time zones.

“We do comprehensive training for the customer upon installation, and site visits following that, should anything need attention,” George says. “I’m very eager to answer any questions they might have and make sure they get the best value and efficiency out of their machine in the long run.”

For operators packing more than twotonne of beans per week, George extends an invitation to visit the ADM showroom in Thomastown and trial packing up to one-tonne of beans for free.

“Seeing is believing. We are dedicated to supporting Australia’s coffee industry through the current challenges around labour shortages by providing upscaled automation solutions,” he says.

For more information, visit www.admpa.com.au

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Coffee

TECH PROFILE

Closing the gap La Cimbali’s S60 is breaking barriers with its speed of operation and milktexturing ability, determined to prove it can compete with the skillset of a barista, even if it is a fully-automatic machine.

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ustralians have a penchant for milk-based coffee thanks to their close proximity to dairy production and high standards of coffee production. When it comes to milk texturing, there is little room for error, and that includes fully-automatic coffee machines.

“In recent years, fully-automatic machines have quickly become an alternative [option] to traditional machines, fitting into contexts where the quality of the coffee and milk foam is fundamental,” says La Cimbali Group Strategic Product Marketing Director, Luigi Morello. “Customers now aim to make a cup of coffee close to those made by experienced baristas.”

To help transfer that same experience to coffee shop chains, large hotels, fast food outlets and takeaway venues where productivity and cup quality are key, is La Cimbali’s S60 with new patented technology High Quality Milk (HQM).

This technology froths and heats cold milk by means of steam, without worrying about water coming into direct contact with the milk.

“This guarantees the possibility of obtaining different levels of emulsion without any presence of water in the milk,” Luigi says. “The S60 respects milk and keeps its drinks pure.”

With HQM, users can follow personalised recipes by customising temperature levels of dairy and plantbased milks to achieve different textures and densities.

A temperature sensor on the manual steam wand ensures a more accurate preparation of milk-based drinks. It indicates each temperature reached during the process via the machine display.

A thermal-insulated material on the Turbosteam Cold Touch protects the automatic steam wand to eliminate the risk of burns and is easy to clean.

Luigi says increasingly advanced milk-frothing systems are changing the game of fully automatic machines, which have “substantially flattened the gap” in comparison to a barista’s coffee making skills.

Carmen Clemente, Latte Art Champion 2022, using the S60 at the World of Coffee expo.

“The average quality of professional equipment has significantly increased.

Today, a coffee shop that uses a fullyautomatic machine knows that the main driver is not the price, but the quality of the product. This is a benefit because these machines possess the ability to satisfy customers accustomed to traditional machines,” he says.

“We are absolutely convinced that the quality of the S60 coffee is comparable to that of a traditional machine.”

La Cimbali Branch Manager ANZ Oceania Angelo Caruso says that there was a time in the Australian and New Zealand market when fully automatic machines were not really considered a substitute for a traditional coffee offering, mainly due to the quality of coffee and milk produced at that time. However, a lot has since changed.

“There is a newfound respect and acceptance of automated coffee solutions. Gruppo Cimbali has led the way globally to change this mindset,

thanks to S60 technologies such as its Perfect Grinding System, HQM Milk Technology, Turbo Steam, and Smart Boiler, just to name a few,” Angelo says.

“These technologies have closed the gap between barista-made and automated coffee drinks. For such a discerning coffee market like ANZ, the S60 is certainly a solution that will satisfy all lovers of coffee.”

The S60 was launched in 2019 with the aim of renewing La Cimbali’s top-ofthe-range fully-automatic machines from an aesthetic, design, and technological point of view.

“The intention was and still is, to respond as effectively as possible to contexts that require a high daily consumption of coffee-based beverages with a product that, with all the typical functionalities of Gruppo Cimbali’s fullyautomatic machines, becomes the perfect substitute for traditional machines,” Luigi says.

Thanks to the S60’s combination

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TECH PROFILE

La Cimbali’s S60 features the new patented High Quality Milk technology, which froths and heats cold milk by steam.

touchscreen, Thin-Film Transistor display, and push buttons that help facilitate the barista’s work, Angelo says the machine maintains high productivity and consistency, even at peak times.

“The S60 helps create a positive environment for the barista, where stress is managed by machine automation,” Angelo says.

What may surprise the user, Luigi adds, is the speed at which the S60 prepares several drinks in sequence, as well as the way the steam wand precisely facilitates a barista’s work, all while facilitating customer contact.

To assist with volume, the S60 features grinders with the PGS, which continuously monitors the coffee delivery parameters by automatically correcting grinding and dosing if necessary. Luigi says this feature ensures consistency in delivery and optimal extraction quality.

The one-litre boiler maintains constant temperature. It allows the user to work with high volumes at optimal speed, and control the temperature of the coffee group per recipe.

Luigi considers the Carosello coffee group to be the S60’s most significant feature.

“For years, it has allowed us to distinguish ourselves from others in the market, mainly because its highly performing functions allow for optimal productivity,” he says.

The group is preheated, made of metal, and composed of four cylindrical chambers that rotate on a central pin, always leaving a chamber ready for immediate use. Thanks to its Turbo

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Grinding function, the group brews and dispenses a drink while simultaneously preparing ground coffee to be dispensed for the next drink, reducing the total time of the process.

The S60 also provides the option to adjust the dose of ground coffee and espresso in each cup, making it possible to control every parameter of espresso extraction.

As the ANZ coffee industry navigates its way out of the global pandemic, suffering from staff shortages, Angelo says automation is the solution.

“Today more than ever, an automated solution is not only required but increasing in demand within the HORECA space. This is due to the ease of use and low barista skill required to prepare these beverages, as well as the quality of drink produced at the simple push of a button,” he says.

For individual sites, and business with multi-sites, the S60 can provide management with a clear view of its coffee operations thanks to telemetry solutions.

La Cimbali’s new Internet of Things (IoT) platform called Art.In.Coffee, also provides functional analysis of the machine’s performance via a new user interface, usable via smart device.

“The platform makes it possible to conduct business intelligence through outlining detailed insights on the consumption of drinks over time by consumers and anticipating maintenance issues. In addition, it can provide consumption analysis in terms of energy waste reduction,” Luigi says.

Going one step further, Cimbali Group operators and coffee machines can connect globally through a new innovative support system called The Global Remote Program, developed in partnership with Team-Viewer.

The tool provides immediate support without the need for the physical presence of an operator.

“Our technicians can remotely perform various operations, such as checking the performance of brewing and grinding, controlling the settings, checking for anomalies, and much more,” Luigi says.

With all the tools and functionalities needed to operate at speed and to peak performance, Luigi says all that’s left to do, is for customers to explore the S60 and experience its capabilities for themselves.

“We must learn to look at fullyautomatic machines without bias. Our industry is changing a lot in terms of new shapes of hospitality, and these machines are an important and convincing answer.

We are in a moment of change that we must understand, not resist,” Luigi says.

“We believe it is only a matter of time before the consumer will begin to see an increasing amount of fully-automatic machines in bars, restaurants and pastry shops. The gap, in terms of performance in the most advanced models, has already been substantially filled in comparison to traditional machines.”

For more information, visit www.cimbali.com or distributor Service Sphere servicesphere.com.au

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TECH PROFILE

Assisting baristas Can an automated milk steamer match a barista’s skillset? BeanScene talks to a café owner about his experience with Caffe Assist.

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ith staff shortages posing one of the hardest challenges the food and beverage industry has ever faced, café operators are open to equipment and technology that can assist with workflow and free up valuable barista time. An automated milk steamer is one such product, but does it truly compare to the expertise of a highly trained barista? This was the question David Schmidt faced when he introduced the Caffe Assist to his business in East Gippsland, Victoria.

“The biggest issue we’re facing at the moment is staffing – being able to recruit enough staff to keep up with our demand,” explains David, Director of Mr D. Food & Coffee in Bairnsdale.

“Prior to getting our first Caffe Assist machine, the most common complaint we had was the time it would take to get a takeaway coffee from us.”

Prompted by customer feedback, David explored the option of an automated milk steamer. He became acquainted with Caffe Assist thanks to Roy Greenfield, Owner of Zest Specialty Coffee Roasters which supplies its coffee to Mr D. Food & Coffee.

“I went with Roy’s recommendation because the Caffe Assist can be used with all types of milk, not just the one type,” he says. “That includes regular fat, skinny and lactose-free diary milks, but also non-dairy such as almond, soy and oat. It’s a highly versatile machine.”

Importantly, Caffe Assist has resolved Mr D’s most pressing issue: long wait times for takeaway coffee.

The Caffe Assist self-cleans and can transition from texturing dairy milks to plant-based milks without any fuss.

“The best thing about the Caffe Assist is that it frees up hands. We used to have three, maybe four sets of hands on an espresso machine at any one time, and now we have two Caffe Assists, which effectively frees up four sets of hands,” David says. “It’s extremely consistent as well. It doesn’t matter who’s on the machine, the milk will always produce the same quality.”

According to David, the combination of speed and consistency that the Caffe Assist provides has improved coffee sales.

“We’ve noticed since operating the two Caffe Assists that our coffee sales have gone up,” he says. “I think this is in part because of the speed of delivery, but also just because of the consistency in the milk texturing.”

In an average week, Mr D’s produces 4000 coffees per week (or more than 100 kilograms of beans), with David estimating that 85 per cent of all coffees sold are milk espresso-based coffees.

With staff shortages it’s been a struggle to keep up with demand, particularly in

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TECH PROFILE the peak holiday seasons when coffee sales soar.

“We have four high quality trained baristas on the team, and they were reluctant to use the Caffe Assist at first,” says David.

“But they quickly changed their mind when they saw and experienced its capabilities first-hand. They now enjoy using it, as it affords them more time to focus on the coffee itself and to interact with customers.”

As to whether the Caffe Assist can genuinely match the skillset of his trained baristas, David says it’s up to the challenge.

“A few of our baristas believed they could produce a better milk than the Caffe Assist, so we put it to the test one day,” David recalls. “We had a milk-off.

I put the jug on the Caffe Assist at the same time as they started, and the Caffe Assist produced a better milk. So that line of conversation soon came to an end.”

One of the key benefits of using the Caffe Assist is that it self-cleans and can transition from texturing dairy milks to plant-based milks without any fuss. This can be a challenge for baristas, who can get slowed down by plant-based milk coffee orders.

“When you’ve finished with one milk jug, the wand automatically purges and cleans itself, so it’s a simple process of just grabbing a different jug to start a new milk – downtime is minimal,” says David. “We recently added oat milk to our portfolio, and the Caffe Assist team helped us over the phone to create the setting. We played with it a bit until we were happy, and now it’s locked in and good to go every time.”

Additionally, David says the Caffe Assist promotes a more hygienic process for cleaning than manual milk texturing.

“We had a health inspector come through to do a routine check last week and he noticed we didn’t have cleaning cloths by the machine milk steaming wand – when we demonstrated the Caffe Assist he was very impressed with how it automatically cleans itself,” David adds.

“This saves us time on the cleaning as well.”

The time-saving benefit of Caffe Assist is a vital one. As Caffe Assist Sales Executive Alexander Purton explains, the rising requests for plant-based textured milk have influenced how the contemporary barista goes about filling orders.

“On average, over 70 per cent of Australian café orders are milk espresso, with plant-based milks now set to overtake cows’ milk in cafés,” says Alex.

“This has had a significant impact on

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“CAFFE ASSIST HELPS BRIDGE THE GAP WITH THE CHALLENGES OF STAFF SHORTAGES

BY PROVIDING THAT QUALITY, CONSISTENTLY.” the time involved to make coffees – in previous years, baristas could texture a large amount of dairy milk to fill a number of orders in one go, but now they are using multiple small jugs for

Mr D. Food & Coffee in Bairnsdale uses Caffe Assist to help with its weekly volume of milk-based beverages, accounting for 85 per cent of all orders.

various milk types. This puts a lot of pressure on them to deliver coffees on time, particularly when you factor in all the milk change-outs and cleaning in between.”

This is where Alex says the Caffe Assist can prove invaluable to café owners.

“Ultimately, it comes back to that combination of speed, quality and consistency. For café owners during this staffing crisis, it enables them to achieve the quality they need. Because from that business perspective, it only takes one bad coffee experience to lose a customer,” Alex says. “Caffe Assist helps bridge the gap with the challenges of staff shortages by providing that quality, consistently. And while, as David mentions, there is likely to be hesitation from barista staff about using the Caffe Assist at the start, it’s important to reiterate that it’s not there to replace a barista. It’s there to assist them.”

For more information, visit www.caffeassist.com

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

A true partnership

BeanScene talks to Justin Rejske, Managing Director at Melitta Professional Coffee Solutions Australia, about supplying businesses with end-to-end coffee solutions.

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hat excites Justin Rejske the most about his role at Melitta is the fourthgeneration familyowned businesses’ rich and storied history in the coffee industry, framed by a deep love for coffee preparation and strengthened by entrepreneurial mastery.

“Before becoming the household name that we are recognised as today, Melitta has a humble origin story that began in 1908 at the home of Melitta Bentz in Dresden, Germany,” Justin says.

Akin to the timeless sentiment of coffee lovers everywhere, Melitta was in search of the perfect cup of coffee. From her kitchen at home, she was working on developing a way to prepare her coffee that would filter the coffee grounds from the drink, while retaining the full flavour of the beans.

Tinkering in her kitchen one day, Melitta reasoned that if she punched holes in a brass pot and lined it with ink blotting paper, this would filter the pure coffee out. Upon testing her method, it proved successful, and thus, the coffee filter and drip coffee were born.

Melitta’s early coffee preparation device soon gained popularity as a coveted household staple. Now 124 years and four generations on, Melitta’s entrepreneurial spirit lives on in the selftitled business name.

“Over the years, our company has grown into a global coffee superpower, standing for excellence in every aspect of coffee preparation, and becoming well-regarded by coffee professionals the world over for our portfolio of coffee products and services,” says Justin.

When Melitta landed in Australia in 1986, the focus of the business was on ground coffee for the retail segment. But according to Justin, things really started

to take shape in the Australian market when it expanded its focus to include professional coffee equipment in the early noughties.

“In 2021, we redefined our strategy around six strategic pillars which includes coffee, machines, customer service, finance, digitalisation and bespoke solutions,” explains Justin.

“These core competencies really strengthened our offering to clients interested in creating a positive coffee experience for their business.”

At that point, Melitta Australia established itself as a professional coffee system solutions provider, partnering with clients to provide a broad portfolio of coffee products and services.

“By assisting in every aspect of coffee preparation, we are living out our true purpose,” Justin says.

And with the addition of financial solutions to its portfolio, Melitta entered an entirely new field of coffee expertise.

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INDUSTRY FEATURE

“We can consult with clients on everything from the lease or sale of a piece of equipment to the types of products they should sell to increase profits – right down to the cost per cup,” Justin says.

From there, the team at Melitta can build out custom products and solutions.

For some of their larger key clients, this means designing and customising specific products, developing their menus, implementing digitalisation processes, and assisting with marketing for their business.

Additionally, Melitta also offers staff training and servicing for equipment.

“Whether we are working with a catering company, hotel, restaurant, or another industry market segment that provides coffee services to their guests, clients trust us to provide end-to-end tailored coffee solutions that are specific to the needs of their business,” Justin says.

Retaining its roots as a family-owned operated enterprise means that Melitta prefers to look at its customers as an

Melitta is a family-owned company that has built long-standing client relationships built on trust and tailored coffee solutions.

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extension of that family operation by developing a true partnership with clients.

“Clients come to us because they understand the importance of offering their guests a professional quality coffee experience however, they don’t have expertise in coffee in their own right, and this is where we excel,” says Justin.

“The value of a true partnership is that our clients can leverage our coffee expertise as a competitive advantage for their own businesses. There are many aspects of a business that will get clientele through the door, but a positive coffee experience gives them a reason to keep coming back.”

Simplification is key to the services Melitta provides to its clients. An example of this occurred a few years ago when a petroleum chain approached Melitta to assist with growing their hot beverage sales.

“The client was seeking a longterm solution that would allow them to capitalise on the strong growth of their coffee sales in their petrol and convenience segment,” Justin says.

“Our first step was to send our experts to learn about their objectives and understand the status of their business. What we discovered was that the client had amassed numerous suppliers over time. This was fragmenting their business, as there was little room for standardisation in the quality or consistency of products and services. Ultimately, this was preventing them from achieving their business goals.”

To address this issue, the team at Melitta recommended a scalable solution consisting of coffee, equipment, service, digitalisation, and customisations that took into consideration the different needs of the client’s national business.

“OVER THE YEARS, OUR COMPANY HAS GROWN INTO A GLOBAL COFFEE SUPERPOWER, STANDING FOR EXCELLENCE IN EVERY ASPECT OF COFFEE PREPARATION.” The end result was a success with the client gaining the ability to deliver consistent premium quality hot beverages to their customers, while at the same achieving their profitability targets. Melitta continues to consult with the client regularly to monitor the performance of its coffee system and ensure the business is aligned with changing market trends.

“In the past few years, we have observed that global supply chain disruptions have made running a business even more challenging due to supply shortages and rising shipping costs,” Justin says.

“By offering our clients a true partnership arrangement, we invite our clients to rely on us for all their coffee requirements. This way, they can continue to focus on what matter the most – running their business.”

For more information, visit www.melitta-professional.com

@ST_ALi STALi.COM.AU

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TECH PROFILE

Set the mood Say hello to the Oscar Mood, the third generation of Nuova Simonelli’s semi-professional range designed to help savour precious coffee moments wherever you are.

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xpos are a great occasion for brands to share new products, innovative technology, and the projects they’ve been tirelessly working on behind the scenes to benefit the industry. So, when the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) 2022 rolls around in September, it will be the first time many people will see Nuova Simonelli’s new-release Oscar Mood.

“We’re really looking forward to presenting the Oscar Mood to the industry. Simonelli Group have really taken the Oscar Mood to the next level,” says Carly D’Agostino, Sales and Marketing Manager of Espresso Mechanics, an Australian distributor of Nuova Simonelli equipment.

“This new professional coffee machine is a major step up from the original Musica and Oscar domestic machines that Nuova Simonelli first launched, and another step up from the Oscar II that was released in the late 90s for domestic and professional use.”

This new model, designed to embrace elegance and comfort, is suited to home users, offices and anywhere that appreciates good espresso and milkbased beverages.

“This machine includes advanced technologies and features that are usually only found in large commercial coffee machines, but Nuova Simonelli have managed to work their magic and integrate it into the Oscar Mood,” Carly says.

The control panel incorporates a display of time, temperature, and pressure so that users can monitor

extraction conditions. With its 1200-watt power, Oscar Mood incorporates a heat exchanger system and proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller technology to ensure temperature stability and consistent results. A professional pressure switch electronically controls the temperature in the boiler, while the integrated bypass regulates pressure.

Instead of a lever, the Oscar Mood controls steam with a push on/off steam-valve button. Carly says the steam wand nozzle is “quite powerful” but has great control to steam milk fast and consistently. The steam arm is also covered with cool touch anti-scald silicone.

When it comes to style, the new-look one-group Oscar has a colour to suit every mood and environment: black, red, taupe and guacamole. “The red and black are traditional and classy, the taupe is professional, and the guacamole is sure to impress all the avocado lovers in the country,” Carly says.

Each model comes with wooden filter holder handle, and new steel micropore mesh. Best yet, Carly says the Oscar Mood is compact enough to take anywhere you want.

“The two-litre water tank makes it really flexible to use and, after switching on, the machine is ready in just 15 minutes. All you need is water, power, tasty beans, and let the Oscar do all the work. A perfect coffee sets your mood for the day, and that’s what the Oscar is all about,” Carly says.

Behind the machine’s contemporary aesthetics is “a professional soul” that

The Oscar Mood featured in guacamole green.

It is also available in black, red, taupe colours.

Carly says makes it possible for anyone to use the machine simply, quickly, and correctly.

“From the outside, the Oscar Mood offers creative flair to style your space, but on the inside, it’s working hard but effortlessly to produce the quality coffee you expect and demand from an Italianmade coffee machine,” Carly says.

The Oscar will take its place on the Espresso Mechanics stand at MICE2022.

The machine distributor and service provider has been a long-time supporter of the event, attending each of its eight editions, and this year will be no different.

“MICE has always been our favourite coffee events and this year we continue to be one of the Platinum Sponsors to continue supporting this fantastic event,” Carly says.

Espresso Mechanics will once again showcase its entire range, ranging from its traditional coffee equipment and grinders from the Simonelli Group.

It will also display its fully automatic fresh milk, bean-to-cup range from Rex Royal; filter brewing units including hot water dispensing provided from Marco brewing systems group; Puqpress automated tamper; and auto-milk foaming system the Perfect Moose.

“We look forwarding to representing the many brands and products we embrace, and connecting with the industry after a long three years. We’ll bring the Mood – both the machine and our excited vibes of course,” Carly says.

“See you there.”

For more information, visit www.espressomechanics.com.au

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WATER WORKS

Nadine Miller is BRITA Marketing Director for Australia/New Zealand.

The real competition hero BRITA discusses its sponsorship of the World Brewers Cup and World Cup Tasters Championships and what goes into making a competition-worthy water.

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Image: Diana Bovoloni, SCA.

T

he World Coffee Championships are the most important dates in the yearly calendar for any national champion. Preparation involves adequate training, a game plan, and confidence in the ingredients used on stage. For many baristas, this largely involves coffee, but there’s one other element that is critical to a winning performance: water.

According to BRITA Marketing Director for Australia and New Zealand, Nadine Miller, this is where water filtration company BRITA can help barista’s shine, as the official water sponsor of the 2022 World Cup Tasters and World Brewer Cup Championships.

“Coffee is made of 98 per cent water, so the right water is fundamental for the cup quality. You need to know your water and then choose the right filtration solution, which is exactly what we aligned together with the Specialty Coffee Association (event organisers of the World Coffee Championships),” she says.

Nadine says BRITA’s working relationship with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is a collaboration, with the two bodies working together to deliver the best water quality to competitors.

“As the coffee sector is one of the key segments of our business, and thanks to our longstanding partnership with the SCA, we are very proud to be the sponsor of these two championships.

We can demonstrate our water filtration expertise to the specialty coffee community. Not to mention, we love coffee,” says Nadine.

BRITA is the official water sponsor of the 2022 World Cup Tasters and World Brewer Cup Championships.

Nadine says with BRITA’s preparation of the SCA water specifications (as shown in the breakout box), the company can actively contribute to the success of the global coffee competitions.

“All participants of the championships are well aware of the importance of water for their end product. We offer filtered water which meets the SCA specifications to give the participants the best possible start,” she says.

The World Brewers Cup will take place at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo from 27 to 30 September.

To ensure every world championship competitor has access to the same highquality water, BRITA will set-up a water filling station which is accessible for all participants.

“As a sponsor of the competition, we

will make sure the water recipes used are in line with the specifications of the competition. Water will be prepared on demand, and participants will be given jerrycans to take away. This requires a water analysis upfront at the event, and we will take samples to measure water parameters to find the best suitable filter solutions,” Nadine says.

She says there are a few reasons why Melbourne’s water is so unique compared to other cities and countries.

“Melbourne has soft water due to the processes of where the water comes from and what happens before it reaches the end user. The water is unique in the sense that it’s only one of two cities in the world with drinking water that comes from protected catchments which require less treatment,” Nadine says.

Melbourne’s water mainly comes

from the native forests in the Yarra Ranges where it acts as a natural filter which is then fed into the water storage reservoirs. Nadine says the water can be stored in those reservoirs for up to five years, which helps improve quality as impurities break down over time. Once the water leaves the reservoirs, the water is purified at the water treatment plant so that it meets strict health standards for the water to be suitable for drinking.

“Due to this process, Melbourne generally has soft water accessible to the public. BRITA filters will be used as a softener and will be able to filter any impurities that may be present in the water used for the competition,” Nadine says.

She adds that water recipes in the Open Service Round of the Brewers Cup have fixed requirements in place, so BRITA won’t need to educate competitors on Melbourne’s water quality ahead of the competition. They will already be familiar with the water being used.

“Specific BRITA filters used in the competitions will be determined a few weeks prior to the event. And specific water temperatures have not been requested, just ambient as it comes out of the tap. The water will simply be heated during the brewing process,” Nadine says.

It’s this attention to detail that BRITA takes very seriously, and the reason Nadine believes the company has such long standing relationships in the Australian coffee market.

“Water filtration is our main expertise.

BRITA looks forward to sharing its water filtration expertise with the specialty coffee community.

We see ourselves as a partner for our customers. We have our own research and development team, sensory department, and water training facility,” she says.

At BRITA, Nadine says the company ensures the best possible water for not only the sensory aspects of coffee but machine protection, whether it be limescale or corrosion.

“Coffee is only as good as the water.

We optimise the taste of coffee and protect our customer’s equipment so it can be used without regular obstacles such as mineral build up and boiler corrosion,” she says.

“We also offer tailor-made filter solutions to each customer pending water analysis. We make sure to understand our customer needs, where they are located, what previous issues

World Brewers Cup water specifications for Compulsory Service round Odour

Clean/fresh, odour free

Colour

Clear colour

Total Chlorine/Chloramine

0 (zero) mg/L

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

85 mg/L (acceptable range 50 to 125 mg/L)

Calcium Hardness

3 grains or 51 mg/L (acceptable range 1 to 5 grains or 17 to 85 mg/L)

Total Alkalinity

40 mg/L (acceptable range at or near 40 mg/L)

pH

7.0 (acceptable range 6.5 to 7.5)

Sodium

10 mg/L (acceptable range at or near 10 mg/L)

World Cup Tasters water specifications Odour

Clean/Fresh, Odour Free

Colour

Clear

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) (ppm)

125 to 150 mg/L

Hardness

3.5 to 5 grains or 60 to 85ppm

Chlorine (ppm)

0

Iron

Free of iron to taste (<10 mg/L)

Sodium

Free of Sodium to taste (<10 mg/L)

Sulfur compounds

Pleasant to taste

pH

7.00 to 8.00

Alkalinity (ppm)

at or near 40 mg/L

they have had or are currently having.

With that information, we ensure that we give them the best solution with our filter offering.”

Nadine says BRITA also demonstrates its global commitment to the café industry by being a part of several key industry associations.

“We work with associations such as the SCA, the European Vending & Coffee Service Association (EVA), and the Global Coffee Institute. On top of that, our subsidiaries all over the world have national partnerships,” she says.

“We were also there for our customers when they had to close their shops during the pandemic and helped them to re-open by showing them how to get a filter re-started.”

Looking ahead, Nadine says the needs of the coffee market are forever evolving, and BRITA will continue to provide the best solution.

“BRITA has been a trusted brand within Australia for many years. It started with our consumer portfolio, introducing Australians to our world famous in-home water filter jug systems. Naturally, we progressed to manufacturing our professional range and within Australia many coffee dealers welcomed us with open arms, understanding we had a solid and recognisable brand presence and reputation,” she says.

“While we continuously work on new products, our commitment never changes. Working hand in hand with our business partners has only cemented our good name in the industry, leading us to success. Australia is a very unique country and one that BRITA intends on supporting with outstanding sustainable water solutions for many years to come.”

For more information, visit www.brita.com.au

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TODAY’S MILK IS

The

ALTERNATIVE Perfect texturing & canvassing for latte art Crafted for café Neutral flavour & unrivalled taste Aussie owned & made

Proudly pouring at:

ALTDAIRYCO.COM /thealternativedairyco

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@thealternativedairyco

THE ULTIMATE WINGMAN Since its inception in 2018, Australianowned company The Alternative Dairy Co has worked side by side with many roastery and café partners to deliver consistent dairy alternatives.

One such partner is St. Ali Coffee Roasters, a roastery that contributed to the development of its Barista Almond, Oat, and Soy milks.

Originally reaching out to St. Ali for product development feedback, Lachlan says the company helped The Alternative Dairy Co test out its milks.

“We worked exclusively with them to develop products for the café segment. The team would visit us regularly, testing the product samples in batches. It was a pretty continuous feedback loop. I tasted lots, and our company was involved heavily in the production,” Lachlan says.

“Demand is growing by the day. I’d say we’re close to 20 per cent on average now of customers asking for a dairy alternative compared to standard milk. As these products are better for the environment and have become more widely accepted. I think we’ll see demand accelerate over the next few years,” he says.

“I think The Alternative Dairy range of products performs brilliantly with coffee, which is the main reason why we support it. The taste is paramount, and it all comes down to taste really. The key for us is finding the best wing man and accompaniment to your coffee. And for us, it was just the best product in market.”

“We knew we wanted to partner with a fantastic Australian specialty coffee company to launch our new brand, and the shared values and synergies of our businesses were so great,” says The Alternative Dairy Co’s Senior Business Leader for Café and Food Service Rachel Glasbergen.

“St. Ali were our very first roaster partner, working with us in the early stages to perfect our oat milk, which is now the number one oat milk in Australia.”

In what Rachel describes as a “positively collaborative” and “creatively engaging” partnership, the two brands have worked together on sampling campaigns, planning events, supporting wholesale customers, and providing constant social media support.

“We share with them domestic and international market trends, consumer insights and behaviours, and support their customers and social media,” Rachel says.

St. Ali recommends The Alternative Dairy Co as the dairy alternative of choice to its café clients. Having worked in the coffee industry for 15 years, St. Ali’s CEO Lachlan Ward knows there’s no ‘alternative’ to quality.

“We chose to partner with The Alternative Dairy Co in the early days because of their willingness to work with us to develop a product that was fit for purpose and excellence,” says Lachlan.

“We love the fact that the product is manufactured here in Australia. It is an open, transparent relationship with feedback back and forth. It’s been great to be part of the journey.”

Lachlan says St Ali’s most popular alternative milk is definitely The Alternative Dairy’s Oat milk. “Statistics show that it’s the fastest growing alternative now by a country mile.

We tried everything, and for us it was the best product on the market,” he says.

Being a fellow Australian-owned company, Lachlan says it’s important for St. Ali to partner with local suppliers and manufacturers.

“The last few years have amplified our desire to work with Australian brands. Supporting local has almost become necessary because you can’t buy from elsewhere. Whether it be the local egg producer or the local almond milk manufacturer, I think keeping money and jobs in Australia and supporting the locals is the right thing to do,” says Lachlan.

To cater for this market need, The Alternative Dairy Co’s Rachel says consumers can look forward to “more collaboration, co-creation, and a whole lot of fun” thanks to its industry partnerships.

“One of the things we pride ourselves on at The Alternative is how neutral our milks are, so that we can help all of that passion and dedication of the roaster’s beans to shine and not to be overpowered in the cup. Being one of the biggest pioneers of innovation in the industry, it’s a privilege to have St. Ali by our side,” Rachel says.

To watch the full interview, visit altdairyco.com/cafe-convos-st-ali and drop into St Ali to try The Alternative range for yourself.

Lachlan says that with the rise in demand for alternative milks in the market, there’s never been a better time to use The Alternative Dairy Co range.

28/7/22 3:11 pm

Brazil. The Coffee Nation Come visit us at booth #283

World Coffee Championships - Brazil is represented in the World Coffee Championships held at MICE 2022 by Boram Julio Um (Barista) and Julia Fortini Souza (Brewers Cup).

The "Brazil. The Coffee Nation" Sector Project is developed by BSCA and ApexBrasil (The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) with the goal of promoting Brazilian coffee in markets around the world by reinforcing the image of Brazilian beans and positioning the country as a high-quality supplier, using cutting-edge technology resulting from research.

Brazil is a country of great diversity, not only in the cultural and ethnic diversity of its people, but also in the myriad landscapes and biomes. From the picturesque rock formations of Rio de Janeiro to the ecological wonders of the Pantanal and Amazon to the vast plateaus of the Cerrado to the Atlantic Forest, Brazil’s environmental variety is truly spectacular. Coffee is cultivated throughout Brazil’s continental dimensions, from robusta in Rondônia, to conilon in Espírito Santo, to over 100 varieties of arabica in the most diverse micro-regions. Brazil’s numerous terroirs contribute to its great variety of coffees – coffees with unique aromas and flavors, coffees that captivate discerning palates The largest producer and exporter of coffee in the world also stands out for quality. Brazil’s large expanses permit diversified cultivation with very complex characteristics of the drink. This is our commitment for the development of this market, working with transparency and sustainability to stimulate the advancement of quality production in the country and meet growing global demand. Responsible encourages environmental, social and social and economic improvements and promotes good relations with the community.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

The human connection company Bluestone Lane Founder and CEO, Nick Stone, on managing growth at speed, and why service and simplicity are key to creating a magical coffee experience.

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ne thing Australian cafés are renowned for, is their friendly banter and ability to strike up a conversation with anyone. “How’s it going? What are you up to today? How’s your morning been?

What’s your dog’s name? Welcome.”

It was a consistent lack of human connection in the coffee arena, however, that Bluestone Lane Founder and CEO Nick Stone first noticed when he moved to the United States in 2010.

“It was very much focused on fulfilment and product. The market was certainly lacking service-led premium coffee and cafés. There is no shortage of coffee options. It’s saturated but not with specialty coffee and a high display of service, and that’s what we’re really proud to showcase,” Nick says.

The other thing few American coffee shops offer, Nick adds, is healthy madeto-order food. Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, representing 65 per cent of the market, don’t offer it, and neither do many of the market’s specialty coffee

shops, says Nick. It’s because of this gap that has allowed the Australian-inspired roaster and café brand has succeeded with 65 venues to date.

“We offer something that’s unique, and we’re very, very strict around our brand standards and governance. The runway is huge because you’re dealing with a massive 330 million population,” Nick says.

Bluestone Lane has plenty of new shop openings scheduled for the remainder of 2022, including its first in Orange County, a third in Houston, and plans to expand into Southern California.

“Starbucks has 15,000 stores in the US, so it gives you an indication of how big Bluestone Lane can be. We’re now the largest hospitality export out of Australia. We serve 75,000 people a week. That’s a lot of locals, and a lot of people that are getting their first taste of Australian culinary and hospitality.”

Bluestone Lane has built its business by being customer centric. It’s with this foundation that the boutique-model

company is on track to exceed US$100 million in sales next year, with a minimum 25 stores opening in 2023, and a chance to exceed 100 stores by end of next year.

“Ultimately, Bluestone is a human connection company. That is the role of cafés,” Nick says. “Ninety per cent of transactions in our cafés are for two or more people. It’s not about product at all.

It’s about facilitating connection, and the world needs more of it.”

Nick says the world is in a deficit from human-to-human contact thanks to the oversaturation of digital connectivity.

The disintermediation of human connection existed pre-COVID and has accelerated through COVID-19.

One of the biggest challenges societies are facing, Nick adds, is this “isolation pandemic”.

“What’s the first piece of advice anyone provides to someone who’s feeling down? Go speak to someone.

Reach out to someone. So for us, we really see the broader meaning in being a human connection company that makes people – our locals – feel

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Bluestone Lane Founder and CEO, Nick Stone, says identifying the company’s value proposition has been key to its growth.

special,” he says.

“Bluestone has never been about being a coffee brand. Bluestone is a lifestyle brand because it’s not just about getting coffee, it’s the whole ritual of getting coffee, facilitating connection, and making customers feel that they’re in a safe place, that they are important, and part of a community.”

Bluestone’s internal review system receives about 500 customers responses per week, in addition to about 125 responses on review platforms via Google and Yelp. In a survey Bluestone Lane conducted, it found the reason customers kept coming back, wasn’t because of the coffee, food, or space. The overwhelmingly response, was “because of the way it makes me feel”.

“Getting coffee isn’t about the fulfilment. It’s about escape if anything,” Nick says.

“We’re not looking to be the most inventive or innovative. It’s actually about simplifying and focusing on what makes a magical experience.”

In the Australian market, there was once a deliberate movement to ensure same-owned venues operated differently and under different names to appear independent. In the US however, Nick says customers find great comfort in same-branded outlets as long as certain elements are bespoke.

“Bluestone has navigated that really successfully. Having that familiarity for the US market is essential.

[Customers] love it. We focus on having boutique, bespoke spaces that feel like a Bluestone Lane, but no two Bluestone Lanes look the same. We build according to structural elements that we inherit. We have a store in a library, a church, near a beach, and a store in a railway station. We have 20 stores in buildings that are bigger than one

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million square feet or 100,000 square meters,” Nick says.

“Our locals want to know that the portions, fulfilment speed, and flavour profile [of their coffee] is going to be consistent no matter if it’s a Bluestone in San Francisco, Houston, Washington DC or New York City. But they want to experience it in a unique venue.”

Nick says having a clear vision of the company proposition is key. It’s about having a purpose, identifying brand standards, service expectations, designing boundaries and guidelines, and having a team that will be accountable to the process.

“They are the culture carriers. You need a lot of clarity around who you are and who you’re not, and that takes an enormous amount of discipline. You can’t be everything to everyone. You need to play to your strengths and define what makes you successful,” Nick says.

“In a high-cost inflationary environment, you have to focus on where you’ve been successful and where your true value proposition can be at its best.

In our business, we talk about having radical simplification, and reducing complexity to enable us to scale.”

The hardest part about scaling in the US, Nick says, is having a proposition that can remain relevant across markets that behave very differently. For example, New York behaves nothing like Houston, and neither does San Francisco to Washington DC. “That’s where it’s so critical to have a team that buys into the value proposition, leads with feeling and care, and translates that to the customer,” Nick says.

It’s for this reason Nick says he’d hire someone with congruent values, over skills, any day of the week.

“Every day technology gets better.

The most important thing is the service element and being productive in your service. It’s not just about being able to make one coffee but five to 10 different types of coffees in a very short period of time and still maintain your composure and recognise everyone that walks in,” he says.

One café that does that consistently in Melbourne, Nick says, is Patricia Coffee Brewers. “No food, tiny venue, always busy, and they make you feel special even though they’re making around 100 coffees an hour,” he says.

It’s this level of connection that Nick and the Bluestone Lane team are determined to retain as they accelerate growth. This includes opportunities to up-tier airport food and beverage amenities with Bluestone Lane’s coffee and food program, starting with its first shop in Newark Liberty International Airport in September.

“Our entry into airports is due to our national brand recognition and our core customer, the millennial. They’re the business traveller and they want variety instead of just going to Starbucks,” Nick says.

Complementing Bluestone Lane’s introduction to airports is a new partnership with hotel giant Hilton and its Tempo-brand hotel properties.

Bluestone Lane will co-create a food and beverage program and open its first branded venue in Nashville as part of the hotel’s expansion. Nick anticipates Bluestone Lane venues in Tempo hotels will grow into the hundreds, and that’s just in the US, with international expansion a real possibility.

“This is an incredible acknowledgement for the Australian coffee culture and café scene,” he says.

For this reason and many more, Bluestone Lane is seeking Australian employees to join the company through the Exchange Visitor ( J-1) nonimmigrant visa category.

“We’re looking for people who want to be part of building something. This is not just working for a store. This is working for a brand, buying into an indelible part of our culture, and growing the focus on premium, serviceled experiences, and bringing that Australian lifestyle to the US masses,” Nick says.

“Our growth potential is only limited by the talent we bring into the business.”

For more information, and to apply for the J-1 visa application to work with Bluestone Lane, visit www.bluestonelane.com/j1-visa

Plant-Based Packaging BioPak products are made from sustainably sourced, plant-based raw materials and are certified carbon neutral.

5% of profits are being donated to positive change.

biopak.com

Leave Nothing to Waste We’re a nonprofit that connects businesses to compost services, compostable packaging and educational material.

Step 1:

Find Your Local Composter

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Sign Up and Receive Your Bin(s)

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Passionate partners Minas Hill celebrates its 10-year partnership with the Bom Jesus farm and discusses the importance of long-standing relationships in the supply chain.

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s ,

3:

Bin ular on

Minas Hill Founder Marcelo Brussi (centre) has worked with the Bom Jesus farm since 2013.

O

ne of the first partnerships Minas Hill embarked on was with the Bom Jesus farm, located in the Alta Mogiana region of Brazil.

Commencing in 2013, Minas Hill Sales Manager Clara Santaera says the green bean specialty coffee buyer committed to partnering with the Brazilian farm after seeing its shared values.

“It was important for us to partner with a farm such as Bom Jesus because of their social, environmental, and sustainability approach to coffee. And for Bom Jesus, it isn’t just about coffee, it’s about providing a better life and future for their employees,” Clara says.

“What I really admire most about them is their initiatives to help the lives of the people who work on the farm and their children, to further their education

and make sure that they’re getting all the opportunities they deserve in life. I think it’s really amazing and admirable.”

One such initiative includes the Intermunicipal Games for the Environment (GIMA), which educates and assists approximately 2000 children per year. Children from the schools surrounding the Bom Jesus farm prepare presentations focused on the environment and compete in games designed to raise awareness about social responsibility.

“It’s important for us to partner with a farm like that so we can stand out in the industry. [We want] roasters to know that we’re not just about roasting coffee, we take sustainability seriously and value social projects and the community,” says Clara.

“Not to mention, the Bom Jesus farm is well-loved within the

roasting community. As we build our relationships with roasters, and they get involved with GIMA, they see not just great quality coffee, but an amazing family-owned farm who is so dedicated to giving back to the community in their land.”

Due to this long-standing working relationship, Clara says Minas Hill’s alliance with Bom Jesus is one of its strongest partnerships.

“They heavily supported us throughout the pandemic. They provided us with ongoing supply when Brazil lost 40 per cent of their crop due to drought and frost. They were able to meet our needs, even as supply and demand was volatile in Australia.

Without them, I don’t think we would have been able to get through the pandemic like we did,” she says.

Bom Jesus’ ongoing assistance throughout the calamities of the last few

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INDUSTRY PROFILE years is why it’s important for Minas Hill to reciprocate that dedication.

“We provide support to the farm through our dedication to their social projects. We’re committed to fundraising for GIMA every year, which is one of the biggest social projects in the coffee industry in Brazil,” she says.

“Since I started working here in 2018, our volume purchased has continuously grown, thanks to the farm’s quality, commitment, and transparency, and outstanding social and environmental projects. Our customers feel safe in buying Bom Jesus or Labareda coffees because they know they’re receiving top quality, whenever they need it. Roasters need security too, and Gabriel and his family have always delivered their full commitment to us.”

Clara says one of the benefits of working with a farm for so long is that the professional relationship can grow stronger, which has allowed the green bean trader to diversify its offerings with Bom Jesus.

“Originally our best-selling coffee in Australia was the Bom Jesus coffee, until we were approached by roasters who wanted something a little more competitive in price with the same high-quality taste. After conveying this to Bom Jesus, they came back to us with a regional coffee called Labareda Regional, which is now the best-selling coffee at Minas Hill. But Bom Jesus is still unbeatable in quality,” she says.

Gabriel Oliveira and his son are fifth and sixth-generation coffee farmers from the Bom Jesus and Labareda farms.

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Minas Hill has a three-tier offering of Bom Jesus coffees.

“We have a high end, single origin seasonal lot, which is the Bom Jesus coffee that fulfils a portion of our clients and the market. Then we have the Labareda Regional, which satisfies the bulk of our consumers and is what we call the ‘bread and butter’ coffee for roasters,” Clara says.

“Labareda Regional was a game changer for us because it was the moment that we were recognised not just for the ability to deliver great single origin coffees and high-end microlots, but to deliver a solid coffee that was great for blending.

“Finally, we have the Labareda Terroir coffee, which is another great blender with a traditional Brazilian profile.”

Clara says Minas Hill also supports the farm by investing in its awardwinning Alta Mogiana region microlots.

“While we don’t obtain microlots from them often, when we do they blow our minds, they’re incredible, some of the best in our history.”

She adds that it’s important the company sources high-quality specialty coffees from the best regions of Brazil that are unique, ethical, and sustainable.

“The farm itself is self-sustainable.

They have their own recycling system for grain washing, which permits minimum water consumption with water that’s treated before returning to the environment. They also recycle coffee

pulp as fertilisers for their crops and plant dozens of trees to offset carbon,” Clara says.

These initiatives represent Minas Hill’s same commitment to the preservation of the environment, one that the company will continue to advocate for.

“We’ve seen sustainability become a trend recently in Australia and around the world, but we’ve been pioneering sustainability from the beginning. We know that if we don’t diversify with climate change, then we won’t have a coffee industry.

“It’s critically important that we partner with people who align with our vision of an ecological future.”

Clara says Minas Hill hopes to help Bom Jesus achieve its goal of becoming one of the best producers and traders of agricultural commodities in terms of efficiency and profitability.

“The Bom Jesus farm is unique because of their initiatives and the value that they place on their employees, and we want to emphasise that,” she says.

“To know that they give their employees every chance to succeed by providing medical insurance, the opportunity to study and understand how to conserve the ecosystem and neutralise emissions, that’s changing the world, one person at a time.”

For more information, visit minashill.com.au or labaredaagropecuaria.com.br

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

St Ali’s next generation St Ali CEO Lachlan Ward shares the company’s refocused goals that will see the business develop a product range focused on delivering best-in-category coffee for all.

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he St Ali customers knew pre-pandemic is very different to the one that presents today. The iconic specialty coffee roaster has been a trendsetter of the Melbourne coffee scene for the past 17 years, and is continuing to be daring and ambitious, but in a new way.

Like many roasters pre-COVID, St Ali’s business focus was centred around its wholesale partners, making up 95 per cent of its volume. When Melbourne went into lockdown, St Ali’s business was decimated overnight. At its worst, the company volume was down 80 per cent.

St Ali CEO Lachlan Ward says it was a huge shock to everyone, but the “electric shock treatment” was the shakeup the company needed to step into action.

“Our business has never been afraid to try new things and seek out new opportunities. Out of necessity, COVID supercharged a lot of the decisionmaking around things we had been toying with for years,” Lachlan says.

“This means we have emerged from the past two years a really diversified coffee business.”

One thing the pandemic confirmed was that people never stopped drinking coffee. What it changed slightly, is how and where it’s being consumed. St Ali is always looking for wholesale customers that will share its vision and will forever remain a large part of its business. In addition, St Ali has strengthened its focus on e-commerce and home coffee consumption.

“It’s become a huge part of the business. We’ve seen incredible growth in the online channel. There’s a lot of fantastic equipment available at people’s fingertips to create café quality coffee at home, and people took the opportunity to invest because they weren’t able to travel or go overseas,” Lachlan says.

Another focus has been St Ali’s presence in grocery channels, partnering with independent grocery channels and working with major outlets Coles and Woolworths to distribute its coffee.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for the end consumer. Australia, even though

Newly-appointed St Ali CEO Lachlan Ward has worked with the company for the past 11 years.

we see ourselves as a market leader in coffee, has been very behind in terms of what we offer in the supermarket channel from a coffee perspective. That’s changed quite a bit in the last couple of years, and it’s changed our business forever,” Lachlan says.

“Through the supermarket channel, we’re able to make sure excellent coffee is at the fingertips of coffee lovers nationally. That’s the power of that channel.”

Lachlan says beyond coffee quality, customers are driving access to product like never before, wanting their favourite roaster to be accessible, whether they’re at home or on the road.

‘There’s a loyalty that exists with coffee brands that’s unique. Customers are proud of the brand of coffee they drink. Because of this, roasters need to have options to ensure their fans have access to their product at any point in their day,” Lachlan says.

Product development has always been at the forefront of St Ali’s business, but thanks to the pandemic which helped fast-track some key projects, the roaster has released a full ready-to-drink beverage range, inclusive of dairy and dairy alternative milks which will debut nationally later this year.

“St Ali is proudly creative and celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

St Ali has strengthened its focus on e-commerce and grocery channels.

We’ve always been that way. I like to think of us as a creative agency more than a coffee company. While we’re rooted in coffee and our coffee credentials speak for themselves, we’ve always tried to be more than that, and that shines through with everything we do as a business,” Lachlan says.

“One thing we learned through the pandemic is that people trust us as custodians for quality and provenance, and that’s given us the confidence to try new things.”

This includes branching out of St Ali’s largely Victorian-centric persona.

Lachlan says although St Ali was one of the first Australian coffee roasters to open in London in 2010, has an international presence in Jakarta and Japan, and product available nationwide, the company has never ventured far from its South Melbourne origin.

As such, this year Lachlan’s goal is to build a truly national brand presence.

To make that happen, St Ali is quietly opening branch offices and purchasing other small roasters nationally. It has most recently purchased Dramanti Coffee Roasters in Brisbane.

“This is the next big step for us to get into the Queensland market. We didn’t start in Queensland. Our DNA is here in Melbourne. In order to overcome the need to understand local and approach the Brisbane market, we needed a local approach and presence, and a commitment to market, and that’s what we’ll do. We certainly think we can shake things up in Brisbane and Queensland in a good way,” Lachlan says.

A Sydney expansion is next on the cards – through real estate or acquisition.

It is a market St Ali is already very strong in, and will look to build on with a local operation.

“The future for our businesses is interstate. There’s so many people that don’t really know who we are yet, so

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we’re excited to move interstate in a big way over the next 12 months. The best is yet to come,” Lachlan says.

That motto rings true for Lachlan, who has recently been appointed to St Ali CEO after 14 years working in the coffee industry, and 11 of them with St Ali. “I’ve worked in almost every capacity in the business. I feel that I’ve grown personally and professionally with the business over the years. I’ve travelled widely, worked with different corporate accounts, and have been exposed to a great number of fantastic people who have shared their own wisdom and knowledge of the world and helped me become the person I am today,” Lachlan says.

“Taking on the CEO role is a big step to take. I never would have imagined I’d be in this position when I first joined all those years ago. Being involved operationally day-to-day is different to being in the chair and steering the ship, but I’m super excited about it.”

Outgoing CEO Salvatore Malatesta

will mentor Lachlan for the next 12 to 18 months, and report to a Board made up of coffee professionals with experience across coffee, hospitality, creative, brands, finance, and legal.

“I think what Sal brings to the business is special. He has that sort of entrepreneurial-founder energy. Maybe a good comparison of our relationship is Steve Jobs and Tim Cook,” Lachlan says.

Lachlan and Salvatore have worked together for a long time. The reason they complement each other, Lachlan says, is because of a great sense of trust between them.

“Sal has put a lot of faith in me to make mistakes and learn. I’ve been thrown in the deep end 1000 times, and it’s worked. I’m proud of where I’ve come from and where I am today,” he says.

“I know that I’m very lucky to be given this opportunity. I’m pretty young to be taking on a role like this. I don’t profess to know everything but I am the sort of person to ask lots of questions and will try and assemble the best team around me to share success with. It’s a challenge but an exciting one I’m ready to embrace.”

Lachlan’s personal ambitions will include developing the company’s People and Culture division, finding the next generation of leaders, and ensuring St Ali becomes an “employer of choice” for professionals within the coffee industry over the next few years.

“We’re looking to the future. It’s a lofty ambition but that’s what you have to shoot for, right? There’s no reason why we can’t do that,” Lachlan says. “With St Ali, you’ve always got to expect the unexpected.”

For more information, visit stali.com.au

St Ali is committed to building a national brand presence.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

A moving milk market Riverina Fresh CEO Rob Collier explains why dairy price increases will help sustain the future of the dairy industry and go straight back to farmgate.

I

n today’s current market, hardly anything is spared from price rises: petrol, potatoes, and even a Bunnings sausage. With an “unprecedented lift” in milk prices, both on-shelf and farmgate across Australia, Riverina Fresh has also followed suit. What’s important for café owners and consumers to understand, says company CEO Rob Collier, is that the recent increase in price per litre will go straight into the hands of dairy farmers.

“If we want our farmers to keep supplying high quality milk, we’ve got to pay more to ensure the sustainable future of our dairy industry,” Rob says.

“It needed to happen. If we didn’t, the risk is that one day we won’t have freshly supplied local dairy, and we’ll be importing it offshore. No-one wants that.”

Like most commodities that have seen inflationary pressures across supply chains, dairy farmers are also facing a significant lift in input costs. They include record high prices of fertiliser, feed, and grain, not to mention wage cost increases for farm labour, fuel prices, transport.

Rob notes that dairy production across Australia has declined in the last 10 years. There are a range of reasons for its decline, including adverse weather such as drought and flood, high capital costs for new entrants, long work hours, limited availability of labour, an aging dairy farming population, and marginal returns. As such, the shrinking milk

pool has resulted in this year’s “bidding war for milk”, and “significant” on-shelf increases.

“Milk has been relatively stable in pricing for 10 years, which has been a problem for the industry. We’ve seen a big jump in pricing across the industry, including retail, with prices going up more than 50 cents for a two-litre bottle,” Rob says.

“Unfortunately, we’re in an inflationary period. It’s another cost cafés have to deal with. We understand that’s not easy, and we have empathy for that.”

The best way for the industry to understand the reasons for the overall price increases, Rob says, is education and communication. Riverina Fresh has had early conversations with its customers to help them understand the circumstances and direction the dairy industry is headed. It’s because of this transparency that Rob says most customers have accepted the situation.

“Recent price increases will add another five to six cents to a typical milkbased coffee, and we would encourage café owners to pass the explanation of ‘why’ onto consumers. That’s the right thing to do. I’m confident that Australians value decent coffee and good dairy, and that the extra few cents won’t change their habits too much,” Rob says.

Just like coffee farmers struggle to attract the next generation of producers, dairy farmers also need to be reinvigorated to ensure they stay in the

industry and continue to supply locally made, high-quality fresh milk. Rob says addressing farmgate milk prices is just one important piece to the puzzle, but it’s an important start.

“Our farmers are cautiously optimistic about this year’s season.

Farming is always subject to weather and a range of other variables,” he says.

“Hopefully the higher farmgate milk price will trigger reinvestment into the industry so that farmers can continue to invest and get a reasonable return on their investment.”

Established in 1922, Riverina Fresh is a 100 per cent Australianowned company that works with 20 dairy farmers in the Riverina region.

This year, the company is celebrating 100 years of history and the multiple generation of farmers and employees that work have worked at Riverina Fresh’s Wagga Wagga factory over the years.

“A lot of customers resonate with Riverina Fresh being an Australianowned business and the need to support premium quality, local food producers,” Rob says.

“People continue to want to understand where their food comes from, and what the background and story is behind it. We’re a company linked to the very place where the produce is sourced, and that’s pretty unique.”

For more information, visit www.riverinafresh.com.au

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Curious by nature A positive by-product of the pandemic is customer’s growing curiosity of the products they consume. When it comes to using MONIN’s syrups, only the highest quality ingredients are used, and taste is never compromised.

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ianni Panetta has been making coffee since he was 13 years old. In almost 20 years working in the hospitality industry, Gianni has seen his customers’ relationship with dairy and dairy alternatives evolve.

“Coffee in 95 per cent of the world is a luxury item, but in Australia and New Zealand, it’s a necessity. No matter how high coffee prices go up, even with the base-price of dairy rising in recent months, people still want their coffee,” says Gianni, Co-Owner of Baby Coffee Co in Sydney.

“It’s interesting to see that people aren’t so much price-focused when they’re ordering their coffee. They know it’s going to be expensive. They’re interested in spending a few dollars extra as long as it delivers on taste and quality.

At the same time, I think the demand for alternative drinks will go through the roof. People are intrigued.”

For those that are committed to making a beverage choice for sustainability and health reasons, Baby Coffee Co serves Bonsoy for its soy product, and Milklab for its oat, almond and lactose-free milk.

“Not only are we seeing demand for these products, but customers are asking us if we have a specific brand,” Gianni says. “The uptake of lactose-free in particular has been off the charts.

We didn’t have it on the menu until six months ago, but once we got into rhythm from lockdown in December 2021, we had big demand for it.”

On the weekends, Baby Coffee Co comes alive with its “boozy cocktail brunch menu”, but during the week, Gianni says it’s been interesting to watch his clientele shift from having a second or third coffee a day, to an alternative beverage.

As such, Gianni says introducing MONIN’s range of syrups and flavours to his menu was a “no brainer”.

“We use MONIN’s staple flavours behind the bar, including its Hazelnut, Caramel, and Vanilla syrups, but we’ve also included their products in about five

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Most MONIN products are glutenfree, vegan friendly and dairy-free, including its Coconut syrup.

or six different dishes over the years,” he says.

Currently, Baby Coffee Co uses MONIN’s Passion Fruit syrup in a cream catalana, a Spanish-style crème brûlée; and has a brisket noodle salad with soy mayonnaise, flavoured with MONIN Salted Caramel syrup for a bitter, sweet, salty flavour.

On the drinks menu, Baby Coffee Co serves a Salted Caramel hot chocolate using Mork’s dark chocolate with MONIN’s Salted Caramel syrup, and popcorn affogato with MONIN’s Popcorn syrup that Gianni says “smells like the movies”. Until recently, it also had a toasted marshmallow affogato with MONIN Toasted Marshmallow syrup on the menu, and in the warmer months, Gianni likes using MONIN’s Peach Ice Tea syrup and Lemon Ice Tea syrup for non-coffee beverages.

John Davidson, Head of Advocacy

and Innovation at Stuart Alexander, the exclusive distributor of MONIN in Australia, says it’s thanks to the rise of the “conscious consumer” that the brand is reaching a new demographic.

“MONIN largely uses all natural products and aims to use 100 per cent natural ingredients by 2030.

There are no GMOs (genetically modified organisms), artificial flavours, preservatives, or sweeteners in the majority of its products. It relies on the best sugar cane syrup with the most beautiful texture,” John says.

Most MONIN products also gluten free, vegan friendly and dairy-free.

Trending MONIN flavours aligned to these credentials include its Almond, Caramel, Chai Tea, Coconut, Hazelnut, Roasted Hazelnut, and Vanilla syrups.

“It’s always an added bonus when you can show someone the drinks menu and point out the row of little icons that say:

‘vegan or gluten free’. That’s when you see a menu come to life and people can feel a bit better about the drink in their hands,” John says.

Past 12pm, John says customers look to a beverage beyond coffee, and a good way to get people through the door is to offer a Spritz with MONIN Roasted Hazelnut syrup, or a really dark ginger beer, rum or cola with an added MONIN syrup.

“Australians are so open to trying new things, and with MONIN syrups, not only is it inviting, but it’s bulletproof on a shelf. You don’t need to think about any harmful ingredients or additives, and that’s the point, because you want to feel good about what you give to consumers,” John says.

All MONIN Syrups are also halal certified. “Australia is such a multicultural place, with great worldly cuisines, so we do a lot of work with Lebanese restaurants. Where they don’t serve alcohol, they rely on our portfolio of amazing flavours that align with their religious and ethical guidelines to create amazing beverage experiences, which can often be hard to do,” John says.

“Even though MONIN started out with these credentials, it’s looking

to keep pioneering and pushing itself and being aligned with the values of consumers all around the world.”

Georges Monin started the company in 1912 during WWI, manufacturing liquor. His son, Paul Monin, took over the reign of the company in 1945 during WWII and steered the product development toward syrups. The current company President, Olivier Monin, has now taken the family-owned business to a global level, with its collection of flavours available in more than 140 countries.

MONIN sources the best ingredients possible to create its range of syrups.

Ingredients that can be picked off a tree, are. The Monin family is so committed to quality flavour production that Olivier Monin himself has created his own Yuzu farm to harvest from.

The company has several factories around the world, including a newly opened facility in Florida, United States, in addition one on the coast of North American and in Brazil.

With access to a broad spectrum of flavours, John says the creativity of using MONIN syrups is limited only by the creator.

“MONIN is the tool in the arsenal that people can use to add intrigue, easy

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colour, excitement, or life to a serve.

It will always let coffee be the hero, much like gin will always be a hero in a cocktail. You might start a customer with a simple vanilla latte, but then there’s a whole host of amazing signature drinks you can create and explore, and we’ve seen people like Danny Wilson (2022 Australian Coffee in Good Spirits Champion) do for years. You just need to experiment,” John says.

He adds that all major cities in Australia are not short of creativity.

Baristas and bartenders are influenced by the South Asia Pacific, London, New York, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, but Melbourne and Sydney are still big thought-leaders driving trends in the premium coffee space.

“There’s a really mature place Australia is sitting in right now that considers what we consume, questions live export, and celebrates local and our farmers, which are such a large part of our Australian identity. It goes hand-in-hand with what MONIN produces, what we believe in, and what we serve to customers.”

For more information, visit stuartalexander.com.au/ brands/monin

INDUSTRY FEATURE

Building bonds Toby’s Estate explains its new Swirl Club concept for the barista community and celebrates a long-time Brazilian supplier that embraces more than quality coffee.

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oby’s Estate Coffee Roasters has almost done it all. The roaster has sourced some of the world’s most exclusive coffees, helped customers change their perceptions of coffee through its SHIFT series, and even created coffees to freeze, but never did it imagine the ‘swirl’ of a cup would launch an entirely new project.

“Swirl Club started off as an internal term to describe the swirling of a cup with coffee and a dash of milk to even out the colour of the coffee crema before pouring your latte art. It was definitely something we would say for fun, but it stuck,” explains Toby’s Estate’s Marketing Coordinator Vee Ketsak.

“Fast forward two years when we were discussing what we could do to build a fun community and grow the Toby’s family. We really held onto the dream of creating a sub-brand within Toby’s and decided to actually make Swirl Club, a club.”

That club has now turned into a bi-monthly latte art smackdown where 12 to 16 baristas go head-to-head in a knockout format. Competing pairs are picked out at random from their polaroid photos in a hat. There’s a total of four rounds, and one dead heat round for two competitors to compete for third place.

Toby’s Estate’s Swirl Club is a barista smackdown series intended to unite the coffee community.

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For each pair-up, there are three dice which determine what latte art pattern the competitors will pour, along with what milk and in what vessel.

“Imagine rolling a double winged swan in an espresso cup with soy milk.

Doesn’t matter how good you are, you’re going to struggle a little bit, but that’s what makes it fun. It’s what levels out the playing field,” Vee says.

The pairs play scissors, paper, rock, and the winner decides which side of the coffee machine to steam their milk on.

Three judges then point to their favourite cup on the count of three.

Vee says Toby’s Estate wanted to create a fun, carefree event where the coffee community can enjoy a night connecting over what they love; enjoying real-life community – like a club. With the support of major event sponsors Slayer and Alternative Dairy Co, Swirl Club is brought to life.

“Although it’s a latte art smackdown, there’s a DJ pumping out old school R&B and hip-hop tunes with beer and pizza included. We also have limited edition Swirl Club merchandise and coffee to giveaway on the night through a raffle and other side activities, so everyone goes home feeling like a winner,” Vee says.

With the first Swirl Clubs taking place

in April at Toby’s Estate’s flagship store in Chippendale, New South Wales, and Crave Specialty Coffee in Croydon, South Australia, Vee says the inaugural events have been well received by the barista community.

“The events have been amazing so far. Our first Swirl Club event in Sydney sold out within 24 hours. We were met with an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from guests at the event. We’re definitely looking forward to doing it bigger and better each time,” Vee says.

“For Toby’s Estate it’s a place where we can interact and connect with the coffee community, and it’s giving a platform to up-and-coming baristas to practice their latte art, and maybe even unravel new talent. I’m sure there’s some shy underdogs out there that the coffee world hasn’t discovered yet.”

UNITED BY VALUES

From the end of the supply chain to the very beginning, Toby’s Estate is also celebrating its long-time partnership with Brazilian farming partner Daterra Coffee.

“We have been working together for over four years now. On a personal level, I have had the chance to visit the farm almost every year since 2015. I have always been so impressed by their work. I also absolutely adore the people working at Daterra, which really made me want to bring this special relationship to our Toby’s portfolio, as it completely aligns with our vision and our values,” says Toby’s Estate’s Green Bean Buyer Charlotte Malaval.

Charlotte says Daterra Coffee has long set industry standards in Brazil, and worldwide, for its sustainability efforts, innovative processing techniques, and cutting-edge genetics research.

Divided into 220 small ‘mini farms’ of five to 15 hectares, Daterra’s mission is to produce high quality coffees with a high level of social and environmental responsibility through the continuous search for best technological practices.

“Daterra has so much knowledge, technology, and highly passionate

and skilful professionals. Their set of processes and data collection makes it possible for them to deliver quality and consistency year in, year out, regardless of rough climatic conditions,” Charlotte says.

“Daterra is almost a research lab that happens to produce coffee. This allows Toby’s Estate to have access to new genetics, unusual processing methods, and tasty new hybrids.”

Daterra’s Market Development and Research Manager Gabriel Agrelli Moreira says the roastery gives back to the farm by providing valuable market knowledge.

“Australia is one of the leading countries in quality coffee and setting trends in our industry. At the same time, Toby’s is a leading company in the Australian market. Being partners with Toby’s allows Daterra to be aligned with one of the trailblazers on this market,” says Gabriel.

“Being associated with Toby’s has opened so many doors to us. I can name various roasters that were not buying our coffees but came to us after Toby’s did.

Toby’s knows us from top to bottom. The level of partnership and transparency we have makes them feel comfortable recommending us to others and helps

Vegan friendly

Toby’s Estate has worked closely with the Daterra farm for four years.

get our name out there. We are always thankful for that.”

According to Charlotte, Daterra never puts profit before people or planet, as relationships are more important to them than anything.

“It’s the only B Corp coffee farm in the world, and the coffee they produce is carbon negative, meaning every bag of Daterra delivered at the port has 60 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent of credit, which is unusual for coffee

production. The farm is still finding ways to do more and will be planting 20 million native trees in Brazil until 2030, to sequestrate even more carbon,” she says.

“You know when you feel good about buying something, because that something does good to others? That’s how I feel being a Daterra buyer.”

For more information, visit www.tobysestate.com.au

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

The Daddy of Almond Milk Happy Happy Foods Co-founder, Lloyd Smith, explains why the latest offering in its product line, Happy Happy Almond Daddy almond milk, is the happier choice.

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t Happy Happy Foods, creating a superior plantbased milk specifically for espresso-based beverages has always been top priority. Crafted to produce a smoother tasting latte, its products are considered a “nutritionally and environmentally happier choice”.

Co-founder Lloyd Smith says, further to Happy Happy Soy Boy, the company’s soy milk offering, the company is delighted to expand its range with the release of Happy Happy Almond Daddy.

“Happy Happy Almond Daddy is a fun, creative, and healthy product, and works beautifully well with espresso.

As with our soy milk, we included fewer ingredients to produce a clean, smoother tasting latte” Lloyd says.

With just eight ingredients, Lloyd says the light texture and creaminess of the milk is due to the absence of seed oils.

“Our point of difference in the market is that we don’t include seed oil or maltodextrin in our products.

Maltodextrin is similar to highfructose corn syrup. This can cause inflammation, which is associated with an increased risk of obesity and cancer,” Lloyd says.

“We deliberately left these ingredients out to deliver a low-calorie almond milk, with only 41 calories per serving of 200 milliliters.

“Our aim has always been to make really clean products with the least amount of additives. We have a unique recipe and formula that extracts as much out of the almonds as possible, and the ultimate result is a very smooth cup of coffee.”

Released alongside Happy Happy Oat Oat Oat, the company’s exciting new oat milk, Lloyd says the product expansion of the brand is an

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With just 41 calories per serve, Happy Happy Almond Daddy is made to complement espresso.

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opportunity for the café industry to offer a variety of milk alternatives to its customer-base.

“We wanted to add diversity to the marketplace with our range of plantbased alternatives. It’s important we cater for consumer demand and supply healthy options,” he says.

“That’s why roasters and baristas choose our brand, because of its high quality, foamability and the way it tastes with espresso. We are truly plant-based, not a dairy company in disguise.”

Lloyd says the coffee industry’s sharp rise in plant-based milk consumers over the past few years is in one part due to health and diet-based reasons, but also because of its reduced environmental impact. Happy Happy Foods goes one step further, producing these products without compromising on taste.

“The team have worked hard to deliver and constantly improve our plant-based products that are better for the environment, while still providing flavour and nutrition,” Lloyd says.

“We believe this is a superior product in the marketplace. It delivers what an almond latte should taste like, without an ashy aftertaste.

Happy Happy Almond Daddy allows

consumers to make an almond latte with uninterrupted coffee notes and flavours.”

Lloyd notes that the world is facing a climate emergency and that as a society, we need to consider the environmental consequence of every decision we make.

“We can never underestimate, on an individual level, how we can contribute to making a change. The hospitality industry needs to lead the way in establishing sustainable practices and influencing consumer behaviour,” Lloyd says.

One such step for Happy Happy Foods has been generating awareness about the carbon footprints of both individuals and businesses. This past year, the team has focused on introducing climate labelling on its products and achieving carbon neutral status for its products and people.

With a commitment to “measure, reduce, and offset”, Happy Happy Foods worked with independent emissions consultant CarbonCloud to conduct a carbon emissions assessment of its products. This includes each individual step of the process from seed to cup: the emissions produced by the cultivation of its raw materials, transportation, manufacture, and distribution.

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Happy Happy Almond Daddy’s climate footprint in Australia and New Zealand is 0.71 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions per kilogram, a figure that is now displayed on its carton packaging.

“Progress can only be made when we fully embrace the challenge of transparency and accountability for a greener future,” Lloyd says.

Looking ahead, Lloyd says Happy Happy Foods’ main goal for 2022 is to increase brand awareness in the café industry and solidify why its products are one of the best on market for plantbased milk offerings.

“Our mission is to make plantbased foods and beverages tastier, fun, more mainstream and better for the environment than the products of the generation before us,” Lloyd says.

“To create a world where more and more consumers can choose products that are happier for them, and by making this choice, also happier for the environment.”

For more information, visit www.eatdrinkhappyhappy.com/ climate-happy

INDUSTRY PROFILE

Maltra’s family foundation Maltra Foods looks back on 25 years of business and discusses how its exponential growth has led to the opening of brands like Arkadia Beverages.

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altra Foods, one of the largest powderedfood manufacturers in Australia, is celebrating its 25th year of manufacturing and service to the food and beverage industry this year.

Greg and Anna Eydlish founded the family-run and Australian-owned business in Melbourne in 1997. Having worked at Maltra Foods since its inception, son Jack Eydlish joined the family business, first as a Sales Manager and is now co-running the company with his brother, Roman Eydlish, as joint General Manager.

“We’ve learnt a great deal from our father over the years and have been very privileged to have him by our side.

Roman brings operations, equipment, and engineering understanding to the table, while I’m more focused on customer service, building relationships with our partners and the marketing side of the company,” Jack says.

He says the key to Maltra Foods staying relevant and successful is to keep it evolving, expanding its capabilities and offerings, and finding the best tailored solutions for customers.

“Being immersed in the manufacturing environment for so many years allows you to think on your feet quicker, find solutions for partners faster, and impart our knowledge onto the industry,” he says.

“If I had to look back, the biggest highlight for me would be creating key partnerships, both with suppliers and customers. From a brand perspective, being able to drive and collaborate with our partners, who have had enormous influence on the potential for growth, has been a really important factor for the business. Without that collaboration, it wouldn’t be possible to expand and grow.”

When asked how Maltra Foods has impacted the café industry, Jack says the company began with the idea to develop trusted brands that consumers can enjoy on every occasion.

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Jack Eydlish (third from the left) is Maltra Foods’ joint General Manager.

“I think we’ve achieved that. Our portfolio of products for the café industry ensures there’s a beverage available from morning to night consumption,” Jack says.

“For example, if you wake up in the morning and feel like a flavoured coffee, the Arkadia brand offers a variety of premium syrups to mix into your morning brew. Then in the afternoon, if you’re caffeinated-out and wish for a hot chocolate or chai latte, the Urban barista range can cater for that.

“We’ve developed a lot of trust in the community because we stand for quality café products.”

Jack says one of the company’s crowning achievements was bringing chai tea to the mainstream Australian market by creating the Arkadia brand.

Arkadia Beverages is crafted and blended in Melbourne. It produces chai

tea, drinking chocolate, frappés, and soft serves, suited to both cafés and at-home experiences.

“We saw a gap in the market at the time and felt there weren’t any chai products made with the love that we felt we could give to that sector. That’s how Arkadia was born. We wanted to give our consumers some key products with a lot of variety so that they themselves could fulfil café owners’ requirements,” he says.

Recently, Arkadia Beverages expanded its portfolio to include an exclusive tea range.

“It took us about two years to select teas that we thought were right for the market, with plenty of cupping involved.

Eventually, we narrowed it down to a range of seven varieties of ethically sourced teas and infusions, obtained exclusively for Australian cafés,” Jack says.

“We, as a team, are always focused

on the key elements of being different and better. Taste is always at the heart of Arkadia innovation and product evolution.”

In the company’s 25-year history, Jack says he’s most proud of how Maltra Foods values its staff.

“Creating a healthy, happy working environment has always been our top priority. Whether you’re on the shop or warehouse floor or in sales, people need to be respected. Our employees have been on the journey with us and made a difference. At the end of the day, it’s all about the people,” he says.

“I’ve been lucky to meet some really amazing people who I highly respect in the industry. Forging those relationships over a long period of time has been absolutely rewarding. Very gratifying.”

To commemorate Maltra Foods’ 25th anniversary, the company held a small fete at the factory, with plans for a bigger celebration in 2023.

“Next year we’ll be opening our fourth facility in Australia in Pakenham.

We plan to hold a grand celebration for the 25-year milestone at that new plant once its launched mid-2023,” Jack says.

He plans to continue Greg and Anna’s legacy on a massive scale and increase the company’s volume output.

Arkadia Beverages recently expanded its portfolio to include an exclusive tea range.

“First and foremost, it’s about developing taste and innovating. We also recognise that we can’t be the best without working with the best people,

and we certainly have that. We are aiming to be the best leading exporter of products made in Australia, by Australians,” he says.

“We’re always looking at how we can innovate and bring fresh ideas to the market, both in retail and foodservice, while also consolidating what we’re good at. We are here to serve our customers, and the fact that they support what we produce, means the world to us.”

Jack says he looks forward to further developing each of Maltra Foods’ subsidiaries and has no intention to slow down in the food and beverage industry.

“Our catchphrase is ‘we bring ideas to life’. I hope we continue to build an organisation that offers and supports Australian-made products and employment,” says Jack.

“We know as a family, we’d love to keep working together. My son, who recently attended his high school graduation, expressed on stage that he looks forward to taking over the family business. Who knows, maybe in 25 years’ time, he’ll be the next General Manager.”

For more information, visit www.maltrafoods.com or www.arkadiabeverages.com.au

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Crop to carton Formulated to excel in frothability and texture, Chobani’s Oat Milk Barista Edition is now made with 100 per cent Australian oats.

Chobani says a key part of its product development is liaising with baristas for the perfect balance of flavours.

ust as coffee consumers appreciate the transparency of where their coffee comes from, dairy alternative customers are also becoming curious about the origins of the product they consume.

Seeing the evolution in market demands, food manufacturer Chobani – best known for its Greek Yoghurt range – has expanded its range of dairy alternative products. In addition to a plain oat milk staple, Chobani’s Oat Milk Barista Edition is now made with 100 per cent Australian oats.

“We launched this product in Australia in 2019, and we’ve been working over the last year or so to have the whole manufacturing process localised,” says John Williams, Chobani’s Manager for New Product Development.

“Initially, we were importing the Canadian oat product from our United

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States counterparts, but we decided it was important for us to work towards having it grown and made locally. This would allow us to support Australian farms and manufacturing businesses, with the added benefits of lower shipping expenses and reduction of environmental impact.”

Previously outshone by its soy and almond counterparts, oat has been capturing recent attention for its silky characteristics and compatibility with professional or at-home steaming.

With an increasing number of dairy alternative brands hitting supermarket shelves, John says cafés act as a crucial signpost for capturing customer attention.

“What we’ve found is that people really trust their baristas. If they go into a café and see Chobani Oat Milk being used, then they are more likely to pick it

up at the shop to use at home. A coffee shop is like a billboard that signals the reliability and quality of the product to customers,” he says.

According to Rhyana Cremasco, Senior Product Technologist at Chobani, many prevalent concerns surrounding milk alternatives and their ability to stand up against heat are addressed in the design of Chobani’s product.

“Our unique oat blend gives the Barista Edition a signature taste with quite a mild profile,” she says. “We believe that this works best with coffee as it allows the flavour of different types of beans to shine through without being overpowered.”

By adding a higher fat and oat blend content, Rhyana says Chobani’s recipe ensures a creamy, full-bodied texture and hold.

She adds that sourcing oats from Australian farms has also helped the product development team to have full visibility on quality monitoring throughout the entire process.

Rhyana says the level of care put into each batch of oats creates a unique flavour and textural quality, helping to mitigate any issues of the oat milk coming out thin, watery or gritty.

“We add buffering salts to balance the pH of the product. This prevents the acidity of the coffee from curdling or separating the oat milk, which we recommend heating at a slightly lower temperature than dairy milk.”

A key part of Chobani’s research and development approach is liaising with baristas to ensure compatibility between the flavour profile of oat milk, and other features of coffee such as colour, smoothness, and froth.

“Feedback from baristas has been positive, with particular note on the hold capacity,” says John. “There is good consistency in how it marries with various type of coffee bean; it works with composite flavours rather than against them by being too sweet or nutty.

“On the other hand, it isn’t flavourless and bland – a perfect neutral milk will enhance the notes in the coffee varietal by being rich and rounded, but not so present that it overtakes.

Establishing an end-to-end production chain on-shore has been a key milestone in Chobani’s sustainability and social commitments within Australia. As a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation and the RedCycle program, Chobani aims to keep plastic out of landfill and improve recycling practices with a Sustainable Packaging Roadmap.

“Chobani has a strong focus on using food as a force for good,” says John.

“We make yoghurt, oat milk and other products – but we also aim to make a difference by volunteering our time, donating products, and leading the way to challenge the industry’s status quo when it comes to sustainability.”

John says Chobani’s mission has always been about making good food accessible to more people.

“We do this by making nutritious products that taste good, and ensuring they are available through different channels and markets to a range of consumers. Where possible, we also source raw ingredients and packaging from local suppliers,” he says.

He further adds that consumers are becoming increasingly interested in where their food comes from, and how environmental factors such as land usage

and water consumption factor into the production process. This knowledge played a key role when Chobani opted to go down the oat route for its flagship milk product.

“Non-dairy alternatives have enjoyed massive growth in the last few years, and oats are favoured for a lot of reasons, including low tillage cropping, and the way their root systems improve soil quality,” he says.

“At the end of the day, we are aiming to work with the environment – not against it – in terms of how much water is required to maintain crops, and that sustainability aspect is in line with our company’s overarching values.”

Chobani looks forward to showcasing its Oat Milk Barista Edition at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo in September, with a particular focus on its versatility as a plant-based alternative that doesn’t compromise on performance.

“It will be a great opportunity for us to demonstrate first-hand how well our product stands up, and to tell the Chobani story through this now locallymade product,” Rhyana says.

Chobani’s Oat Milk Barista Edition is now made with 100 per cent Australian oats.

For more information, visit www.chobanifoodservice.com.au

INDUSTRY PROFILE

The Merlo way Merlo talks about growing its reputation and positioning the company as more than a coffee brand.

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ccording to Merlo Coffee, the world is facing an increasing demand for choice and flexibility, underpinned by the assurance of a dependable supply chain, especially one that is Australia based.

Merlo National Business Development Manager Reuben Aiono says rather than seeing this market shift as a challenge, it is an opportunity that allows the roaster the freedom to focus on the two things that have gotten it this far – quality and service.

“Merlo’s turnkey business solutions provide not only specialty roasted coffee, but the provision of premium equipment and accessories, and consumables such as cups, cutlery, alternative milks, sugars and syrups, chocolate powders, and more,” says Reuben.

Having worked at Merlo for 14 years, Reuben’s role entails sourcing new business opportunities and showcasing the company’s turnkey business service for cafés, restaurants, and contract suppliers across the country.

“At Merlo Coffee we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on the needs and preferences of your

business, we offer a range of tailored solutions to enhance your business’ image with your choice of machinery from top brands such as La Marzocco and San Remo. We offer large contract roasting volumes, co-branding opportunities, unbranded hand packed bespoke blends for wholesale customers seeking an individual approach, as well as branded Merlo supply,” says Reuben.

“We take great care to source the highest quality beans from around the world, slow roasting those beans daily to ensure a richer, fuller flavour. And because not everyone likes the same coffee, we can create your own custom blend roasted to a specific flavour profile to suit you and your customers.”

Merlo has the capacity to roast hundreds of tonnes of beans a week, ranging from signature blends to single origins, light roast specialties, medium and dark roast signature coffees, cold brew options and more. However, Reuben says there’s one particular blend customers are after lately.

“Lighter roasts are quite popular at the moment. We’ve had quite a lot of interest in single origin Colombian Merlo has the capacity to roast hundreds of tonnes of beans per week.

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light roasts and light roast blends. The younger demographic seems to enjoy the subtle, fruity flavours with a bit more aromatisation,” he says.

Merlo had always catered in mediumto-dark roasting, but after listening to customer feedback, says it was happy to adapt the offering.

“After several trials of light roasts, we realised there was a huge demand for it, so we shifted our roasting to suit the customer,” Reuben says.

Reuben has also identified an increasing market trend for organic coffee, one that comes at the perfect time given Merlo’s newly Australian Certified Organic facilities.

“Everyone’s making conscious environmental decisions around packaging and products now. With an increasing market demand for Organic blends, getting certified just made sense.

We can now cater to that market, which is exciting,” he says.

With Merlo’s ability to source specialty coffee from global suppliers at industry competitive prices, Reuben says consumers can rest assured knowing they’re in safe hands with the company.

“We only purchase coffee that passes an external and internal grading to classify as specialty, which is anything between 80 and 100. Each shipment is cupped upon arrival by our licenced Q Grader and Head Roaster and carefully combined to craft our seven signature blends. Specialty to us is putting coffee first and building relationships around that,” Reuben says.

He adds that great tasting coffee is just one of the perks of partnering with Merlo. The company offers aroundthe-clock customer service, emergency repairs, and freight delivery options.

“We’ve got a great reputation for outstanding customer service and the ability to build long and strong relationships. These are built purely on a long history of delivering quality products and services consistently, and treating businesses like our own. Not only that, but our support is also quite extensive, with 24-hour emergency breakdown and delivery services available every day from one of our eight representatives on the road,”

Reuben says.

Three dedicated coffee trainers are available to customers and their staff at Merlo’s Fortitude Valley facility, or onsite in a customer’s own café Australia wide.

“We can help to educate you and your staff in preparing the perfect cup of coffee for your customers, from equipment maintenance to espresso extraction and everything in between,” Reuben says.

“With a network of specialised technicians and a 24/7 emergency hotline, if your machine happens to let you down on a bustling Saturday morning, we’ve got you covered.”

To help stand out from the crowd, Merlo offers personalised packaging and branding to set a business a part.

“Our full marketing team provides branding support through branded and bespoke merchandise, umbrellas, barriers, banners, and collateral such as loyalty cards. At Merlo, we think outside generic marketing offerings,” Reuben says.

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WATCH THE VIDEO DEMONSTRATION He adds that Merlo is proud to be one of Australia’s leading independently owned and operated coffee roasters and will continue to work hard to ensure that every business serving Merlo receives the freshest coffee for their customers.

“Our philosophy has never changed over the last 30 years. We take great care in sourcing the highest quality coffee beans from around the world and roast daily so that our customers can enjoy their coffee at its best, fresh, and full of flavour. That’s the Merlo way,” Reuben says.

“Especially with all the uncertainty going in the world, the one thing we want to offer consumers is a consistently great cup of coffee.”

For more information, email Reuben@merlo.com.au or visit merlo.com.au

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Clean up your act BioPak discusses the validity of compostable packaging in the market and the importance of correct certification labels.

A

ccording to Compost Connect board member and BioPak CEO Gary Smith, one of the benefits of using compostable packaging materials is that they are designed with the circular economy in mind.

“Companies are now looking towards plastic-free packaging solutions due to growing concerns for waste in the environment. While traditional paper cups are lined with a Polyethylene plastic lining, BioPak applies a plantbased renewable lining to its cups, which provides the same barrier so liquid doesn’t leak through,” says Gary.

“This means the compostable packaging is able to live beyond the waste part of the cycle, re-entering the resource stream as nutrient-rich compost, improving our soil and allowing healthy plants to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere as they grow.”

Gary says aqueous, or water-based barrier-coated cups are also becoming popular.

“The water-based barrier coating is BioPak paper cups are certified industrially compostable and carbon neutral.

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BioPak paper coffee cups are the most sustainable coffee cups after reusables.

a form of barrier that is applied through a very thin water-based dispersion onto paperboard,” he says.

“However, after commissioning research at Newcastle University’s advanced sustainability research

department, we do believe a small portion of the raw material is plastic.

While it’s still a water-based solution and currently deemed as industrially and home compostable, we are working with the research organisation to fully understand the environmental risks of this material from a life-cycle perspective.”

Gary says increased demands for plastic-free solutions and confusing regulatory guidelines can create a market of unsubstantiated claims.

“While people are asking for plasticfree, we won’t advertise an aqueous cup as plastic-free because it’s not. We aren’t in the business of greenwashing and misleading the public, we only make factual claims,” he says.

A compostable product is one that, when properly disposed of, will disintegrate into natural elements in a compost environment, leaving behind no toxicity or residue in the soil.

“But making this claim requires factual evidence in the form of certifications. It’s not uncommon to see companies choose to label their products as biodegradable instead, which unfortunately contributes to confusion around disposal and can result in incorrect disposal or littering,” says Gary.

To ensure packaging is certified compostable by the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), Gary says café customers can visit the ABA website and look up exactly which businesses are compost certified.

“BioPak products are certified compostable. This means our packaging will biodegrade completely when disposed of according to the correct composting conditions. For industrially compostable materials, such as compostable plastics, the biodegradation time that is within 12 weeks in a commercial composting facility. For home compostable materials, such as fibre-based products, that can be 180 days, in the colder conditions typically found in home compost bins,” Gary says.

He adds that consumers can also do their part to reduce waste.

“Check to see if your council accepts compostable packaging in your green

waste bin or find a café participating in the Compost Connect BioPak compost collection service. Simply dispose of the cup and lid into the bin where it will make its way to an industrial compost facility and be converted into compost,” says Gary.

While many believe composting to be a costly and time-consuming endeavour, Gary stresses it’s a simple process.

“The compost industry is well established, so we are not starting from scratch.

Opting for compostable packaging doesn’t require setting up new and expensive waste streams or adding more trucks on the road. There is strong evidence using compostable packaging increases food waste collections, and less food waste in our landfill will reduce the impact of greenhouse gases that are released when organic materials decay in landfill conditions,” Gary says.

“By choosing certified compostable products, you get the guarantee your waste will be swiftly turned into nutrientrich compost and support local industry.

[You’ll] avoid sending tonnes of plastic to landfill each year, limit the amount of plastic pollution in our environment, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming.”

As a responsible business, BioPak is dedicated to showing the café industry that there is a more sustainable option available.

“Any food that remains in conventional plastic or fibre-based food packaging products contaminates the recycling stream, making it an impractical solution for foodservice packaging,” says Gary. “With composting, this isn’t an issue. Both food and compostable packaging products can be put in the same bin, no separation or sorting required,” Gary says.

“Whether it be for convenience, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to improve soil health or to fight plastic pollution, compostable packaging is the future of the food service industry.”

For years, BioPak has worked to educate businesses and the general public on the unsustainable characteristics of plastic and how it has become an unwanted geographic feature of our collective landscape.

“BioPak is more than just about compostable packaging. We envision a future in which materials are made from sustainably sourced, rapidly renewable biological resources and recycled back to the soil,” Gary says.

Aqueous BioCups are manufactured using a unique water based barrier coating.

“As the world focuses on developing a more sustainable circular economy and governments align policy to address plastic pollution, we must remain vigilant and ensure that new materials do not have unintended environmental consequences.”

For more information, visit biopak.com.au and compostconnect.org

INDUSTRY PROFILE

Diversified service, simplified quality Naked Syrups discusses how to find smarter ways to increase profit margins without sacrificing on quality output.

P

remium beverage brand Naked Syrups says the café industry is reaping the benefits of giving customers myriad menu options — whether that’s a nitro cold brew or beetroot latte.

According to Sales Manager Vince Monardo, Naked Syrups is a prime example of how diversifying menu offerings can add a point of difference to a business and build a strong customer following.

“The whole purpose of the Naked Syrups range of flavourings, syrups, powders, and sauces is to be able to utilise them across café menus for multiple beverage applications throughout the year,” says Vince.

“Take our Chocolate Powder for example. You can use it to make a hot chocolate or chocolate frappe, as well as to make a lava cake or brownie. Our Matcha Powder can be used hot or cold, to make a matcha latte or an iced matcha latte.

“We also offer a Neutral Frappe Base Powder, which acts as a stabiliser and is designed to be an all-round beverage base for all kinds of drinks, bringing out flavour and adding texture. It can be used on all cold beverages, frappes, fruit smoothies and shakes.”

Vince says a strong selection of menu items is a key tool for increasing spend per customer. Adding on syrups and powders not only generates more revenue, but it offers something extra for consumers.

“It keeps people interested and increases your bottom line. Ten years ago, there were only three or four milks on offer. Now, you’ve got every option under the sun purely because of alternative milks. Customers want choice, so cafés have got to give them that by offering products to pair with alternative milks. If a consumer wants a mocha frappe with oat milk, cafés can provide that option,” says Vince.

“This can turn a $4 cup of coffee into a $4.70 cup of coffee if you give customers

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The Naked Syrups range offers a beverage for every season.

the option to have caramel in their latte.

Not everyone’s going to take it, but there’s a big percentage of people that want something in their coffee. It’s just about finding smarter ways to increase profits without sacrificing quality.”

The Naked Syrups range of flavourings are Australian-made and vegan-friendly, made with high quality ingredients and crafted using natural flavours and colours. Each has been specially formulated to deliver flavour and mix evenly in cold or hot beverages.

“That’s really the beauty of our flavourings, because it’s a secondary flavour that complements the coffee, providing the perfect balance of flavour and sweetness in every beverage.

Whether you use our Spiced Chai Latte Powder or Turmeric Powder, the flavour remains true to the product,” says Vince.

Vince has many examples of how beverage powders can be turned into tasty, eye-catching recipes to add to any beverage menu.

“A popular product consumers enjoy is a red velvet latte. With 20 grams of Chocolate Powder, five grams of Beetroot Powder and your favourite milk blended together, it’s a great way of giving people something a bit different that they wouldn’t have every day. It adds extra value to a hot chocolate, taking it from $4 to $5,” Vince says.

“Another great idea is adding our Tumeric Powder with coconut milk,

Naked Syrups Traditional Lemonade is made using locally grown and squeezed Australian lemon pulp.

creating a turmeric bounty. It’s such a simple concept, but in today’s market, especially with all the alternative milks, there’s so many options you can make out there.”

It’s that simplicity that Vince believes keeps consumers coming back and aligns with the brand’s identity.

“We keep it simple with effective packaging and premium ingredients. We’re Vegan Australia certified across 95 per cent of our products and gluten free across the whole range. We want to be as transparent as possible, hence the ‘nakedness’ of it all,” he says.

The Naked Syrups range will be on display at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo at The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 27 to 30 September.

“As we approach the warmer months, we will be showcasing chilled products such as gingerbread and orange soda, old school lemonade, and strawberry iced tea. The kind of classic products every café needs, which can add a variety of options to a menu and increase profitability,” Vince says.

“We may even bring out our unicorn lemonade, which combines our lemonade with Butterfly Pea Tea Flower. When a reacts with the lemon citrus, it actually changes to a purple colour.”

Vince says it’s important for Naked Syrups to showcase these products to demonstrate how easy it is to expand a café’s beverage repertoire.

“If you’ve got items in your store like fresh tea bags or loose-leaf tea, why not add extra flare and make something like a strawberry or lemon iced tea? Most cafés offer sparkling or mineral water, why not make an old school lemonade, or a strawberry and basil soda?

We want to show people how easy it is to do. Nothing should take more than 45 seconds to make,” he says.

Vince adds that Naked Syrups is always looking for ways to further increase consumer offerings, and that customers should keep an eye out for more Naked Syrups products.

“Our products can be used across your menu all year round, limited only by your imagination. It gives consumers another reason to walk through your door and make that purchase. And it future proofs your business, ensuring that it stays competitive even as customers’ expectations change,” Vince says.

For more information, visit www.nakedsyrups.com.au

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The new location is bigger and better As of 1st August 2022 we will be located at 29-31 Northgate Drive Thomastown, Vic, 3074 Ph + 61 3 9484 8791 or visit our website

INDUSTRY PROFILE

The secret to success The Brazil Specialty Coffee Association explains how Brazil achieves record volumes with record quality.

B

razil has been the largest coffee producer in the world for more than 150 years, producing around one third of the world’s coffee, according to the International Coffee Organization (ICO). Along the way, this country has shared its passion for coffee with another nation that equally appreciates quality cup. In 2021, Brazil exported more than 22,100 tonnes of coffee to Australia, according to Brazilian trade statistics. In value, Australian imports from Brazil reached a record high of $95.9 million in 2021, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“The success of Brazilian coffee is reflected not just in the volume of production, but also in its quality. Brazil has a vast diversity of small coffee producers who have been innovating and making huge efforts to remain sustainable and competitive through the years,” says Vinicius Estrela, Director of the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA).

It’s one of the missions of the BSCA that the country be recognised as a specialty coffee growing region, as obtaining a premium price has been crucial for hundreds of coffee producers.

“Specialty coffee saved small producers from disappearing, as the only way small Brazilian farmers could sustain their businesses was through premium-grade coffee,” Vinicius explains.

Brazil offers Australian consumers a diverse range of flavour profiles to cater for increasing domestic demand for specialty coffees.

“We are growing very fast to provide the world, especially Australian consumers, with the high quality of Brazilian coffee,” says Vinicius.

Each of the 34 different coffee producing regions in Brazil share different altitudes, as well as different soil, terroir, and weather patterns. In every one of these regions, Brazilian farmers can grow several different varieties of coffee, including traditional and experimental varieties. Farms range from small family plantations of less than 10 hectares to big estates of more

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Maurício Araújo Ribeiro and his family have been growing coffee for six generations.

than 2000 hectares, as shown in the map of Brazilian coffee growing regions (on page 97).

Producer Luiz Flavio Pereira de Castro from the Mantiqueira de Minas region harvests many varietals on his property Sítio Serra Azul farm, such as Yellow Bourbon, several Catucaí and Arara. Having grown coffee with his family for more than 85 years, Luiz explains that the secret to success is good soil, good agricultural practices and a lot of work.

“My family and I maintain good soil and crop management practices.

Throughout the year I can count on the support of the local cooperative’s technicians. When the harvest season arrives, we harvest the ripest coffee beans and bring the coffee to the coffee washer on the same day,” says Luiz.

“As soon as the coffee is washed, we place it well spread out on the patio and we rotate it at least 12 times a day until it reaches 11 per cent humidity. We then take the coffee to rest in the storehouses.

After about 30 days of rest, the coffee is ready for export.”

According to Luiz, it is very important that consumers learn more about how the coffee they drink was produced.

“Seeing people travel to another country to try my coffee makes me very happy. It is great to see our hard work being recognised,” he says.

“We already have a long history of coffee production in Brazil, and we hope to continue leading this sector for hundreds of years to come.”

Another Brazilian farmer who knows how to grow quality coffee is Maurício Araújo Ribeiro, owner of Fazenda São Gabriel in the Sul de Minas region.

Maurício’s family has been growing coffee for six generations.

“The focus of our entire production is on specialty coffees, mostly Arabica varietals like Mundo Novo, Yellow Bourbon, Topázio, Rubi, Obatã and Catiguá MG2. We work with peeled cherries to produce honey coffees with the mucilage, as well as superior natural coffees, by carefully selecting the beans and making positive natural fermentations to achieve greater sweetness and different flavour profiles,” Maurício says.

He adds that it’s “high time Brazilian specialty coffee received its welldeserved international recognition”.

Maurício says Brazil performs well in every indicator, including environment and social responsibility. The country is a reference for low-carbon agriculture and fair remuneration of workers.

“No other country in the world has a higher level of sustainability and social responsibility that Brazil does. Coffee buyers who come to visit our farms are always positively surprised with what they see,” says Maurício.

“I believe the recognition for everything that we have been doing here is coming, even if slowly. The attributes of our coffee are already far ahead from the rest of world in terms of mechanisation, efficiency, and higher sustainability throughout the entire coffee production chain,” he says.

One thing BSCA’s Vinicius is certain of, is that Brazil will continue to show Australian consumers and the global industry that it can meet increasing demand for quality coffee while addressing how to overcome climate change challenges.

“Brazil is continuously working on research to improve productivity and adjust to climate change.

We’re constantly investing in good agricultural practices and post-harvest treatments,” says Vinicius.

Brazilian coffee origins

Brazil has 34 coffee growing regions and produces many different varietals.

Producer Luiz Flavio Pereira de Castro rotates his drying coffee at least 12 times a day until it reaches 11 per cent humidity.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Barista Base Camp returns

Cafetto relaunches its community hub to welcome the world’s best baristas as they return to Melbourne for the World Coffee Championships.

National Barista Champions will use the Base Camp to train ahead of the WBC.

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xperiencing a new city can be daunting at the best of times, let alone if you’re a barista who’s travelled halfway around the world to compete in the World Coffee Championships (WCC). For many, it’s not just the long-haul travel that can be overwhelming, it’s the Aussie lingo, jet lag, and unfamiliar territory.

There’s always a fear of lost luggage and equipment, and apprehension of settling into the environment ahead of what can be the biggest and most prestigious of a barista’s career.

It’s for this reason that Cafetto is relaunching its Barista Base Camp in the lead-up to the World Barista Championship, taking place at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) from 27 to 30 September.

“We’re bringing it back and we can’t wait to extend a warm Aussie welcome to the world’s best baristas,” says Cafetto Director Chris Short.

“Barista Base Camp is a host venue for the world’s national champions to train ahead of the heats at MICE. It’s part of our hospitality to those who have travelled all this way to Melbourne for the chance to represent their country, and we want to ensure they have the best experience while they’re here. It’s about creating a welcoming, inviting, safe space

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for each barista and their team. We want them to be familiar with the equipment and supplies they’ll have available on the world stage, and give them a sense of comfort.”

Baristas will have the support of Barista Base Camp sponsors Barista Attitude, who will supply the official qualified espresso machine of the World Barista Championship (WBC), the Tempesta, for baristas to train on.

Victoria Arduino’s Mythos MY75 grinder will be available as the event’s qualified espresso grinder, as will BWT’s qualified water filters, Riverina Fresh milk as The Barista Base Camp setup in Dublin, Ireland in 2016.

official milk supplier, and Cafetto, the official sponsor for cleaning products.

Cafetto first launched the then-named Barista Buddy Program in Melbourne at MICE in 2013. It continued the initiative in Gothenburg for the World Latte Art Championship in 2015, then again in Dublin in 2016, and Seoul in 2017 at the respective WCC events.

“Demand for the first Base Camp in Melbourne was enormous. I remember we had baristas training from 7am all the way until 2am trying to get as much practice time on the machines as they could,” Chris says.

He anticipates a similar influx of around-the-clock training, with the Barista Base Camp opening three days before MICE in its original site in Kensington. Chris says it will be open around 12 hours each day, or more if necessary, concluding on 30 September, the day before the Finals.

“The coffee industry has always been about hospitality and connection, it’s one of the things I value most when I travel to the world’s best coffee expos and competitions. The people you meet and the experiences you have, can result in friends and memories for life,” Chris says.

“The global coffee community has faced enough time a part. After more than two years, Australia finally gets to

welcome international guests back to our iconic coffee city, and we want to ensure that this year’s MICE and WCC are not just the best experience they can be, but a demonstration of good Aussie hospitality.

Coffee is said to be a universal language, and Barista Base Camp aims to be a further extension of that unity.”

Chris has pioneered the use of cleaning and sanitation products in the prestigious global competitions. Prior to 2008, there was no such products used in the WCC. Cafetto became the equipment cleaning sponsor of the WBC in 2008, and from 2015 to 2017, and this year returns as Qualified Cleaning sponsor for the 2022 WBC and WBrC. “It’s a huge honour to be supporting World Coffee Events again,” says Chris.

“Cafetto is recognised as a very important brand in the global industry, and to be a recognised partner of the world’s most prestigious coffee competitions, and in front of a home audience in Melbourne, is really special.”

Cafetto cleaning products are now distributed globally in more than 70 countries and Cafetto General Manager Christine Song says Cafetto’s sponsorship of the Barista Base Camp and of the WCC is another opportunity to show international representatives the origins of the Australian-manufactured brand, and that its products are worthy of use by the industry’s best talent.

“It means a lot to Cafetto, as a proud Australian brand, to support events that help grow the coffee industry. We have been supporters of the Australian Specialty Coffee Association, New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association national championships, and partnering with the WCC is another testament to the brand’s relevance to the global market,” Christine says.

“Cafetto has a strong reputation throughout the world as the ‘people’s brand’. We are passionate about our products which we know play a significant role in the cleaning of coffee equipment, but also in preserving the quality taste of espresso. Our partnerships mean everything to us, and our presence at MICE will be another wonderful opportunity to demonstrate who we are, and why we’re so connected to the global coffee community.”

As Cafetto prepares its Base Camp to be filled with products, personalities, and passionate performances in the days before MICE, Chris says all that’s left to do is set up the ping-pong table, and extend a big “G’day” and “welcome”, to the land Down Under.

For more information, visit www.cafetto.com

National barista champions use the facility to test their competition coffee.

The inaugural Barista Buddy training facility in Melbourne, 2013.

Cafetto Director Chris Short (centre back) with the Barista Base Camp barista community.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Mike Murphy (pictured left) is the Managing Director of Kõkako Organic Coffee Roasters.

More than a fair go BeanScene speaks with Fairtrade Australia New Zealand and its partnering farmers and roasters about how Fairtrade’s unique system has improved their livelihoods and business.

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omething that Fairtrade Australia New Zealand is often asked about, especially within the world of coffee, is the difference between Fairtrade and direct trade.

According to Fairtrade Executive Director, Mike Briers, being Fairtrade certified makes a significant difference to farmers’ and workers’ lives, as well as their communities.

“We encourage coffee importers and roasters to have strong relationships with their coffee growers in-country and to assist them with community projects if this is the approach they want to take.

However, we feel very strongly that this approach does not compare, in impact, to the Fairtrade system,” Mike says.

“The structures that we have in place all work in different ways to engineer change for the people in each part of

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the supply chain. So, when we hear a buyer saying that they ‘always pay above the Fairtrade price’ and therefore have no further responsibilities to the coffee growers, it makes us a bit despondent.”

“What’s more, farmers that are involved with direct trade are typically those who are more privileged and who already have the possibility of investing in things like transport and processing.

And, because each sale is relatively small volumes, often that one particular buyer takes the best part of the harvest leaving the producer to sell the lower grade product some other way,” Mike says.

In contrast, Fairtrade’s systems are designed to tackle poverty and empower producers and traders in the poorest countries in the world.

Farmers who become Fairtrade certified agree to a set of standards which seek to ensure that people and the

planet are protected. And, once certified, they are then able to trade under Fairtrade terms which includes selling their products at the Fairtrade Minimum Price or above. This means they can cover the costs of production and plan for the future, even when the market price is low.

Their community or cooperative also receive a Fairtrade Premium to invest in improving the quality of their businesses and to provide services like healthcare or access to water for people in their area.

To Mike, a fair price is certainly part of the answer, but so are long-term strategies around product and trade links.

“We empower the producers to make their own decision while working sideby-side with them to develop market linkages,” he says.

“And then, the whole supply chain is independently audited to make sure

that each linkage is fair. This means that as well as knowing the farmers are getting a fair go, we also know that the people hulling, drying, packing, transporting, and roasting the coffee are being treated properly.”

Mitchell Ricky is a farmer from the Highland Organic Agriculture Cooperative (HOAC) in Papua New Guinea. HOAC chooses to partner with Fairtrade ANZ because of its equitable trading.

“The relationships we’ve formed with roasters through Fairtrade ANZ are very important because they mean that we have first-hand information on the quality of the product required by roasters that suit their market demand,” says Mitchell.

According to Mitchell, the Fairtrade Premium has helped his community reduce poverty and improve education outcomes. He says it has helped farmers place their children in school and assisted them to meet their learning needs.

“The Fairtrade Premium has supported us in school projects like building teachers’ houses and classrooms, supplying school library books and classroom desks. We’ve been able to supply mattresses for rural wards and maternity beds for mothers to give birth. It has also aided us with a water project that provided clean drinking water for more than 20 villages,” Mitchell says.

Mitchell encourages roasters to buy through Fairtrade due to the Minimum Price that acts as a safety net to cover price fluctuations.

“This helps farmers to cover the costs of producing the required quality to meet the market demand. The Premium then also contributes to improving services, which in turn improves the living standard of the farmers, alleviating poverty,” he says.

Madalena da Costa Soares from the Cooperative Comercio Agricola De Timor (C-CAT) in Timor Leste says partnering with Fairtrade has helped improve her family’s profits from their coffee farm.

“My family grows a lot of coffee.

We sell almost two tonnes per year. I used to carry the coffee from the field to my house, wash and sell it to the local markets for a price that was not fair and we did not get the money immediately like we do through C-CAT. Indeed, fast access to finance is one of the advantages provided to Fairtrade farmers due to the pre-financing programs Fairtrade has in place.

Producers also benefit from training and capacity building which means

that farmers meet market expectations in terms of quality but also production, environmental and social practices.

It’s not just farmers that believe in Fairtrade. Managing Director of Kõkako Organic Coffee Roasters Mike Murphy says the company was using organic coffee before he bought the business in 2007, and he added Fairtrade certification shortly afterwards when he realised how much Fairtrade ANZ’s practices aligned with Kõkako’s morals.

“Once I started to meet more people from Fairtrade, I realised that it wasn’t just a pricing mechanism, it was about social equality, standards, educating farmers on why they shouldn’t use pesticides, climate mitigation and education on disease-resistant varietals of coffee trees,” says Mike.

“I think it’s really important to have third-party validation. We can’t be everywhere, we can’t go to every farm that we buy from around the world, especially in the last two years.

Being affiliated with Fairtrade gives us confidence that we’re actually meeting our own values around equality and quality.”

Mike says the Kõkako team have witnessed the tangible benefits of the Fairtrade Premium with their own eyes.

“We’ve seen it in the water sanitation projects, the schools that have been built and the nurseries for replenishing older coffee trees. I’ve also been able to host HOAC representatives Daniel Kinne and Mitchell Ricky here in New Zealand, which means a lot because they share their hospitality with us. It was nice to be able to reciprocate that,” he says.

Kevin Fraikin, Executive Director of Montville Coffee, says the main reason his roastery partners with Fairtrade is to

deal with injustice in the supply chain.

“As a small business, our sphere of influence is quite limited. The amount of coffee we roast doesn’t warrant us buying container loads from the different origins. Being able to partner with Fairtrade ensures that the whole supply chain is supported. Training is also provided, not only to the farmers who directly grow the coffee, but to the whole community,” says Kevin.

Sean McGowan, General Manager from Montville, says it means that they can provide a direct, transparent, traceable relationship with not only a coffee grower but their community.

“Working with a coffee cooperative we know that once the Fairtrade Premium is available, the coffee community can choose how to spend that premium in their community to improve their livelihoods. This is empowering for Montville Coffee because we aren’t influencing or assuming improvements they’d like to make, we’re giving them the opportunity to invest how they see most appropriate,” Sean says.

Fairtrade ANZ Executive Director Mike Briers says Fairtrade will continue to help producers become more incomesecure and less vulnerable to poverty.

“As you can probably tell, we’re pretty sold on the idea of Fairtrade being the best long-term approach for people and the planet,” Mike says.

“To us it’s simple, the more products like coffee sold around the world on Fairtrade terms, the greater the chance of ensuring the people who produce those products live a decent life. Doesn’t that sound fair?”

For more information, visit www.fairtradeanz.org Madalena da Costa Soares says Fairtrade has helped improve her family’s profits.

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MICE2022

Taste your way through MICE2022 Plan your visit to this year’s most anticipated coffee expo and prepare yourself to be fully immersed in a magical wonderland for the senses.

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t’s here. It’s finally here. The Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), the Southern Hemisphere’s largest dedicated coffee show has finally arrived, and just like a kid in a candy store, or the night before Christmas, it’s imaginable you’re feeling all the feels: excited, nervous, anxious, but mostly excited. We get it. This is an expo event organisers have cancelled and postponed multiple times due to a little thing called COVID, and while it’s hard to comprehend, when the magical dates of 27 to 30 September roll around, this will be the first time MICE has taken place in more than three years.

Everything you know and love about MICE will be there: the grand entrance sign for those first Instagrammable moments, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee throughout the huge bays of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, grand stand designs as far as the eye can see, as well as Roasters Alley, Origin Alley, Product Innovation Awards, and a couple of competition stages somewhere in between. Did we mention MICE is hosting the World Barista and Brewers Cup Championship?

Breathe. There’s just too much to see, including lots of new features too.

It’s likely you’ll walk just a few metres before an industry friend recognises you and stops for a catchup.

“This is the biggest coffee family reunion of them all,” says Lauren Winterbottom, MICE Show Director.

“The support of the Australian and international coffee community has been overwhelming. This would have been

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While it’s likely you will need four days to peruse all the stands, and do a second, third, and fourth lap to really indulge in your favourites, the first thing you should absolutely do at a coffee expo is drink some coffee, right?

With three separate roaster areas spread across the exhibition floor, you’re going to need a game plan for your coffee consumption. With that in mind, let’s break things right down. Have your cupping spoon at the ready, your reusable coffee cup, and get your taste buds buzzing.

Visitors can try some of Saazaa Coffee’s filter coffees and espressos.

a special event back in 2020, but it feels even more significant now that we can finally bring this special community of largely talented, inventive, and qualitybased individuals and companies representing the best of the industry, back together. We can’t wait to show the world why MICE is truly one of the most unique coffee expos in the world.”

This year’s event is supported by some of the biggest names in the industry, including MICE Platinum Sponsors Espresso Mechanics, Milklab, St Ali and Global Coffee Report; and supporting sponsors Cafetto, and made by Fressko.

The list of exhibitors rolls over to more than 150 businesses representing all directions of the coffee industry and supply chain – green bean traders, roasters, equipment manufacturers, ancillary suppliers, dairy and dairy alternative providers, and so many more.

PLAN OF ATTACK DAY 1:

Kick off the expo by stopping at one of two enlarged Roasters Alley’s to visit: – Undercover Roasters – St. Ali – Kaffeina Roasters – Toby’s Estate – Coffex Coffee In the past, Coffex Coffee has been known for its classic Italian style blends, but this year at MICE, it will be showcasing its newest offerings: blends developed with the more modern discerning coffee drinker in mind, including Hustle & Bustle, Suburbia, as well as single origins, and Coffex Coffee’s redesigned organic and fairtrade range.

“Think balanced coffees highlighting natural acidities with smooth finishes,” says Wendy Faire, Marketing Manager of Coffex Coffee.

Coffex first exhibited at MICE in 2013, and several times since then.

“It’s always been a fantastic

gathering of like-minded people, sharing innovation, and the future of coffee,” Wendy says, adding that the 2013 event featuring the World Barista Championship remains one of Coffex’s best show memories, and the team can’t wait to see all the talent on stage again this year.

DAY 2:

Get into the groove of the second day with brews from some of the new faces to the expo: – Leible Coffee – Evolve North Coffee Roasters – The Little Marionette – The Bean Cartel – Saazaa Coffee – Eco Bike Coffee Bali Visitors can experience interactive talks from Saazaa Coffee’s roasting team and try some of its filter coffees and espressos. The roaster will also be doing a range of giveaways throughout the exhibition.

“At Saazaa Coffee, we will be highlighting our process of sourcing and roasting coffees from around the world and showing people how you can make the best brew from the comfort of your own home,” says Isabelle Pisani General Manager of Saazaa Coffee.

“Kenya features strongly in our lineup of beans, and we’re most excited to showcase our AA+ single origin espresso alongside beans from Ethiopia, Colombia and several other countries.”

This year marks Saazaa Coffee’s first time exhibiting at MICE. “We’re all so excited to be diving straight into the deep end of an industry we love so much. All of us come from a coffee background, whether it be

working as a barista, having connections to farmers in Kenya or just as an avid consumer, so we can’t wait to experience this side of the coffee world,” says Isabelle.

DAY 3:

Visit MICE’s newest feature – Roaster’s Marketplace – and treat your tastebuds.

Set up like the World’s Ultimate Coffee Bar, Roaster’s Marketplace will keep you caffeinated for hours. Featured in this new attraction are: – Merlo Coffee – Coffee Me Up – Just Planet Coffee – Adore Estate Coffee – Black Vice Café and Roastery – Commonfolk Coffee Company

DAY 4:

Finish off the expo with some old favourites that simply cannot be missed: – Veneziano Coffee Roasters – Mocopan Coffee – Axil Coffee Roasters – ONA Coffee – Zest Specialty Coffee Roasters Rod Greenfield, Managing Director of Zest Specialty Coffee Roasters, says coffee enthusiasts can look forward to an amazing sensory journey tasting some of the world’s most exotic and innovative coffees.

“We will have five of our team fresh back from a flavour exploration trip encompassing top producers in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, loaded with coffees that push the boundaries of sensory experience. Sharing specialty coffee, with humility that acknowledges the amazing work of the growers and producers, is in our DNA, and MICE

provides a wonderful platform to do just that,” says Rod. Besides Zest’s espresso coffee bar, which will be pumping out four flavoursome blends to visitors seeking an espresso, long black or lovely latte, Zest’s brew benches will showcase the flavours of a number of world-renowned producers including Ninety Plus, La Palma & El Tucan, Forest Coffee and Pillcocaja.

“These brews will delight the tastebuds of the most discerning and passionate coffee enthusiast,” Rod says.

Also on show will be some of Zest’s recent projects, including its work with the Bosques Verdes Cooperative in Peru, and much closer to home, the flavour discovery project at Jack Murat Coffee in Mareeba, far North Queensland.

“Zest has evolved and progressed significantly since our previous MICE back in 2019. We are excited to present the best of Zest on what is really a world stage. Our people, our products and our passion. Experience more than just coffee, transport your tastebuds to the front end of sensory experience and enjoy it. As we love to say, exploring innovation in flavour for the good of all coffeekind,” Rod says.

When the doors close to the expo each day, it’s definitely not the end of festivities. Hit up the Melbourne Coffee Week website www. melbournecoffeeweek.com.au to see where all the best parties are, then come back the next day, and do it all again.

You can sleep when it’s all over.

For more information and to book tickets, visit internationalcoffeeexpo.com

Zest Specialty Coffee Roasters will take visitors on a sensory journey through some of the word’s most exotic coffees.

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CAFÉ SCENE COFFEE CULTURE (THE CROSSING) 158 Cashel Street, The Crossing, Christchurch Central City, New Zealand, 8011 Open Monday to Friday 7am – 5:30pm, weekends 8am – 5pm +64 (03) 365 1771 Chris Houston started Coffee Culture 26 years ago. It operated as one little coffee shop in the sleepy seaside village of Sumner in Christchurch, with a roaster inside the café so that guests could embrace the whole coffee experience.

Today, 20 uniquely designed boutique Coffee Culture shops now serve brews to New Zealand customers, springing from a passion to combine the science and art of coffee.

“We are definitely about getting great coffee to our guests quickly, but that handmade touch is always special,” says Sacha Coburn, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Coffee Culture.

Coffee Culture’s house roast is carefully and consistently produced from its two local roasteries. Here, Coffee Culture roasts beans from Colombia, Papua New Guinea, and Brazil to create its house blend. Sacha says the result is a widely appealing, mediumbodied blend with notes of red and jammy fruits, chocolate, and nutty notes.

At time of print, Sacha highlighted the current Matariki seasonal roast – one of four different blends which feature

Coffee Culture supplies its locally-roasted coffee to 20 boutique shops in New Zealand.

throughout the year – in celebration of the Mãori New Year holiday. Sacha says this Ethiopian roast is full-bodied with notes of dark chocolate, blueberry, and key lime, and reflects Coffee Culture’s ethos of inclusivity and warmth.

“We have our own ideas about what the perfect coffee is,” Sacha says, “but we really want to make it so our guests from all walks of life enjoy it.”

Coffee Culture also offers light and tasty bites, with an emphasis on catering for diverse dietary needs and lifestyles.

“Our raw bites are really popular, and

The Crossing in Christchurch is a light-filled “glass cage” that’s won interior design awards.

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our salmon bagels have been a winner since day one,” Sacha says.

One of Coffee Culture’s newest shops is nestled in the centre of Christchurch at The Crossing, situating itself as a warm and inviting cornerstone of the resilient community.

“We really put a lot into making The Crossing store a special place in the heart of Christchurch city. We’re expanding, but Christchurch is very much the home and heart of what we do,” Sacha says.

The Crossing has won interior design awards for its natural tones and textures.

Sacha describes the venue as a light-filled “glass cage.”

“The store becomes this beating heart, this honeycomb, it just glows. As soon as you see it, it draws people in,” Sacha says.

Like Coffee Culture itself, The Crossing store has charming origins, resting on earnest foundations of old-fashioned hospitality despite its architectural flair and bustling central location.

“The Crossing store is owned by a family that’s been with us a long time.

Anna Walsh grew up in Coffee Culture doing dishes in her dad’s store. Now she has a store of her own She’s hugely valued by her guests and a really important part of the life of the city,” Sacha says.

The Crossing store shares with its sister shops a welcoming philosophy and offerings of plush comfort. Diverse seating spaces, as well as generous opening hours and a commitment to affordability, ensure that all are welcome.

“It’s a safe place for teenagers, older people, mums’ groups, book clubs, and students coming to study. It’s an inviting place that you can come and enjoy an affordable luxury,” Sacha says.

MEELUP FARMHOUSE 54 Sheens Road, Naturaliste, Western Australia, 6281 Open Friday to Tuesday 9am – 4pm (08) 9756 8848 Springing to life at the beginning of 2020 in a burst of light tones and refined seaside accents is Meelup Farmhouse, a sprawling jewel on the southwest coast of Western Australia. Marketing Manager Anneliese Hvalgaard explains the vision of the Farmhouse restaurant and its surrounding grounds as “harnessing what is glorious about the outdoor-living aspect of the southwest and creating an oasis within the Meelup Regional Park”.

Meelup Farmhouse is the next project from Elizabeth and Mark Ahearn, who in 2018, opened the popular and acclaimed Perth venue, The Little Bay. The Farmhouse shares with The Little Bay furnishings that celebrate nature against a white backdrop, as well as a renowned menu and coffee offering from Locale Coffee Roasters.

Anneliese says the relationship The Little Bay and Meelup Farmhouse have with Locale and Locale’s WA state manager Paul Solway is a close and “longstanding” one, “so it made sense to incorporate Locale coffee here at Meelup”.

Meelup Farmhouse serves Locale’s Ultimate Wingman blend, chosen as a “reliable all-rounder” for its full-bodied, caramel, dark chocolate, and hazelnut notes.

Anneliese says the roaster’s sustainable ethos was another strong drawcard that connected with Meelup Farmhouse’s environmental values. “Locale is a carbon-neutral coffee roaster; the roastery is operated off solar power,” Anneliese adds.

Now, there’s a new venture for the property, Meelup Dairy. It provides another opportunity for guests at the Farmhouse to enjoy Locale’s delicious roast, as well as other experiences, like visiting the hobby farm’s Highland cows. “Meelup Dairy is a takeaway outlet offering great coffee, house-made real fruit ice-cream, and milkshakes,” Anneliese says.

For those with more time to enjoy the property, guests might choose to snack on an artisanal picnic pack, or indulge in fine brunch and lunch feasts, which are offered for restaurant diners.

“The menu tries to stay as seasonal and local as possible,” Anneliese says.

She notes favourite items include Meelup Farmhouse’s famous house-made pâté, and a baked Margaret River Brie over

Meelup Farmhouse serves Locale Coffee’s Ultimate Wingman blend.

which fresh local truffle is shaved – while the truffle season lasts.

“Summer will come around before we know it, and we are looking forward to maximising what we’ve built here now,” Anneliese says. Whether it’s restaurant diners or children playing on the lawns, “there really is something for everyone here”.

THE GRUMPY BARISTA 34 Henderson Road, Alexandria, New South Wales, 2015 Open Monday to Saturday 7am – 2pm and Sunday 8am – 2pm (02) 9690 1791 The Grumpy Barista serving Paradox Coffee Roasters, resides in the close-knit Sydney suburb of Alexandria – and there’s only smiles on the faces of its Owners Carlo Ianni and Carmelo Tripodi, who say providing friendly and personalised customer service to the local community is essential.

“Whenever you come to Grumpy’s, you find either Carlo or myself here, so there’s a bit more of a personal connection. A lot of the customers that we met here are now our friends,” Carmelo says.

Carlo adds that the customer base is diverse, from all walks of life. “We get all kinds of people from young people to business-people, to older retirees,” he says.

Integral to this culture of relationshipbuilding and community at the café is the life-long story of friendship between Carlo and Carmelo, whose families migrated from Italy together. Together, they share more than 20 years co-working in various hospitality settings. “The café feels like home,” Carlo says.

The Grumpy Barista serves Paradox Coffee Roasters’ Penny blend to the Sydney community of Alexandria.

Against a colourful, summery backdrop of soft pink walls and custom Terrazzo detailing, Carlo says The Grumpy Barista offers “smooth and tasty coffee” using Paradox Coffee Roaster’s Penny Lane blend on a La Marzocco machine.

“Penny Lane has flavour notes of salted caramel, dark chocolate and cinnamon, which we chose because it works really well with milk, but it is also quite tasty as a black,” Carmelo says.

Further elaborating on their choice to use Paradox Coffee Roasters, Carmelo says “we couldn’t speak highly enough” of Paradox Coffee Roasters’ National Sales Manager, Nicholas Naso. “We know that we’re always getting excellent service and excellent coffee.”

One of The Grumpy Barista’s most popular menu items, The Will Walker, speaks volumes about the culture Carlo and Carmelo have nurtured in their café.

“It’s a fried chicken wrap with red cheddar, avocado, rocket and spicy mayo,” Carmelo says, explaining that the wrap was invented by regular customer Will, who would come in and order it every day. It sits alongside menu classics such as Eggs Benedict with house-made sauce, and its famous Magic Mushrooms.

This ethos of inclusivity is at the heart of what Carmelo and Carlo celebrate at The Grumpy Barista, and it’s all part of their aim to keep customers happy. “We want to create an environment where you’re happy, and they’re happy,” Carlo says.

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CAFÉ SCENE HIBERNIA CAFÉ 611 Magill Road, Magill, South Australia, 5072 Open Monday to Friday 7:30am – 2:30pm, weekends 8:30am – 2:30pm (08) 8331 3133 The sandstone, heritage-listed Magill Institute building has been the heart of the Magill Village community for almost two centuries. Its Victorian-era arches have long framed a locus of culture, conversation, and celebration. The building operated as a town hall, a presentation hall, then later a cinema. Now, the Magill Institute has been renovated and repurposed to host Hibernia Café, a venue which continues to honour the building’s traditional role as a meeting place and community centre in the Adelaide foothills.

“Our customer base is the kind of people who have time to sit and chat,” explains James Sherry, Hibernia’s Owner and Head Chef. “If I’m not out the front, the regulars that know me find their way back [to the kitchen] and have a chat. I encourage my staff to get to know our regulars and keep up with their lives. That personal relationship is what has kept people coming back.”

Guided by this philosophy of community engagement for six years, the café offers a site for connection, and a place to serve quality food and coffee.

Hibernia takes an authentic, handmade approach to its menu. “We pickle a lot of our own vegetables, make the sauces, and bake all the cakes on site. We only buy in one or two things and otherwise take that extra step to make it our own,” says James.

In this vein, James’ food is characterised by modern creativity and celebrates the lush South Australian produce at hand.

The most popular dish on the menu is the potato pancakes, which are topped with smoked salmon, pickled red onion, crème

Hibernia’s menu embraces local South Australian produce and modern creativity.

fraiche, and exploding vegan paprika pearls made to look like red caviar.

Hibernia also dresses up the classic Eggs Benedict, topping it with a slow-cooked brisket.

Alongside the modern menu and fresh Scandinavian interior is a commitment to quality coffee. “We are using Toby’s Estate. Our house blend is Broadway,

Heritage-listed Magill Institute is now home to Hibernia café, which continues the building’s legacy as a meeting place.

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which has notes of spice, dark chocolate and toffee,” James says. “People have loved [the Toby’s Estate blend]. I think that mostly ties back to its consistency and ease of use,” James says.

He adds that Hibernia’s medium-roast, rich house blend was chosen to suit the palate of its customers, who prefer a “more rich coffee that cuts through the creaminess of the milk,” he explains.

Hibernia also offers a monthly-rotating single origin coffee from Toby’s Estate to keep its black coffees “fresh and funky”.

In addition to serving quality-focused coffee and food, Hibernia gives back to the community by displaying rotating works by local artists.

“It does create that sense of community where the artists will bring their family and friends in to have a look at their art and be really proud of what they’ve put up,” James says.

Equally as proud is James when he sees the venue bustling with customers enjoying Hibernia’s produce and atmosphere. “There’s a sense of pride from having your own place, and people can say ‘wow, what a beautiful café you’ve got’,” he says.

PAPERCUP COFFEE 1/16 Frank Street, Labrador, Queensland, 4215 Open Monday to Sunday 5am – 2pm There are four Papercup Coffee cafés brightly dotting the Gold Coast in Carrara, Southport, Labrador and Tugen. Owner Fred Azzarello says that Papercup’s atmosphere is “so Gold Coast it’s not funny. We decided to create a light, beachy theme to make it reflective of the area.”

While each Papercup Coffee venue is slightly unique in colour and character, guests have come to expect the same high standard of coffee and service, regardless of the store location or time of day.

“The focus is to provide the best coffee we can, and get it delivered to the customers within five minutes,” Fred says.

“Our core philosophy is to provide the same service, flavour and consistency every time.”

Frequent staff training and refined systems for service underpin Papercup Coffee’s commitment to efficiency and reliability. This approach is assisted by a close relationship with Veneziano Coffee Roasters. “Veneziano provide us not only with amazingly consistent beans, but also

fortnightly, meaning that “each staff member is getting a training session every three months, so that making good coffee becomes second nature to them,” Fred says.

Using La Marzocco coffee machines and Mahlkonig EK grinders, baristas prepare Papercup’s most popular house blend, Elevate. Fred says this blend from Veneziano Coffee is sweet and spicy, chocolately and nutty, and a mediumbodied all-rounder.

To pair with the quality-made coffee, hungry visitors can also enjoy a variety of café classics, like eggs on toast and brekky burritos, all of which can be made available as takeaway for Papercup Coffee’s many customers onthe-go. Consistent with Papercup’s sunny location and focus on speedy service, Fred adds “our most popular food item is definitely our yummy açai bowls, especially in summer”.

Emphasising the main inspiration behind Papercup Coffee, Fred says he’s been a coffee-lover all his life. Expanding the Papercup Coffee brand has allowed Fred to share this love of coffee with others.

“We focus on wonderful coffee as our main service, our main offering,” he says.

Papercup Coffee serves Queensland customers Veneziano Coffee’s Elevate blend.

with a lot of barista training and support,” he says.

Veneziano supports Papercup’s initiative to run small barista training sessions

ZIMT PATISSERIE 171 Union Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria, 3127 Winter trading hours Open Wednesday to Sunday 8am – 3pm (03) 9890 2382 Drawing inspiration from owner and qualified Pastry Chef Michael Leidler’s Austrian heritage, Zimt Patisserie is a friendly local patisserie, bakery and café with a loyal following.

According to Zimt Business Manager Rachel Fleetwood, it’s been a dream of Michael and his wife Sue to run their own café in Melbourne.

“Michael and Sue have created a unique product range, featuring both traditional Austrian and European offerings teamed with haute patisserie items,” says Rachel.

Zimt is a neighbourhood favourite with a counter full of traditional bagels and sourdough, lavishly decorated cakes, custom designed gingerbread cookies and other European-inspired treats.

“We make Melbourne’s best apple strudel and plum streusel. We also make favourites Melbournians love like croissants, strawberry tarts, cakes, pies and quiches. Michael gets very creative in the kitchen creating unique items like our cinnamon sticks and specialised Austrian products such as Stollen seasonally.

We have a large following of Austrian and

Zimt Patisserie is an Austrian-inspired bakery and café.

German customers that love coming here because it’s like a little taste of home,” Rachel says.

Imitating the red and white Austrian flag, the Surrey Hills bakery and café is adorned with red press metal walls and is decorated seasonally. Customers can watch the pastry chefs working hard behind the counter while enjoying a brew from Campos Coffee’s Superior blend.

“Campos’ Superior blend is a customer favourite. With notes of caramel and butterscotch, we really enjoy it, and it keeps our regulars coming back,” says Rachel.

Campos and Zimt have been partners since Campos broke into the Melbourne market, well over eight years ago and, according to Rachel, share a great working relationship.

“Campos trained all of our staff on our La Marzocco coffee machine on one of our days off. The training session allowed our new casual staff to become proficient on the machine, which is invaluable service.

There aren’t many companies that will offer a service like that,” she says.

Rachel adds that the most rewarding part of working at Zimt is being able to connect with everyone in the business.

“It’s nice to be in the café and get to know our regular customers and also work closely with the staff. Michael and Sue are great employers who are very passionate about what they do. They want their staff to resonate with that passion and transfer that to their service and how they treat our customers. It makes for a great working environment,” she says.

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FEATURE

Chloe Tathem is the Queensland/Northern Territory Barista Trainer of Mocopan.

How to avoid café waste Chloe Tathem explains how to minimise wastage when learning latte art techniques, and be considerate of the environment and your hip pocket.

S

ince the pandemic hit, a lot of café businesses have been more financially uncertain, and therefore are more conscious and conservative with food costs and wastage. Through trimming wages and being scarce with wastage, it can make it difficult to maintain coffee training in-store.

However, there are cost-effective alternatives and more sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions to keep your coffee training on track for success. Prioritising training and implementing more sustainable practices will be pivotal to sustaining cafés as we slowly recover from the pandemic.

At Mocopan, we used the time during the lockdown periods to brainstorm more sustainable practices to adapt across all facets of the business, including our barista training programs. Samantha Mason, the Training Coordinator and former Queensland Barista Trainer of eight years, helped develop a more environmentally friendly and sustainable training practice to combat milk wastage and the ever-growing mountain of paper cups in landfill. Samantha designed durable, reusable and translucent polycarbonate training cups and a powdered milk alternative, she named “Filk”, which stretches and textures just like real milk but without the carbon footprint.

The name came from the concept ‘fake milk’ and was developed in 2020 to be used in Mocopan barista training programs to limit the environmental impact and cost to store for milk wastage. It is a food safe milk powder with added proteins, stabilisers and thickeners to aid in creating a silky

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milk texture during steaming and stretching, and allows for manipulation when performing latte art. Through the addition of stabilisers, Filk interacts with fresh espresso shots more cohesively and maintains contrast, definition and clarity in latte art in comparison to other milk alternatives. A one-kilogram bag of Filk can produce as much as 16 litres of ‘fake milk’ and eliminates plastic milk bottles from entering landfill. Once commercially available, it will help café businesses limit their wastage and carbon footprint while optimising barista training for future success.

In the meantime, I have some helpful tips to reduce cost and waste in-store or even at home.

Mocopan’s new Filk powdered milk alternative interacts with fresh espresso shots cohesively and maintains contrast, definition, and clarity in latte art.

1. REDUCE MILK WASTAGE

During my time as a barista trainer, I have heard many new baristas express their fears and worries surrounding steaming milk. However, like all new skills, practice makes perfect. A simple alternative to practice your milk texturing without wasting milk, is dishsoap.

Simply fill your jug to the bottom of the spout with cold water and add two drops of dishsoap. Once you start steaming, the mixture of soapy water will stretch and texture similarly to real milk, allowing you to practice repeatedly without the worry of wasting milk. You can use this technique to practice creating microfoam, perfecting your jug and

steam wand positioning for the ultimate whirlpool action, and pouring latte art.

It goes without saying, but solutions are not safe to drink so you will need to use caution and not mix them up with customer orders.

Another alternative to reduce milk wastage for training purposes is to purchase a bag of powdered milk.

Simply add a tablespoon of milk powder with 200 millilitres of cold water and steam. For best results, use very cold water so it resembles the temperature of milk taken straight from the fridge. If the consistency is watery, simply increase the powder-to-water ratio until the desired texture resembles fresh milk.

An equally important sustainable factor is the portioning of milk into jugs prior to steaming.

• Eight-ounce cup takes approximately 200 millilitres of milk • Twelve-ounce cup takes approximately 300 millilitres of milk • Sixteen-ounce cup takes approximately 400 millilitres of milk Using this guide will give you consistency and control and you’ll be wasting a lot less of your precious milk.

2. CONSERVING YOUR COFFEE BEANS

In addition to preserving milk while practicing your latte art skills, you can also conserve fresh espresso with a creative and sustainable alternative – food colouring. Simply add a few drops of food dye into the bottom of a cup with 10 to 15 millilitres of hot water, steam your milk or milk alternative, and pour until your heart’s content. Just a few drops of soap and food dye is all

it takes to minimise wastage, and you can practise your wrist wiggle or tulip dip until you create muscle memory for a real customer coffee pour. Refer to BeanScene’s August 2021 edition ‘Back to the latte art basics’ to brush up on your latte art techniques. If you would prefer to use fresh espresso shots, I recommend using split shots so you can practice in two cups to maximise your practice while minimising wastage.

3. WATER WASTAGE

When you put your mind to it, there’s sustainable and waste reduction solutions for every aspect of coffee production.

To save water, consider installing a jug rinser or set a purge button on your coffee machine for two-to-three seconds only. You can also try to ensure your dishwasher loads are nice and full to conserve your water usage. Every drop counts.

4. REUSABLES AND REFILLABLES

Over the period of the pandemic, some businesses have decided to maintain a takeaway-only business model. From a coffee training point of view, this poses some challenges. Disposing of paper cups for training purposes is highly wasteful and harmful to the environment, with a single disposable cup taking up to 60 years to decompose, not to mention costly to the business long-term. It also makes it harder for trainees to understand milk texturing and foam levels, as disposable cups are opaque. A cheap and sustainable alternative is clear polycarbonate cups.

Not only are they unbreakable, they are

food safe, 100 per cent recyclable, and created using 50 per cent less energy and less carbon dioxide compared to a glass equivalent.

With Australians disposing more than 2.7 million coffee cups every single day, every little step to more sustainable practices helps limit our impact on this earth. How do you combat disposable cups with a takeaway-only offering?

Allow customers to bring their own refillable cups.

5. COMPOST YOUR COFFEE

If you have a green thumb, used coffee grounds make for fantastic fertiliser for your gardens. Rather than disposing of coffee grounds, offer it to customers or your local community garden. Coffee grounds add nitrogen to your compost pile, or can be used as fertiliser to improve drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil. The earthworms will also love you.

Whether you are a café owner, manager, barista or an avid selftaught home barista, these simple but sustainable alternatives can help you master the art of coffee without costing the earth or your pocket.

The coffee culture within Australia is a rapidly growing trend and industry that we must nurture especially during the difficult times we have faced since the pandemic hit. Through adapting more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, we ensure training remains a priority for future success, and we start to rebuild one of the hardest hit industries. Let’s come back stronger than ever.

To conserve fresh espresso when practising latte art, add a few drops of food dye to the bottom of a cup with 10 to 15ml of hot water, then steam your milk or milk alternative, and pour.

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ESPRESSO YOURSELF

Victor Vu of Ona Coffee Melbourne is the 2020 ASCA Australian Pauls Professional Latte Art Champion.

Hunting hawk Fifth-place World Latte Art Champion Victor Vu shares his designer latte art design that wowed the judges and took him all the way to the finals.

I

’m back. After a whirlwind few months of training and preparation for the 2022 World Latte Art Championships (WLAC) in Milan, I am happy to say I lived out my dream of competing on the world stage, and presenting my original patterns for everyone to see. I’m proud of what I accomplished and thank all my supporters and sponsors who believed in me.

I gave my all in the finals round, and left everything out there on the stage. I didn’t get to hold the biggest trophy of them all, but I’m happy and proud to be fifth best in the world.

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I’ve received so many messages and photos of baristas attempting my designs from the WLAC, and for this column, I’m going to show you how to create my Hunting Hawk pattern.

All my designs for the WLAC embraced a fighting spirit and displayed my consistent pouring ability and creative fine lines.

This pattern is all about control, contrast, and detail. But most importantly, this is a pattern broken down in triangular shapes. The chin of the hawk is in a triangle, so is the beak, and from the top of each eyebrows to the chin.

When I poured this design for the judges, I described it as “my final masterpiece”.

It has a maximum level of difficulty, which involves pouring seven rosettas and etching to create a realistic design with great expression. Just look at the vicious eyes. They’re so intense because of the detail within them.

There’s only one way to tackle my Hunting Hawk, and that’s to try it for yourself. Just like I told the world judges, I hope you enjoy my latte art design, for this really is, my mastery at its finest.

I’m feeling it, and hope you do too.

1.

With the handle at three o’clock, build your base and pour your first seven-leaf rosetta along the side of left side of the cup, starting at 9 o’clock and pushing upwards. From the end of that rosetta, pour your second. Turn the cup handle to 12 o’clock.

From the handle, pour your third rosetta down the cup, and from that end, pour the fourth. The two sides of the hawk’s face and adjacent rosettas should meet like the point of a triangle.

3.

Turn the cup handle clockwise to 5 o’clock. To create the eyebrows, pour your next rosetta from the centre of the cup upwards at a diagonal angle. Turn your cup handle anticlockwise to 2 o’clock and repeat the process to create the second eyebrow, finishing at the centre of the cup.

5.

With your etching tool, add a bit of milk foam and draw lines either side of your eyebrows for definition. Angle the tip upwards at the end of the eyebrow to make it more angry.

Repeat the process to the second eyebrow.

7.

To create the eye, use your etching tool to draw two half circle shapes. Make the smaller one first, then the bigger on the outside, really rounding it up on the outer edge.

2.

Turn the cup 90 degrees so that the handle sits at 3 o’clock. Pour a slightly curved seven-leaf rosetta at the top of the cup to create the head of the hawk.

4.

To create the beak, pour a thick line from the point where the eyebrows meet down the cup.

6.

The beak is one of the hardest parts of the pattern. The pointier you make it, the angrier the hawk. Etch a line up then deep down the cup. Think of a triangle shape from the top points of the eyebrows to the bottom of the beak.

8.

Clean your tool, dip it into your coffee crema, and etch the nostrils and a line to highlight the beak. Finally, add a white dot in the middle of the eye to make it more vicious and intense.

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NZSCA

Emma McDougall is the Communications and Administration Co-ordinator of the NZSCA.

Back at the Worlds The NZSCA highlights Alan Bruce’s return to world competition in Milan, where competing was exciting, but connecting with the industry again was even better.

Alan Bruce made the Quarter Finals of the 2022 World Cup Tasters Championship.

Image: Diana Bovoloni

W

ay back in February 2020, (remember those days?) we held the New Zealand Cup Tasters Championship, and Alan Bruce of Flight Coffee Roasters in Wellington took the crown.

Our borders have been tricky and expensive to get through, with a stay in quarantine a lottery only afforded to a select few. New Zealand sadly missed the 2021 World Cup Tasters Championship (WCTC), and heartedly supported Australia in the event.

Suddenly in May 2022, the border situation changed again, and NZ had the opportunity to send our national champions to the Championship Tasters and World Latte Art Championship in Milan, from 23 to 25 June. “I immediately thought ‘how can I make this happen?’ and started begging my bosses for some assistance,” Alan says.

Thankfully, Alan has awesome bosses who supported him all the way and helped him prepare with the short turnaround time. We would have also loved Hoony Chae, our Meadow Fresh NZ Latte Art 2020 Champion to attend the World Coffee Championships and represent NZ, however he had just opened his own café in Auckland and was unable to go.

With such short notice, Alan didn’t have as much practise time as he needed.

“Everything was confirmed two weeks out from travelling, so that coupled with a heavy workload meant that there wasn’t much time to train – I maybe got five or six sessions under my belt before heading out to Milan,” he says.

The short lead time had Alan concentrating on running a simplified version of the competition format.

We watched Alan compete online, comfortably heading into the quarter finals.

“It was pretty brutal in the first round.

It definitely felt harder than the 2019 Championship, but it’s hard to say whether that’s just down to being a little out of practice or if it was deliberately more challenging. So much of the competition is about being in the right headspace and on the second day I couldn’t quite find my focus,” Alan recalls.

Alan says despite the intense heat, he was most excited to see everyone. “It was my first time catching up with a lot of old coffee friends since 2019 and coming off the back of lockdowns and travel restrictions it was just great meeting up in person again – even if it was a little overwhelming,” he says.

As for the World of Coffee event itself, Alan says it was so huge that even after three days, he felt like there were things he missed seeing.

“It’s a bit like when you go to the supermarket without a list and end up wandering the aisles and picking up the most random stuff,” he says.

Visiting Italy was also a chance for Alan to explore Milan’s coffee scene.

“The best coffee was at a place called Nowhere [Coffee Roasters].

Every coffee I tried was great, and the team were super lovely,” he says, even bringing back a natural Ethiopian coffee called Iron Lion from the roaster.

Alan would like to thank his sponsors, the team at Flight Coffee and wife Bec. Special mention to his Mum and Dad who flew to Milan from Scotland to support him. Isn’t that what coffee is all about? Bringing people together.

The next NZSCA event was the 2022 NZ Cup Tasters Championship, held on 15 July. Ewan Kim of Camper Coffee Roasting Co won first place, Han Lee of Meebz Coffee placed second, August Hislop of Atomic Coffee Roasters placed third, and Alan placed fourth.

For more information on the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association, or to join, visit www.nzsca.org

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PEOPLEON ONTHE THEMOVE MOVE PEOPLE

People on the move

BeanScene celebrates the latest industry appointments in the Australian and New Zealand coffee landscape.

LIZZIE GURR – GLOBAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, OZONE COFFEE ROASTERS INTERNATIONAL Ozone Coffee Roasters has appointed Lizzie Gurr as Global Chief Executive Office, the group’s first CEO, which includes the Ozone Coffee Roasters, Hasbean and West Coast Cocoa brands.

Lizzie has nearly two decades’ experience in hospitality and specialty coffee. A New Zealand native, she began working with Ozone’s founding team in 2010 before co-founding the business in Shoreditch, London in 2012 with her partner James Gurr. As CEO, she’ll lead the business through a pivotal growth stage as the industry continues to recover.

As CEO, Gurr is focused on delivering OCRI’s growth plans in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and helping to steward the company’s long-term growth and expansion vision.

“I am incredibly proud to lead our team as CEO, and excited for the opportunity that lies ahead for our brands and team.

It has been a humbling and gratifying experience to be a part of everything this team has accomplished in the last few years, and I’m excited to lead our team in ushering a new era of continued success for our community and business,” Lizzie says.

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DANIEL LOMBARDI – SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, VENEZIANO COFFEE ROASTERS Daniel Lombardi has joined Veneziano Coffee as Senior Business Development Manager for New South Wales. He has 19 years of experience in the coffee industry, including State Operations Manager and worked as a barista in a 170-kilogram-aweek coffee shop.

Daniel will lead strategic partnerships with café partners across Sydney and wider NSW. He will look after sales and account management in the territory and continue to grow Veneziano’s wholesale business in the state.

SEAN GAER – NSW & QLD STATE SALES MANAGER FOR BUDDY CAPITAL Sean’s new role as Sales Manager in the New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland markets includes driving strong relationships across the hospitality sector to help roasters, resellers and customers connect and find the right coffee solution for their business. Sean has a long-standing history in the hospitality sector and in providing exceptional customer service.

“I am really excited to be working with the team at Buddy and having a coffee hospitality-driven customer service outcome,” Sean says. “I am learning from the team at Buddy the more in-depth market of coffee while bringing my knowledge of back of house and hospitality [together].

I’m very excited to be making new relationships in this market and helping businesses grow and see their full potential by getting the right equipment from day one.”

WANTED: EMPLOYEES! Is your business looking to fulfil a vacant position in the coffee industry? Tired of sifting through non-industry specific candidates via saturated marketing platforms and failing to find “the one”? Look no further. BeanScene has created a new “Jobs” page on our website to help target industry-specific roles.

Standard and premium listings are available. All job listings will be promoted through our weekly EDM and shared on BeanScene socials.

For pricing inquiries and more information, contact: COURTNEY WALKER courtney.walker@primecreative.com.au +61 481 736 890

If you have taken on a new role in a prominent coffee business, or if you would like to promote your exciting new hire, send details of the career news alongside a high-res photo to Sarah Baker at sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au

Daily workshops and access to leading coffee experts to educate, up skill and inspire you!

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