Cafe Culture Issue 29 by Cafe Culture

+ the magazine for the cafĂŠ industry

Cafe

AU $6.95

ISSUE 29

THE O

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Dimattina Coffee. The overall winner at the 2011/2012 CSR Golden Bean awards.

{ freshly roasted }

www.dimattinacoffee.com.au

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South Melbourne

Reservoir

Osborne Park

173 Clarendon Street South Melbourne VIC Phone: 03 9929 7444 paul@dimattinacoffee.com.au

126 Edwardes Street Reservoir VIC Phone: 03 9462 4499 reservoir@dimattinacoffee.com.au

3/19 Collingwood Street Osborne Park WA Phone: 08 9244 9377 infowa@dimattinacoffee.com.au

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Cafe 16. 20. 20.E TH O

26.

After a sterling performance by the ONA COFFEE sponsored team from the ACT in the Da Vinci State of Origin competition, the Australian Capital Territory is now firmly placed on Australia’s coffee map.

Since opening his first coffee shop in Sydney 15 years ago, Toby Smith has set his sights high and is now the proud owner of a new store in Williamsburg, New York.

For the latest Café Culture news, check out our brand new website for news, reviews, videos and much more:

Regulars.

www.cafeculture.com

about. Café Culture is a quarterly magazine for the café industry delivered to 10,000 cafés across Australia. If you are part of the café industry and would like to subscribe to Café Culture Magazine, you can do so for a yearly subscription and postage fee of only $48 for 4 issues. Back issues are also available for $12 per issue, including postage and handling. Visit www.cafebiz.net and follow the links for more information.

Jack Hanna and Ramzey Choker are the brains behind a unique new business concept, that is built around a permaculture garden in the industrial area of Alexandria, Sydney.

News from Above

48. Café Biz

News from above with Phillip Di Bella.

2012 wrap up.

8. Cultured Products

86. Hot Café Reviews

New products and industry innovations.

12. Cultured Gossip

We check out some of the best cafés from around the country.

Get the latest news for café owners and the café industry.

88. Suppliers Guide

18. Café People

93. Training Schools

Meet Ewen Litchfield.

Barista training with the experts.

Businesses supporting the café industry.

Award Winning Retail & Wholesale Supplier

Suppliers and tasters of the ﬁnest quality leaf teas in Australia since 1996. • 300 Silvertip Leaf Teas • 40 Bella Italia Gourmet Coffees • 24 RAS Coffee Awards • 7 CSR Golden Bean Awards • Contract Roasting/Private Label - New 50kg Probat • 2011 Winner “BEST TEA” SMH Good Food Guide

BUY ONLINE NOW! Phone 02 9680 9117 ZZZ SLQHWHDFRIIHH FRP DX

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G R E AT Q U A LI T Y AT W H O LE S A LE P R I C E S

28/5/12 5:33:32 PM

4. BY JUSTEEN SINGLE Editor Café Culture Magazine + the magazine for the café industry

Cafe

AU $6.95

ISSUE 29

THE O

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Issue 29 Cover picture of Jack Hanna

Welcome to issue 29 of Café Culture Magazine.

contacts.

Editor - Justeen Single justeen@cafeculture.com Phone: (02) 6583 7163 Mobile: 0404 837 608 Fax: (02) 6583 7169

uring a recent road trip south, it was apparent that specialty coffee continues to flourish. What has helped is the growth of specialty coffee into regional areas. A roastery opens, cafés support their local roaster, consumers support their local café, coffee education grows, and the standards across the whole town are lifted. It’s a win-win in that town. During this road trip, however, the one thing that we kept noticing was customer service. The uneasiness of the global recession has changed consumer behaviour for luxury products. A coffee and a cake is basically a luxury, and the café owners who are winning are those that offer not just this luxury, but a sense of belonging to their customers. In insecure times, people want to hold on to something they can call their own, so cafés that provide that special place can make their customers feel a bit more in control and of belonging to a community – that’s a big part of customer service. Good food and coffee is now available in more cafés in your town, so exceptional customer service is now the key to keeping your customers. Make customers want to be a part of your gang. The cost of a smile, a genuine hello or a “what’s new in your day” costs nothing, but such behaviour is what supporters of your café desire. Know their drink, know their behaviours, understand their needs, and make their visit to your café friendly and warm. It should be the one experience they look forward to every day. Ensure your staff have the same ethos as you. Social media is immediate; the effects of

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customer service, good or bad, can be on Facebook and/or Twitter and out to hundreds of people before they even leave the store. Every person who orders now has the potential to reach hundreds, if not thousands. Basic information, but when it comes down to it, keeping and satisfying your customers is the key to success in the café world. In this issue we have dedicated our cover to Jack Hanna’s Grounds of Alexandria. We don’t usually give favour to cafés; however, Grounds is an exceptional concept that we think is a world wide first in its detail and delivery – a stand out that we hope you will be as awe inspired by as we were upon our first visit. There are many more stories of achievement this issue, with the success story of Bite Size Coffee Treats, to historic Bar Coluzzi and of course, the run down on all the AASCA competition winners from President Craig Dickson. We have also set the dates for the Golden Bean Roaster Competition and Conference, returning to the Sunshine Coast 16 to 20 October. We are excited to now be offering 12 categories, which include 2 specifically for the Coffeesnobs home roaster. Also new to this year’s event is the Green Bean Zone, where attendees will be able to sample new coffees direct from origin. Finally, don’t miss the next issue of Café Culture Magazine. Issue 30 will be our bumper yearly publication and will include the first annual Café Industry Report and the Australian Café Suppliers Directory – put together as an easy access suppliers guide especially to assist you with your daily purchasing decisions.

Produced and Published by KISS Marketing - Sean Edwards Phone: 0419 287 608 PO Box 5728 Port Macquarie NSW 2444

Sales, Marketing, Business Development Manager - Kevin Chilvers kevin@cafeculture.com Mobile: 0410 504 059

Sales Executive - Robert Marlowe rob@cafeculture.com Mobile: 0427 341 936

Accounts - Kristine Edwards kristine@cafeculture.com

Copy Editor - Jo Atkins RnRmedia@bigpond.com

Art Director - Jay Beaumont jaybeaumont@gmail.com

Graphic Designer - Joey Dable joey@cafeculture.com

Photography Credits Shayne McCristal Tim Hitchins Kim Dafter Charlie Edwards Richard Tho Ned Schepis

Media Releases to justeen@cafeculture.com No part of this publication may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publishers. DISCLAIMER: Views expressed by advertisers and contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. While every care is taken to provide accurate information the publishers do not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of information included in this publication.

Add us on both Twitter and Facebook. Just search for CafeCulture mag.

30/5/12 9:45:20 PM

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28/5/12 5:35:02 PM

6. WITH SEAN EDWARDS

PUBLISHER’S

A TRUE TESTAMENT TO HARD WORK!

After ten years with an unclouded vision and a loyal team of supporters, Café Biz celebrated its tenth year with great success. We all walked away proud and enlightened, with 100% commitment to continuing this great café industry show.

afé Biz has seen the largest ever roll up, with 3,500 excited delegates attending this year’s event. Talking with visitors to the show, most café owners were looking forward to a strong future within the café industry and recognised the opportunities for success in today’s business climate. The café industry has definitely grown since we started ten years ago, with an annual turnover increasing from 2.5 billon dollars to well over 10 billion. As we all know, you can’t go anywhere these days and not come across a café or coffee service system of some sort. What has been a big difference is that businesses are getting smarter, and the failure rate is dropping. As an established industry source of information, Café Culture is working hard to continue to gather real statistics, so the industry can grow successfully. We have been reinvesting in our own business intelligence, with many new projects well on their way to collecting industry data that will help with some accurate future predictions on trends. Three years ago we had a chance meeting with a company called Pulse, who surveyed industries such as pharmaceutical, grocery and liquor segments. The meeting led to the creation of Café Pulse and three years later, we now have some genuine information that we can start working with for industry direction and planned growth cycles of products and services. The Australian café industry has been fast

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moving, and many of our concepts are looked upon internationally as successful models that are a great achievement and as being smart in our approach to this complex business. It’s now time for us within the industry to start collecting and correlating the real data, so we can use it to move forward. A good way café businesses can help us in this process is by filling out the survey we will have in issue 30. The more surveys we receive, the more accurate the reports will be. We will be summarising this year’s annual café report in issue 30, as well as supplying an extensive suppliers directory that will highlight lead café service and product providers. Talking about business intelligence, this data becomes valuable information for your business and information to assist café owners in the process of understanding customer habits, which include buying trends and frequency of visits. Technology is assisting this process now, with lots of options for pre-purchase systems such as cards and smart phone apps for ordering. Not only do these systems speed up delivery time for morning coffee rushes, they also track customers’ usage and habits. This information can be transformed into marketing programs like loyalty and reward systems. Sometimes simple things like shouting a customer a free coffee on their birthday will keep them interested in staying loyal to you and your business. As competition grows and quality of service and offerings go up, more clever marketing ideas are needed to retain the business and customer base.

It was a pleasure this year to host some very important guests from Korea over the Café Biz week. Mr Hong is the Principal of the Café Show in Korea and owner and publisher of the Korean hospitality magazine, Café Magazine. He and his wife and sales manager came to Australia to see how our industry operated. We had the good fortune of taking them to the Campos Coffee Cupping Room and were honoured to have owner, Will Young, host our visit. The group also called in at The Grounds of Alexandria to see this unique business just days before its official opening, and the Di Bella Coffee Roasting Warehouse in Surry Hills supported us with a great lunch that was more than welcomed by our visitors after a long flight.

The group enjoyed the visit and noted comparisons between our two countries. The Korean coffee market is thriving and they have a strong focus on quality – not unlike our fast growing industry. I just experienced my first taste of South America on a recent family holiday. My wife Kristine and I celebrated 25 years of marriage and wanted to do something special and a little crazy, and South America was part of this dream. Look out for some fun travel notes from this trip to Chile and Argentina in this issue and the next. Our team is excited about the promising future of the café industry, and we look forward to getting out there and sharing more of our cafe experiences.

28/5/12 5:35:30 PM

BY PHILLIP DI BELLA 7.

NEWS FROM

EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO HAVE AN OPINION ; it’s the way you voice this opinion that can either be constructive or destructive. It seems in the age of social media and blogging reviews that there is no shortage of critics, where more often than not the blogger extends a negative review about their experiences. The damage caused by such reviews to a café’s reputation can be severe. Rather than blogging or posting their feedback, wouldn’t it be more constructive to provide the feedback direct to your waiter or a manager? At least this way the café can try to rectify the issue. When word of mouth is such a powerful tool, how do you monitor the experience your customers are having? Manage staff attitudes: ensure your staff are aware that their attitudes shine through. If they’re annoyed with something, your customers might experience a shortness that can be interpreted as rude. Be conducive to customer feedback: ask your customers for

feedback and make it easy for them to provide it. Ensure they’re aware you intend to use the feedback to improve your business. Focus on continual improvement: we get better by solving issues. By using customer feedback as the foundation of improvement, you know you’re working on the right issues. Communication: share the customer feedback. This ensures staff are aware of the areas of improvement, as well as areas that are performing well. Share the changes made with your customers. Di Bella Coffee employs these steps regularly. I’m known for contacting customers to obtain feedback, which ensures I’m often the

first to know of any problems and can rectify the situation immediately. Di Bella customers are asked to use the brand’s social media sites to provide feedback – even a negative comment can be used to highlight our dedication to the customer when handled correctly. Di Bella Coffee also asks the question – why don’t you choose us? The answers received have been the basis for many of the company’s innovations. By harnessing constructive criticism, you can improve your business. You can also gain customers through handling destructive opinions to your advantage. Encourage customers to be part of the change that they want to see!

Communicate your Green credentials Each year 1.5 billion cups are disposed of in Australia and NZ. Choosing BioCups shows your customers that you care about quality and sustainability. The best coffee deserves the best cup.

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* Conditions apply - contact BioPak for more details

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28/5/12 5:35:41 PM

GET CHEEKI AND HELP SAVE OUR PLANET Help the environment by reducing the number of coffee cups going into Australian landfills: 2.7 million disposable coffee cups are thrown out every day in Australia. Save the Planet with Cheeki’s New Coffee Cups! Smart,

NEW BULLA DOLLOP CREAM PORTIONS

trendy and environmentally friendly, these cups are

Offering fresh, rich, extra thick Bulla cream in a single-serve portion control pack to

will keep coffee hotter for longer!

accompany cakes or other sweet treats. In the same way you add value to the meat pie with portion control packs of tomato sauce, the new Bulla Dollop Cream Portions offer strong opportunities for increased sales and profits by value adding to your sweet offerings. Each Bulla Dollop Cream Portion is a 22 ml serving of rich, extra thick cream in a hygienic and convenient PC pack. Delivered frozen for extended shelf life, they can be safely stored in the freezer until ready to use, for up to six months after their manufactured date. Once

manufactured from 304 Insulated Stainless Steel and have BPA free lids. Each cup is double walled insulated, which Get Cheeki – a health choice for you and the environment. Cheeki is Australia’s leading brand of stainless steel bottles. Custom printing available – minimum order only 100 cups! t. (02) 9939 1900 e. sales@cheeki.net.au w. www.cheeki.net.au

thawed, they’ll keep fresh for a further five days. For further information, contact Scott Haywood on m. 0407 829 795 or email e. scott_haywood@regalcream.com.au

RedOrange™ Blood Orange Marmalade Delicately handmade from Australian home grown blood oranges by Redbelly Citrus, the fruit is hand peeled and juiced, the zest is hand shredded and then boiled in blood orange juice to ensure its delicate texture and to maximise the flavour. The gorgeous colour of Redbelly blood oranges carries through to each jar, making this marmalade stand out from all others. With breakfast, as a cake filler, or as a glaze for pork or Christmas ham, RedOrange™ marmalade is a standout in taste, texture and to the eyes. No added colours or flavours. Supplied in 330 g jars (12 in a box).

Organic Rainbow Chai Pyramid Tea Bags The chai teabag we have all been waiting for – made for chai drinkers, by chai drinkers. A full bodied spice experience, with all the ease and convenience of a tea bag. Organic, biodynamically grown tea from the misty green highlands of Sri Lanka, where the workers and tea plantations cohabitate and thrive in a pristine environment. 100% biodegradable

RedOrange marmalade is also available (by order pre

cornstarch teabags (no staples), perfect for composting. No

August annually) in 50 g single serve jars and 1,000 g

artificial flavourings or additives – only real, fresh, organic

food service jars.

ingredients. Busy cafés and time pressed chai drinkers in mind.

Contact the team at Redbelly Citrus on m. 0412 690 481

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e. contact@redbellycitrus.com.au or purchase directly through

For more information: t. (02) 6653 4150

w. www.redbellycitrus.com.au or follow them on twitter @redbelly_orange.

e. rainbow@chai.com.au w. www.chai.com.au

28/5/12 5:36:09 PM

CULTURED PRODUCTS 9.

PULLMAN TAMPERS If you’re looking for a good tamper that doesn’t cost the earth, then look no further than the new 100% Australian Pullman Nexus! Like all Pullman Tampers, the Nexus is designed to work. It offers ergonomics baristas will love, a range of handles to satisfy the aesthetic eye and the ability to manufacture any size base for optimum in-the-cup results. Backed up by a solid design and precision manufacturing, the

The Kuvings Silent Juicer The Kuvings Silent Juicer is a cold press juicer with a patented technology that

Nexus won’t disappoint! And the best part? All this from a 100% Australian-made tamper starting at under $100!

enables it to extract juice instead of grinding, to retain more nutrients and enzymes in the juicing process, with no separation effect. When comparing Kuvings delivered juice to other juicers, the Kuvings juice tastes better. It is powered by a 350 W motor with 1 year warranty and 5 year warranty on the

w. www.thingscoffee.com.au e. enquiries@coffeetamper.com.au

motor for business use. 40 - 50 Db makes it the quietest juicer on the market. Winner of 5 prestigious international awards including the Gold Medal Award in the International Invention Fair in Geneva for 2010/2011. Juice your way to good health with the Kuvings Silent Juicer, and truly enjoy the difference of a 100% natural juice every time. For further information, contact: Andrew Kelly – Yes 2 Green Pty Ltd t. (02) 9798 0586 f. (02) 9798 0112 e. info@kuvings.net.au w. www.kuvings.net.au online visit ul-spaces.com.au

Eloma “Joker” Combi Steam Oven Rollex are excited to announce the arrival of the Eloma “Joker” combi steam oven. It is a fully functional combi steam oven that is compact in size – perfect for the café that wants to offer

Can a Suc Moulded Sugar Can a Suc have developed leading edge manufacturing capabilities to bring alive the most superbly crafted sugar cubes to be served with an espresso, to delight a bride or to bring in a festive season. The opportunities for hotel groups, restaurants and stylish cafés are extremely exciting!

more than just cookies! The great news is that

There is a wonderful range of pre-designed sugar products. There

the Joker requires 240 v input – no need for 3

are up to twenty exquisitely designed shapes, from butterflies, to

phase.

love hearts to coffee beans, all moulded from this amazing sugar.

The oven also features an autoclean facility, so no oven cleaning required, and the programming is one touch, so staff need only a

Can a Suc Restaurant and Hotel Range is produced for the wholesale market – a range for chefs and hospitality owners to serve in fanciful and quirky ways to delight their customers.

little training to operate. Of course, it is made in Germany, so quality is built in.

NSW/QL/SA: Beautiful Spaces – Inside and Out t. +61 0 414 642 972 w. www.beautiful-spaces.com.au

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Call Rollex now on t. 1300 943 947 for more

VIC/WA: Chateaubeaufort

information.

t. +61 (03) 9016 3025 w. www.chateaubeaufort.com.au

28/5/12 5:36:34 PM

10.

Heirloom Organic & Fairtrade Rice Alter Eco – “sustainable foods from around the world”. Discover our Heirloom organic and Fairtrade rice varieties from Thailand:

PRESHAFRUIT

• A light, delicate, famously fragrant Hom Mali White Jasmine

Made from 100% Australian fruit, Preshafruit is the world’s first Cold Pressurised

Rice.

fruit juice. Utilising our revolutionary method of High Pressure Processing,

• A fluffy, nutty plate pleaser, Khao Deng Coral Red rice.

Preshafruit tastes like you are biting into the fruit. Compared to Heat Pasteurised

• And a special, subtly sweet, sticky Purple Rice.

juices, ours retain double the vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants. Preshafruit

All are available in retail packs and bulk.

contains NO preservative and NO added anything. Just real fruit!

We also offer organic and Fairtrade Royal Quinoa from the

Flavours include Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Apple Strawberry, Apple Raspberry,

Andes Mountains of Bolivia and a delicious organic Fairtrade

Apple Lemon, Apple Passionfruit, Blood Orange and Valencia Orange.

unrefined Mascobado Cane Sugar from the Philippines.

For enquiries, contact Matt on m. 0417 557 321 or e. matt@preshafood.com.au

Alter Eco is proud to be the only Australian purveyor of fine Fairtrade and organic rice and quinoa. Alter Eco Pacific: t. (02) 9340 1080 e. pacific@altereco.com w. altereco.com.au twitter. @AlterEcoPacific facebook. facebook.com/Alter Eco Pacific

REDUCE COFFEE WASTAGE BY UP TO 8%

Equal Stevia Sticks Equal, Australia’s favourite low calorie sweetener, is excited to introduce new Equal Stevia sticks into their product range. In response to consumer trends towards natural, the team at Equal have developed Equal Stevia low calorie natural sweetener –

The Coffee Catcha™ is a tool developed by Espresso Corporation Ltd (New Zealand) to help baristas reduce wastage and eliminate mess, saving money and time. It also improves dosage consistency.

sweetened with all natural stevia. With only 0.4 calories per serve and one teaspoon

The Coffee Catcha acts as a funnel to stop the coffee grinds

sweetness equivalence, Equal Stevia sticks contain 98%* less calories than sugar, and

from spilling over the edge of the portafilter. It can then be used

are perfect for sweetening both coffee and tea. Available from July in a bulk pack of

to scrape off the excess grinds (as the barista would usually do

300 portion-controlled single serve sticks.

with their finger). Or the barista can tamp through the Coffee

*One teaspoon of sweetness (1 stick = 1.5kJ) is equivalent in sweetness to one level teaspoon of sugar (70kJ)

Catcha. The Coffee Catcha is currently only available for 58 mm group handle filters (portafilters). It will fit the majority of professional

For product availability and more information, contact Sucrogen Foods Customer

machines.

Service: p. 1300 SUCROGEN (1300 782 764) f. 1300 218 471 e. sucrogencustomerservice@sucrogen.com

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To purchase, visit w. www.cinocleano.com or t.1300 364 440

28/5/12 5:37:08 PM

CULTURED PRODUCTS 11.

LINDT LAUNCHES INTO FOODSERVICE The new Lindt Foodservice range lets you indulge your customers in the everyday pleasure of Lindt’s masterfully crafted premium chocolates and exquisite dessert snacks: • Lindt Lindor Balls • Lindt Excellence Mini Blocks • Lindt Delice Macarons • Lindt Petites Pâtisseries au Chocolat With products that are suited across a wide variety of foodservice applications, Lindt Foodservice enables you to offer your customers a selection of irresistible sweet treats that are highly soughtafter and universally recognised for their premium quality. The Lindt Foodservice range provides an easy way to add quality to your food service business and leave your customers with a sweet taste in their mouths.

Sparkling water on tap! Make a difference today to your business, customers

For further information, contact: e. foodservice-au@lindt.com or t. (02) 8268 0057

and the environment! Thanks to the revolutionary Purezza filtration and dispensing system, you can now get premium filtered

Arkadia Tea Lattes

ambient, chilled and sparkling water straight from the

Lattes are possibly the most popular drinks in

tap.

cafés today, and now they can be served as

The Purezza system gives operators a potential new

teas of distinction. The world’s most popular

water menu item and source of revenue, resulting in

teas can now be served as lattes. Arkadia

an affordable alternative to prepackaged water. Not

English Breakfast Tea Latte is silky smooth,

only will you save time and the environment, but you

crafted using the full bodied taste and aroma

will be making your money’s worth by investing in this

of English breakfast tea with a delicious crown

system, in no time!

of froth on top. Arkadia Earl Grey Tea Latte

As seen in Marque Restaurant and Star City

is silky smooth, crafted using fine black tea

Momofuku Restaurant, the Purezza systems are

and the distinctive bergamot flavour with a

becoming a popular choice for restaurants/café

delicious crown of froth on top. Arkadia Matcha

owners.

Green Tea is shade grown, handpicked and delicately ground with subtle flavours to create a healthy, aromatic and creamy latte that’s rich

For more information, contact

in antioxidants.

Culligan Water t. 1300 655 295

t. (03) 9543 3113 for your nearest distributor.

WILLIE’S CACAO – FROM BEAN TO BAR Willie Harcourt-Cooze, England’s real life Willie Wonka, has inspired millions the world over to change the way they enjoy chocolate with his range of world-class single origin chocolates. Producing bars of 100% pure cacao that are versatile for sweet or savoury dishes, add a slab of Venezuelan Black Rio Caribe Superior with complex nut and coffee notes to your next wild mushroom stew, or perhaps pummel some Madagascan Black Sambirano Superior into a chocolate pesto. There are 7 pure cacao varieties in the current series, all with their own unique and distinguished flavours. Apromo Trading Pty Limited t. +61 2 9906 1389 or (0)3 9314 0167 | e. info@apromotrading.com.au orders. orders@apromotrading.com.au w. www.apromotrading.com.au

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28/5/12 5:37:22 PM

12.

B T A

MPM EXPANSION.

WIN A RETURN TICKET TO INDIA

ince time immemorial, spices have been used in a myriad of ways to add taste and flavour to food and beverages. Historically, spice played a large role in trade between nations, influencing trade routes and bringing people from foreign cultures together. Spices are still bringing people together today, and increasingly so, over a steaming hot cup of chai, or spiced tea. There are many combinations of spices used, from the many regions around the world where chai is traditionally used, from the Middle East to Madagascar, Africa to India… Chai Tea™ is a 20 year old, wholly Australian owned company. Located deep in the forest, on a community/land sharing co-operative, they are completely “off the grid”. Chai Tea produces ten beverages that contain the six exotic spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, star anise and nutmeg. Chai Tea are now offering one lucky person the chance to win a return ticket to India. Buy two or more packets of Chai online to go into the draw.

ustralia’s leader in quality disposable food packaging, MPM Marketing Services, has expanded their manufacturing operations in Sydney. Their HACCP accredited facility now boasts several state-of-the-art machines, producing a range of paper hot cups under their leading brand, Castaway. The new equipment completes several high-speed production lines, which are now capable of producing up to 230 cups per minute. A variety of cup sizes are available, including 8 oz, 12 oz and 16 oz in both single wall and double wall, together with a 4 oz single wall espresso cup. MPM Marketing Services has also invested in a new flexographic press – the latest technology available worldwide. This machine prints up to eight colours with the option of both matte and high-gloss varnishes on the cup surface. This allows customers a wide range of options for the custom design and print of paper hot cups. To learn more about Castaway coffee cups and the custom printing options available, t. (07) 3853 5800 or e. enquiries@mpmmarketing.com.au.

GRIND XTRACTED

Book

rind has become a landmark at Cronulla Beach, enjoying a cult-like status where people hang out to enjoy the tunes, the views, the trends and the great coffees. The “I’d rather be at Grind” phenomenon went viral before Facebook existed, with loyal customers sending photos from all over the world. It’s been a busy year for owner Richard Calabro, moving to a new location and publishing Grind Xtracted, a photographic history of Grind and its place in the hearts of the community – 2002 to 2012.

Grind’s new address: Shop 4/15 Surf Rd, Cronulla 2230. m. 0403 844 533. The book is for sale at GRIND or w. www.grindespresso.com.au

12-13 *

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29/5/12 6:44:47 AM

CULTURED GOSSIP 13.

PROASTER

aehwan Automation Ind. manufactures quality coffee roasters under the brand name Proaster. Beginning with grain roasters, Taehwan Automation Ind. grew into a major food processing machinery producer in Korea, with 70% of the market share. With in-house technology and experience in creating various food-processing lines, they are now extending into domestic markets, as well as overseas. Marketing manager, Hana Jang, commented on their move into the overseas market: “Proaster have exhibited for the past two years at Café Biz in Melbourne and Sydney, and our products have been extremely well received. Machinery sales have been made to some of Australia’s renowned coffee roasters, including Axil Coffee, Coffee Alchemy and Justin Metcalf.”

Along with the coffee roaster brand, Proaster the coffee machine division also includes coffee roasting related equipment such as vacuum conveyors, destoners, afterburners and silos, alongside a wide range of capacity models, including sample roasters, shop roasters and industrial roasters that provide a roasting line perfectly fit for business. Last year, Proaster also attended the Golden Bean Roaster Competition and Conference, with company owners Mr and Mrs Kim researching the Australian marketplace and enjoying the interesting cultural differences. “The marketing strategy is working well, and we look forward to further visits to Australia,” said Hana. For more information e. throaster@gmail.com w. www.taehwan.com/english

INTERNET TIME BY HOT ZONE

ot Zone have introduced a wireless internet system which provides time managed internet access to the public for the low cost of a cup of coffee per day. In many cases, businesses that have previously offered free wi-fi have decided to remove the access due to freeloaders taking up valuable seating at prime times in their café. With the Hot Zone system, the business owner now has control over how long each customer has internet access, with the click of a button, allowing them to shorten connection times in peak periods and lengthen it in off peak times. How does Hot Zone work? Hot Zone works by connecting into the existing internet and with the push of a button from café staff, Hot Zone will print a set of instructions directing your client how to connect to the internet and giving them access to your internet service for a pre-programmed amount of time. In addition, the system provides café owners with a burglar alarm feature. The built-in alarm system can take additional detectors and panic buttons to protect owner’s premises. Other benefits include the ability to add customised messages on Hot Zone tickets and a preset login home page for promotional purposes. To find out more details, visit their website w. www.hotzone.net.au or t. (02) 9212 1888.

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Bite Size Wins Prestigious Award

ite Size Coffee Treats has been awarded the Award of Outstanding Excellence at the 2012 Sydney Royal Fine Food Awards. The Award terms state: To receive this Award, the product must be of such superior quality that it represents a standard that all in the industry should seek to attain. Bite Size Coffee Treats are the creators of “the perfect coffee accompaniment”, with its range of delicious, freshly baked bite size biscuits. National Sales and Marketing Manager, Jeremy Dakis, commented that, “The team is thrilled with this award. We have won 13 Royal Fine Food Awards in the last 3 years of competing, but this is the pinnacle for us; we are very proud to have received an award that is so scarcely awarded.” The Award of Outstanding Excellence is the highest accolade given out by the Royal Agriculture Society of NSW and to be eligible, you must have already won a Gold and Champion medal in your chosen field. It is so rarely given out that there have only ever been 3 other companies in the history of this award to win such a prize since its inception in 1997 – none of them, however, in the field of biscuits. This special award is summarised in the following way: "It is awarded to a product considered by all judges to be of Outstanding Quality, well above in superiority than all others. The judges all must in their professional opinion believe that this product can’t be altered or perfected any more than what it currently is." Congratulations Bite Size Coffee Treats.

29/5/12 6:44:56 AM

14. CULTURED GOSSIP

epper Tree Wines have commenced building a Coffee House on site at their winery, to be called Contango Espresso-Roasters. Continuing the passion that is shared for terrior at Pepper Tree Wines instilled by the owner, Geologist John Davis, the group believe that coffee beans are similar to wine grapes, in that the flavour components are influenced by their growing region. Sales and Marketing Manager, Tristan Jones, comments that: “Much like our wines, we would like to expand our portfolio to include roasting and showcasing single origin coffee onsite. Our aim is to focus on single origin coffee with limited

food. Our intention is not to rival any established coffee brands, but to create a unique service in the Hunter Valley that can complement our existing setup (winery) onsite.” Contango Espresso-Roasters will carry on the “handcraft” philosophy of the winery. Customers will have the opportunity to select from beans of their choice from different origins, to which head barista, Mark Coster, will endeavour to express the flavour components of each variety through every cup. Expected opening: end June 2012. For more information, t. (02) 4909 7100 or contact Pepper Tree Winery, 86 Halls Road, Pokolbin.

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29/5/12 6:57:58 AM

16. BY JACK SCHEEREN

THE ACT HAS PUT THEMSELVES ON THE COFFEE MAP AFTER THE ONA COFFEE SPONSORED ACT TEAM SHOOK UP THE DA VINCI STATE OF ORIGIN, BEATING ALL STATES IN LAST YEAR’S HEATS AND COMING A NAIL-BITING SECOND TO VICTORIA IN THE GRAND FINAL.

he coffee industry commonly speaks of the way coffee appreciation has hit in waves; well ... it seems as if the city of Canberra has been hit with a big one. I’m sure somewhere in the cobwebs of your mind you can remember a time when coffee was just that muddy water that you reluctantly skulled as it scorched the back of your throat, just to get that kick through the day. Even for some of you who are not so old, this concept could just be folklore. Well, not so long ago, this was reality in Canberra. You could walk the streets of the not so vibrant city and see the people running our country bursting in the doors of tacky cafés, where the coffee machine virtually sits on top of the bain marie – and is probably as oily. On the other end, you watch them walk out with coffees bigger than the buildings they work in. To the average coffee appreciator, this was such an assault to the senses, that most would flee south to the sanctuary of Melbourne – or just turn their back on coffee all together. Thankfully, nowadays we can start to paint a different picture of Canberra’s coffee culture. It seems to have become less of an oxymoron, as you see the internet littered with coffee forums and blogs searching for the best coffee spot and burning the old ‘production-line’ cafés at the stake. You walk around the city and see people

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eagerly analyzing the weekly single-origin, as a cold drip tower slowly drips in the background. The cups are still as big (one step at a time), but at least they aren’t full of sugar and bad coffee… So how did this shift start, and where is it now? Like all cultural movements, there is always one person or organisation that swims against the current to create change. In Melbourne, Mark Dundon (former owner or St Ali and current owner of Seven Seeds) was integral in pushing the limits and boundaries of coffee. In Canberra, it was most definitely ONA Coffee (owned by Danes Australasian Grand Barista Champion, Sasa Sestic) who stopped the production line and started to look at how coffee can be enjoyed and appreciated. Five years ago, ONA Coffee started their own roasting operation and instilled processes at the barista’s station to create greater quality. “We started roasting simply to feed our own passion for coffee,” says Sasa. But, as more and more people lined out the door of their understated café, anyone could see that something special was happening. ONA has grown like wildfire, to become Canberra’s largest specialty roaster. Their baristas are now part of the furniture on the national stage, winning multiple medals across a variety of competitions. They are also on the front line of direct trade specialty green bean sourcing and roasting. ONA successfully opened the door to specialty

coffee in Canberra. You now can happily walk through the city and find a number of great little in house roasters, all with their own unique style. “Only a year ago we had to look abroad to find roasters and organisations to bounce off and inspire us. More and more we can look in our own city to find inspiration,” says Sasa. “ Canberrans consume the most coffee in Australia, so it is good to see they are doing it with more style and consideration.” The passionate people of Canberra are now deciding to stay and create their own culture, rather than flee as they used to. “We looked at what’s happening elsewhere and said, ‘why can’t we do it here?’” says Tim from Red Brick Espresso. The coffee bubble in Canberra has burst. Skilled coffee roasters and baristas can confidently open up shop, knowing that if they do a good product, people will come. It is clear the Canberra coffee consumer has become more discerning. However, this was no accident. “It has taken us 5 years to slowly and arduously introduce Canberra to specialty coffee and its appreciation. But with persistence, change has been created,” says Sasa. Canberra is now a young but vibrant specialty coffee destination, with several great coffee spots. If you are ever in Canberra, here are our favourite spots to go in the capital: • ONA Coffee Manuka • ONA Coffee House • Two Before Ten • Farmers Daughter • Red Brick Espresso

29/5/12 6:58:15 AM

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18. CAFÉ PEOPLE

Ewen Litchfield is one of the quiet achievers of the Australian café industry. Introduced into the café world when he worked in the family business, which was a hotel and club hospitality supplier. He then moved from the family business to Kimberly Clark, looking after Sydney and regional NSW distribution.

wen is now best known in the industry for his role at Clorox, where he is well known to be passionate about the company brands, one of which is Chux. Ewen started at Clorox in 1998 as NSW State Sales Manager and worked in that position for 5 years before earning a promotion to Commercial Business Development Manager. He is now the National Customer and Category Development Manager, with his job including the management of accounts such as Costco and PFD Foodservice. His role also includes developing new products, new packs spelling out consumer benefits on packaging and controlling advertising in the Foodservice Market via trade magazines and tradeshows etc. Ewen’s marketing role also includes researching new distribution channels for the Clorox range of Away From Home products, that incorporates the café industry.

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Ewen met Café Culture five years ago with the introduction of the Chux Espresso Cafe Superwipe, and he knew it was going to be a big hit with baristas for, amongst other things, wiping the steam arm in the coffee making process. The wipe has been extremely well recieved and complements the other colour coded wipes that Clorox produces specifically for hospitality. Through Ewen, Clorox and Café Culture have now teamed up to create an endorsement program to promote innovative ideas and concepts with proven longevity in the market place. These products will be rewarded by an industry endorsement. The café wipe has fitted into this classification as a must have product across the whole café/ coffee making system. We believe Ewen’s passion is one of the reasons that the Chux brand is now a generic noun ... we now don’t reach for a wipe; we reach for a “Chux”.

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20. BY STEVE COSH

TOBY SMITH OPENED HIS FIRST COFFEE SHOP IN SYDNEY 15 YEARS AGO AGO.

15 years later, and it’s not just another coffee shop in Sydney – or even Australia for that matter. No, sights set high, Toby has gone to the USA and into a suburb of NEW YORK called Williamsburg.

f you've never been to New York, you just can't imagine the pace of life here. People racing down the street, office workers dressed in suits wearing trainers, hoping to get those extra few milliseconds on the guy next to him running for one of the thousands of yellow cabs that own the streets of New York. Once at the office, they change their shoes and start the day – at speed! Didn't have time to stop and grab a coffee! No problem, it will be delivered – like anything else you need or want. Millions of people doing the same each day, looking more like an ant colony if viewed from above. Now don't get me wrong; I love it. I've had an apartment in Manhattan for a few years now and to be honest, I love getting away from the quiet life of Sydney and heading for the noise and pace of life in New York. Coffee in the US is still generally bulk brewed coffee – hot brown liquid with a taste profile ranging from hot water to gravy browning, but rarely coffee as recognised in Australia. Before going over to Williamsburg to check out the new

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Toby's, I thought I’d look up a few of the other new cafés that have popped up in NYC over the past month or so. On of the best, I'm told, is a new café called Macchiato, just off Madison Avenue. It promises great coffee – real coffee made by Italians on an Italian machine. I hoped ... but hopes were dashed as I was given my coffee ... a long black with no sign of crema, no real aroma and a taste I could get from a jar of instant. Nice atmosphere, but this is not coffee. Thankfully, I do know a place on the other side of the bridge in a small town called Williamsburg. Williamsburg is fast becoming the new community to set up home if you’re a yuppie (young upwardly mobile professional) or a family of two kids, small dog and work in Manhattan. The best way to describe it is to tell you it used to be a mill town. Now it’s a small town of quiet, tree lined streets, loft apartments, great bars and cafés set up in old buildings, shops selling stuffed cushions and all those other things you think you can't live without once you've seen them in the window.

Just around the corner from Berry Street, which has a great roof top bar where you can see a panoramic view of the New York skyline, is North 6th Street. The newest shop front here is Toby's Estate Coffee. From the outside it looks huge; grey framed, glass windows let you look though to the vast open space inside. On a long bench outside are a dozen or so people sitting in the spring sunshine, coffee in hand, chatting and laughing. Walk through the glass entrance door and into a 3,000 square foot roastery and café bar; the familiar smell of roasted coffee hits you, and you know you are in the right place. The space is a mix of wooden floors and brick walls, and shelving houses everything you need to set up a coffee bar at home, from a $35 machine to the latest home roaster at $6,500. There is also a retail area, a cupping room, training room and a wholesale business operating out the back of the café. Coffee drinks are made on a three group Strada machine from La Marzocco. The operator is clearly in love with his machine, taking great

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PROBAT 25 KILO ROASTER

pride in talking to those who want to hear about the way you can regulate the pressure of the coffee. If you like pour over coffee, you are in luck; there is a pour over bar on the other side of the Strada. Although most Americans, I'm told, order a cappuccino, it's not the 22 oz mug of hot milk they expect ... but they come back for more, I'm told by the smiling barista. Prize place is given over to the Probat Burns 25 kilo roaster imported from Germany, and in front of the roaster is a stack of green coffee beans waiting to be roasted. This place is not just a coffee shop; it’s a training school as well as a coffee house, where customers can ask questions of the very knowledgable staff. You can watch what happens and smell the coffee as it turns from green bean to roasted perfection – and even take a course at the Brew School. Food is not forgotten either; various menu items Americans would be familiar with and then one they look at with confusion – Vegemite on toast. Confused by the word and revolted by the description ... few order it, I'm told, but it’s a feeling of home for Australian visitors. I'm sure Americans would love it, if only it had melted cheese on top.

to tip, but I found it a bit much that I was asked to tip the person I'd stood in line to order a coffee from.

SO WHAT'S IT REALLY LIKE?

ABOUT THE T HE AUTHOR

Walking though the door, you join the line of people waiting to order at the bar. Staff type in your chosen drink on an iPad, and then turn the iPad over to you so you can confirm that's what you ordered. Paying for your drink is oh so American. As you confirm your drink order, the cost appears, and then you are asked how much tip you want to leave. It's an American way of life

Steve Cosh works for BRITA Professional. BRITA is the official water filter partner to AASCA, Café Biz Expo, Golden Bean Awards, La Zumba Barista Cup, Melbourne International Coffee Show and BRITA Professional HotClub Barista Cup. Email professional@brita.com.au to find out more about BRITA water filtration and how you can upgrade your water filtration system.

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SEATING

Big space, big tables, little seating. The seating they do have is taken up by wannabe yuppies who buy a coffee and then sit for the rest of the day, iPad or Mac (not a PC to be seen) using the free internet. We stood at the end of a large bench table in the centre of the coffee shop trying to eat standing, while the other eight people sitting at the table were cruising the internet trying not to notice that we would rather sit and eat – and not one of them had coffee or food in front of them. COFFEE

The coffee was great, as you'd expect from Toby's Estate – and a far cry from what you would usually find in the USA. Would I go back or recommend to friends? Yes, definitely, but I do warn you ... if you want to eat, be prepared to stand – or get there early before the free wifi crowd arrives.

Toby’s Estate Brooklyn 125 N. 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249 Phone: 0011 1 347-457-6160

29/5/12 6:59:20 AM

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A sense of adventure

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ne of the great things about our business is that we occasionally get the opportunity to visit a coffee growing region in some exotic location in the world. A big thank you to the Rubiaceae family for making coffee a tropical plant – thus our travels always involve warm climates. Equal and Café Culture have teamed up to offer the first prize for this year’s “My Coffee My Barista” competition – a week-long trip to coffee origin. Café Culture have a great relationship with Indian coffee producer, Pathy Kasiviswanathan, from the Elephant Hills plantation on the Thalnar Estate in the state of Tamil Nadu. The tour is set for November, at the start of the picking season and will take in the whole coffee processing cycle. The trip will also include a visit to one of the largest tea plantations in Southern India and an overnight experience in a wild game reserve that still boasts plenty of wild tigers and elephants. Starting with an overnight stay in Singapore, we’ll enjoy a feast of Chilli Crab and Tiger Beer, before continuing on the short flight the next day to Coimbatore, South India. The current competition sees the second successful running of this program by Equal. The 2010 winner, Paula Leavy from Brewhaha in North Sydney, won a 7 day trip to Italy. If you are a barista and would like to enter, simply go to the My Coffee My Barista website. WWW.MYCOFFEEMYBARISTA.COM.AU

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SCAN TO WATCH A VIDEO OF CAFE CULTURE’S LAST TRIP TO INIDA

29/5/12 7:00:47 AM

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26. BY SEAN EDWARDS

THE O

THE PLAYERS BEHIND THIS AMAZING BUSINESS HAVE HIT ALL THE RIGHT NOTES, CREATING A WORLD BEATING CAFÉ CONCEPT. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THIS CAFFEINATED PROJECT ON A FEW OCCASIONS LAST YEAR AS THE BUILD TOOK SHAPE, MEETING WITH ITS DEVELOPERS JACK HANNA AND RAMZEY CHOKER. THEY TOOK OVER THE SITE TWO YEARS AGO, WITH THE AIM OF TURNING THE INDUSTRIAL SPACE INTO A WORLD LEADING COFFEE CONCEPT.

get to see some pretty cool stuff travelling the world, and it’s time the Australian café industry applauded its achievers in Australia with this sort of unique business model. Grounds is built on the old Four’N Twenty pie factory in the heart of an industrial area in Alexandria, Sydney. Jack Hanna has basically been in hiding since winning the world latte art competition in 2007, working towards his dream coffee business. After joining forces with entrepreneur Ramzey Choker, they had the perfect combination of coffee and food smarts to start this epic project. The business is set on about an acre of industrial land and is built around a permaculture garden growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and even a chook pen. The warehouse fit out is home to a 200-seat café/restaurant, coffee roasting facility with two 12 kg Probats, training room, a lab and a fully equipped bakery kitchen. Jack’s pride and joy is a fully pimped retro 4 group La Marzocco he found in the USA recently, with full PID controllers externally mounted and electronic pump multispeed drives, for accurate control of machine pressure. Another first is a reticulated milk tap set up at all the barista stations, speeding up the milk coffee system. Jack is pleased with the results and wants to market this process to other busy espresso systems around the world. The café has ticked every box for attention to detail under the guidance of interior designer Caroline Choker. Caroline has used the space wisely, giving this business many faces and experiences for the wide cross section of their customer base. While we were visiting, there were many office people from around the area getting their caffeine fixes and a large

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27.

T H E

P R I D E

J OY

Jack’s pride and joy is a fully pimped retro 4 group La Marzocco he found in the USA recently, with full PID controllers externally mounted and electronic pump multispeed drives, for accurate control of machine pressure.

convoy of mums with prams utilising the garden play area, which is a purpose built space for energy packed toddlers, with a big fence to keep them contained. The café and restaurant features some good, simple and healthy café food items, like the local favourite house burger and a great selection of salads. We got to experience one of Ramzey’s creations – the house cured Ocean Trout salad. Most of the salad and vegetables will come from the café’s garden, which currently boasts an exciting range of eatables like strawberries, cherry tomatoes, lots of green leaves and fresh herbs. The chooks are another feature you don’t expect to see in a city location, but a real hit for the children. I loved the old jam jar mugs for all the cold drinks – the perfect vessel for the home style ginger beer. Jack’s coffee skills have been put into action within the venue, which includes the well fitted out in-house roasting plant

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with two sparkling new 12 kg Probats, a cupping room, alternate brewing area including a Clover and fully dedicated training room. Jack went roasting after his life as a barista in Sydney and Canada, and he has done well with his Jack and the Bean brand. He took out champion espresso at the national roasting competition, the Golden Bean, in 2010. Jack has his own unique philosophy on coffee and will be teaching this within The Grounds in the near future. The business is already growing with new followers, and I am certain that Jack will have plenty of exceptional coffee concepts for his loyal patrons, so stay tuned. We have been privileged to see such a great business concept in Sydney, that has all the coffee geeks talking. I believe the love and passion that has gone into this business will make it a world leader in its own right. The crowds have been very

good for a start up business, and my tip is get up early on the weekend if you want a seat inside or better still, get a delicious coffee and hang in the beautiful rustic garden with the chooks. 7A/2 HUNTLEY STREET ALEXANDRIA, NSW 2015 T: (02) 9699 2225

29/5/12 7:01:42 AM

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29/5/12 7:04:13 AM

FROM CHIEF SWEEPING OFFICER TO NATIONAL CUPPING CHAMPION

Q Q

ueensland’s Fred Lullfitz has achieved one of the highest accolades in the coffee industry, winning the 2012 AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association’s (AASCA) Cup Tasters Championship. The 22 year old Di Bella Coffee Qld Accounts Manager had managed to win himself a ticket straight into the finals, after winning the AASCA Qld Cup Tasting Championship held last November. Fred knew the Australian Championships were going to be extremely tough. He had researched the Cup Tasting Champions from the other states who’d also earned themselves a one-way ticket to the final round – two being ex-world competitors. It was a little nerve-wracking, as Fred knew many of his fellow competitors had been in the industry for a lot longer than his two and a half years. Before the competition, Moshe Tawill, the Coffee Purchasing Specialist at Di Bella, gave Fred some last minute training and the advice to not over-analyse the coffee. So although slightly over-awed, Fred was, at the same time, also quietly confident. He had put in the time and training and was prepared for the competition. Having started with Di Bella Coffee in 2009 as a floor sweeper and earning the nickname of CSO (Chief Sweeping Officer), Fred slowly moved

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on and learnt how to use the roaster and help make coffees. He did every job imaginable and worked his way through the ranks, learning how to roast, cup and pour coffee along the way. Even though he does not directly deal with coffee in his current role at Di Bella, the knowledge of roasting and cupping coffee has come in very handy for tasting competitions. To train for the AASCA Cup Tasters Championship, Fred borrowed a roaster from Di Bella Coffee and roasted his own samples after work. On Saturdays he would taste his roasted samples with his fellow competitor, Daylan Isai, as part of his training regime. In the competition,s finalists had eight minutes to guess the blend of eight different cups of coffee, and Fred swept them all away after earning a perfect score of eight out of eight in just over two minutes. Fred’s advice on cup tasting competitions: “To compete in tasting competitions, you have to become familiar with a lot of different coffees and blends. Once you know the process behind what ends up in your cup, you have a better idea of how those flavour profiles and tastes were created, and you know what tastes to expect.” Fred will now travel to Vienna in June for the World Championships.

From Crop to Cup...

We Know Coffee

Home of the Australian Cupping Champion 2012 Fred Lullfitz - Australian Champion Daylan Isai - 5th in Australia

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29/5/12 7:04:19 AM

Monday 6 – Tuesday 7 August 2012 Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park, Sydney

lunch! is Australia’s ﬁrst dedicated trade event for food-to-go businesses. Take away fresh new ideas at lunch! Indulge your customers with quality produce, coffee, tea, beverages and ingredients from a range of specialty suppliers. Pick up new skills at the lunch! Skills Academy and hear from successful food-to-go operators at the Working lunch! Business Theatre. Plus, check out exciting industry competitions in the lunch! Kitchen of Champions. This year, you must do lunch! – the event for your industry.

Register FREE at www.lunchshow.com.au Use priority code: CAFE Strictly trade only. Entry is restricted to members of the foodservice and food retail industries. Proof of business identiﬁcation may be required. Persons not in these categories, including children, will not be admitted at any time. Due to OH&S, prams and strollers are strictly not permitted at the event.

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32. BY ANDRES LATORRE CANON Managing Director / Q Grader – Latorre & Dutch Coffee Traders.

THE NEW FAIR TRADE – building relationships and generating a trust between the parties is the new Fair Trade; we call this “Relationship Coffees”.

air Trade became a viable solution when coffee prices were in a low. Now that this is not the case, Fair Trade has become the norm when trading with high-end specialty coffee; farmers know their supplying power.” People may ask, what is Fair Trade? And I’m sure many don’t really know – not even growers at origin actually value the strength of the words, and they just associate them with a logo. Based on the Fair Trade Organization, this is the definition of the words: “Fair Trade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fair Trade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.” The definition lacks depth, since this organisation only approaches the supply side of the equation, but not the demand. When the coffee prices rose 86% from March 2010 to March 2011, nobody protected the buyers, leaving many of them in terrible conditions also. In my opinion, Fair Trade, as the words describe, is that the goods are traded fairly and all parties are receiving the fair share of the value they added to the goods, in terms of quality and price.

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It’s important to dig back in history and see how Fair Trade began and its impact on the coffee industry. The first attempts to commercialise this were in the 1940s and 1950s by religious groups and various non-governmental organisations. The goods initially considered were handcrafts that were mostly sold in churches, but this attempt was more of a donation. The current Fair Trade was reconsidered in the 1960s in Europe and was used as a slogan or tool to fight against capitalism. Following the urge of fair traded goods with developing countries, the UN started adopting the movement in their Conference on Trade and Development. Following this, various organisations were established and had shops where all the products sold were in accordance with Fair Trade principles. Companies like Oxfam and the Alternative Trading Organization were two of the first to approach this. The success of their shops created the idea of certifications or labelling alternatives. The idea was to penetrate the market place and have a global market approach to Fair Trade. With this new twist, fair traded products could be available in big markets and chains. In 2002, the International Fair Trade Certification mark was launched by the FTO (Fair Trade Organization).

There’s some criticism found in the movement; one example is the lack of ethical basis –there’s no traceability of the money paid for the goods. Consumers are willing to pay a higher premium for a fair traded product, but they don’t know if the actual revenues are being delivered to the less fortunate growers or being diverted to lucrative business or big landlords. Another critique is it promotes inflation and more associated costs to households, since they are buying exactly the same product at a higher price. Finally, it can be a tool for corruption, since the lack of regulation of the logo can be abused. Regarding the coffee industry, during the 2000s coffee prices were in the low 150 cents/lb – prices that were difficult for growers to assume, while their costs increased year by year. Fair traded products with certifications were the solution, since growers could sell at a higher price – making the value of the “logo” worthwhile and ensuring it was doing its job. After a couple of years of the logo being traded in the world market, cases of misuse of the logo started to occur: issues like big landlords not paying their farmers and making them work in harsh conditions, but still being “Fair Trade” certified; or other companies in rich coun-

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33.

tries using the logo as a marketing gimmick, but losing the essence of helping producers was occurring. In 2010, the price of coffee started to rise at an unsustainable rate, making Fair Trade certified products even more expensive. It came to a point that these products were too expensive for buyers to consider, and this is when the whole idea became flawed in the coffee industry. Nowadays, Fair Trade certified products are not a differential for buying. With this entire situation a question arose: if buyers have been helping producers since the early 1960s, why aren’t producers helping us when they are earning 86% more revenue? Was this Fair Trade? Growers also started to be more educated in trade, and they saw their power of negotiation in the world coffee market. High specialty buyers like us have used this issue to start a new way of approaching the movement; this is Relationship Coffees. We need to ensure growers are doing the right thing, that their picking is the correct one, that

they’re wet and dry milling in sanitary conditions and finally, that the profile of the coffee is according to standards. If this is correct, we will pay the farmer what he wants and what he deserves. If he is happy with his pay and we are happy with our product, all the sides are happy ... isn’t this Fair Trade? We have created a personal relationship with all our farmers; we hear their troubles and they hear ours, and we create a median where we both can excel and improve. This is the new Fair Trade!

At Ducale, there’s a new space designed for you to interact with coffee without the distractions of a café, where the focus is on you the whole time – it’s a place where you can totally soak up on coffee…

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29/5/12 7:05:50 AM

Your local milk direct to your café

Australia’s Milk since 1900

Phone: 13 14 60 34-35*.indd 34

29/5/12 7:06:12 AM

HOTEL ASIA 35.

H E L D O V E R 4 D AY S , F H A I S O N E O F T H E B I G G E S T S H O W S I N S O U T H E A S T A S I A

ood Hotel Asia (FHA) has drawn to a close for 2012, with their next event scheduled for April 2014. Singapore, in typical fashion, had high occupancy rates both at the show and in the hotel industry, and this year saw excellent growth in the coffee area, with most of the major machine companies represented at the show. This year saw the first Food Hotel Asia Barista Challenge, hosted by the newly launched Specialty Coffee Association of Europe Singapore Chapter. The competition ran over 4 days, featuring a local Barista Challenge as well as a Latte Art Competition. The highlight of the coffee section was the FBC Barista Challenge,

where competitors from 14 Asian and Australasian countries competed for the first prize of $5,000SGD, first runner up $3,000SGD and second runner up $2,000SGD. Competitors had 15 minutes to produce the 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 signature beverages. The competition drew a large crowd, with SCAE Singapore Chapters Secretary, Mr Danny Pang, keeping the spectators entertained with his in depth knowledge of the barista culture and interview skills between competitors. Ms Ting Siew Mui from Singapore Exhibition Services Pty Ltd was delighted with the event, thanking SCAE Singapore Chapter for hosting an extremely well run competition,with great feedback received about the event.

THE FINALS RESULTS, CHAMPION: Aymon Mcquade – New Zealand 1ST RUNNER UP: Dodi Samsura – Indonesia 2ND RUNNER UP: Yee J H – Malaysia 3RD RUNNER UP: Yoshikasu Iwase – Japan 4TH RUNNER UP: Craig Simon – Australia

Ross Bright, the SCAE National Coordinator Singapore Chapter, commented that, “It was a great experience for all involved, and Singapore SCAE Chapter is very proud to host this event. This is the first and crucial step in bringing formalised internationally recognised training and accreditation to a growing market in South East Asia and beyond.” Thank you to the sponsors and judges for their support.

THE LAUNDRY Where coffee comes out.

WILLIAM

AIG

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GHAM ST

E ST

BROU

*Actual laundry may vary to image shown.

Mc ELH ON

DOWLI

FORB

NG ST

ES ST

By appointment only

KING

S CR OSS

Address: 248 Dowling Street, Potts Point

29/5/12 7:06:22 AM

36. BY SEAN EDWARDS

SO MANY TIMES IN AUSTRALIA OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES WE HAVE SEEN OUR MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES MOVE OFFSHORE OR GET SWALLOWED UP BY MULTINATIONALS. UPON A RECENT INVITATION TO VISIT ROBAND AUSTRALIA, WE DISCOVERED THIS FAMILY OWNED AUSTRALIAN COMPANY STILL MADE CATERING AND HOSPITALITY EQUIPMENT FOR THE WORLD MARKET HERE IN THE NORTHERN BEACHES OF SYDNEY. AN AUSTRALIAN STORY

ROBAND

oband employs 70 people in its

brand. 10% of the manufactured equipment is

Cromer factory and has remained

sold overseas. The company has an office and

in the manufacturing game by

warehouse in New Zealand, and the Kiwis are big

staying ahead with hi tech building

supporters of products from the Roband range.

systems and smart business management.

One year ago, Andrew relocated the factory

Roband history started 50 years ago in the

from their site in Cromer to the neighbouring site

Northern Beaches area of Sydney, manufactur-

and transformed a 6,500 square metre industrial

ing iconic milkshake makers for the emerging

shed into a state of the art manufacturing facility.

café industry. Owner Lynn Carson had a vision to

During our visit, we had the good fortune of see-

make all types and styles of catering equipment

ing the operation of a new hi tech laser stainless

for the Australian market place. Roband is named

steel cutter that has greatly improved productiv-

after his two sons, Robert and Andrew. Robert

ity. Most of the component assembly, including

left the business early in his career to pursue life

electronics and refrigeration, is done on site.

as a chef, and Andrew is now the CEO, after his father passed away.

is that spare parts for equipment built 20 years ago can still be purchased today; and let’s face it – many cafés and restaurants are still running with this robust Aussie made equipment. ”

The nice thing about this company is that spare parts for equipment built 20 years ago can

Andrew now manufactures at Roband

still be purchased today; and let’s face it – many

hundreds of different makes and models of

cafés and restaurants are still running with this

equipment, such as commercial toasters, deli

robust Aussie made equipment. Roband was the

bars, presses, grills, and still the famous milk-

only Australian manufacturing company exhibit-

shake makers, now made under the Roband

ing at HOST in Italy last year, and there has been

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“ The nice thing about this company

29/5/12 7:06:47 AM

37.

some big interest in the products. Roband

our visit was how the 70 plus workforce were

sells some equipment in England, and they are

so keen and cheery about their workplace. I

looking forward to orders picking up again

soon figured out that the factory was only a

abroad as the European economy strengthens.

kilometre from the beach, and the build team

Roband is now focusing on telling its story

did half a day Friday in their shift roster. The

to the Australian café industry, with the help

nice new building with temperature controlled

of Marketing Manager, Pearly van Hulten,

environment and a fully decked out canteen

and National Sales Manager, Jim Kyle. The

area away from the workspace was also a treat.

duo have been researching closely what the

Roband were involved with the Café Biz

industry needs and looking ahead for future

expo this year and set up a working kitchen

business development of their products. The

display area on the second stage area. The

next project we were privileged to witness was

guest chefs made many café favourites using

the launch of the new contact grill station, that

the Roband café range of blenders, fryers, grill

has sharpened up the technology and aesthet-

station and toasters. It was a great combina-

ics in café sandwich pressing and toasting.

tion of show and tell, where café owners

One of the special things we noted during

could experience up close the equipment in action in a commercial environment. Roband has also transformed this concept at the Cromer manufacturing site, with a fully equipped commercial kitchen and a show room. Again, we would like to congratulate the whole Roband team for supporting the Australian café industry and hope to see you leading café equipment supply for another 50 years.

We take coffee seriously. Not ourselves.

www.ducale.com.au

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1300 DUCALE (1300 382 253)

29/5/12 7:07:14 AM

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29/5/12 7:08:28 AM

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29/5/12 7:08:33 AM

It’s time to take a fresh look at the coffee you serve For 25 years, Europeans have been devoted to the intense, premium ﬂavour of BUONDI.

Our highest quality Arabica and Robusta beans are now being expertly roasted and blended right here in Australia. Now your customers can experience the uniquely intense ﬂavour that is BUONDI.

To try a FREE 1kg sample of BUONDI contact Nestlé Professional Beverage Solutions today on

1800 20 30 50, press option 2 and quote BUONDI Café Culture. Offer limited to ﬁrst 100 customers only. Limit 1 per customer.

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29/5/12 7:08:51 AM

S450 ON DEMAND Cafe

S450 DOSER

n the rock world of coffee we look starry eyed at the lead espresso machine that sits pride of place on the espresso bar while the busy Barista chooses a stance directly behind it as affirmation … But what about the drummer of a Grinder dictating the tempo? So, we had our cause to name a grinder The Special 450 BARISTA. Now we needed our supplier ANFIM to deliver the rest… Espresso Company Australia has been importing traditional espresso gear for over 12 years of which, ANFIM, who manufactures grinders in Milan has shared a baker’s dozen with us. Led by Signore Monfrini the company have been hand building coffee grinders without compromise for 50 years. The canvas was already primed with the Super Caimano BARISTA model, a timed low rpm (800) 0.6 Hp flat burr grinder that was developed from the demand of the North American Specialty Coffee scene and has even ended up in a couple of WBC champions travelling cases. The need for freshly ground on demand coffee portions is aided by an Omron timer for ease of use. The Titaniumnitride coated 75mm flat burr blades maintain optimum cutting surface sharpness and a factory fitted cooling fan circulates internal airflow which has all contributed to our purpose build S450 unit. And don’t get me started on the ANFIM dosing chamber… an obsessive compulsive friendly dosing mechanism, internationally recognised by those wanting to see a cone of uniformly ground coffee centered within (not to the left of) the portafilter basket. It’s barista porn! So what we asked for when cornering Signore Monfrini at the HOST 2011 Expo in Milan, was a grinder that made no sense! The brief was a high volume flat burr grinder with even lower revs that stayed cool in summer and wouldn’t wake the neighbours up early in the morning.

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In principle the concept was completed at HOST around the table and we even had time to entertain questions from a couple of Anfim proud Russian baristas who were preparing for their National Barista Championships. What we would be expecting is a 1 hp motor with the torque to spin special titanium-nitride coated flat burr blades with increased cutting surface at 450 rpm and dual in/out fans. The Omron timer and the general cosmetic of the BARISTA would be maintained. What was developed 6 months after testing was exactly that! A grinder that can be introduced into a high volume cafe while maintaining minimal heat retention and consistent volumes of grounds dispensed. Grind volumes are repeated within 1 g and the temperature of the dosed ground coffee at the peak of morning service is all factored in less grind adjustments and consistent pour times. Over the last couple of months we have presented the concept to industry for feedback and fine tuning. I await the roll out of our Special 450 Barista once Signore Monfrini emails me with his favoured accompanying words “in exceptional way” to indicate our combined achievement. THE SPECS FOR THE NEW S450

• Titanium long-life special 75 mm flat burrs • Engine power 1 hp - 450 revs/min with overload protection and a second outside electrical with fuse • Coffee-bean hopper capacity ± kg. 2 • Dimensions 195 x 360 x 620 H • Digital Omron timer with incremental adjustment to 100/second for precision dose setting • Push-button for manual grinding • Dual cooling fans • Available colour: silver

To find out more contact Espresso Company Australia on t. 1300 326 326 or visit them at w. www.espressocompany.com.au

29/5/12 7:08:57 AM

42. BY ADAM BURNS Co-Director of Design Portfolio

HYBRID

A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL

he hybrid café – like the hybrid car – operates on two levels to seamlessly achieve one objective. The hybrid car uses both internal power combustion and electric to get from A to B. One source of power takes over when the other is lacking, but importantly, they back each other up. Instead of power, the hybrid café has dual income streams which create a different form of momentum, in the form of cash flow and a tangible point of difference to draw in customers. You have the main source of income from the café business and a secondary income from the other business. The nature of the two businesses can be vastly different, but as with the hybrid car, they must support each other. Probably the most common hybrid is the café deli. The two sides of the business go hand in hand, with the same or similar product offerings aiming to seduce the affluent foodie. The delicatessen supports the café by convincing the customer that the business owner knows a thing or two about food and that they can expect a quality offering if they stop by for a coffee or a bite to eat. Of course, this works both ways and, after a great cup of coffee in the café, the customer might pop over to the retail shelves to buy a tin of coffee so they can try to recreate the experience at home. Other successful hybrids include the café bookshop and the café bakery. The possibilities

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are endless, and essentially the only limit comes when one business detracts from the other. Consider, for example, the café butcher. It's almost imaginable as some kind of vile post-modern concept, but for your average customer, the whiff of raw meat would detract from the delicate aroma of their morning coffee, creating an environment about as soothing as being seated across from Hannibal Lecter. Without wanting to bore you with hard and fast rules, let's consider some café hybrid success stories. Founded in 1949, Tchibo is one of Germany's biggest retail chains, with over 1,000 coffee shops and cafés selling everything from clothing and household items to electrical appliances and insurance. The interior design of these stores isn’t likely to win awards, but that's not the point. The selling point of this hybrid is convenience convenience convenience. The diverse product offering no doubt appeals to the stereotypically practical German sensibility – have a strong cup of coffee, then get all your shopping done in one go; but that doesn't mean this hybrid model would be universally effective. In fact, the chain failed to gain traction in the British market, with one commentator disdainfully describing it as “a glorified pound shop”. Generally speaking though, a café needs to offer more than just good coffee; it needs to provide an environment where customers can comfortably sit back and forget the world for 20

minutes. The interior design of the café usually fulfils this function, but with certain hybrids, the secondary business helps to create a unique ambience. The Armchair Collective in the Sydney suburb of Monavale does this particularly well. The brainchild of landscape designer/restaurateur, Andrew Goldsmith, and interior designer, Pip Robb, this multi-faceted business offers the complete Northern Beaches lifestyle if not on a plate, then alongside a plate of biodynamic eggs and sun-ripened tomatoes. It combines a café, commuter coffee window, florist, homewares store and vintage furniture upholstery business in one charmingly haphazard space. Even if customers can't afford the hefty price tags on the majority of the retail items, they can buy into the lifestyle it evokes for a moment as they eat their brunch surrounded by desirable objects and more-attractivethan-average wait staff. On the whole, the nature of the secondary business is dictated by the owners' other interests or passions (presuming coffee is their number one passion), but the combination needs to be relevant to the consumer also. The Deus Ex Machina bicycle shop and café, for example, is ideally positioned at the Taylor Square end of Bourke Street, halfway along Clover Moore's visionary, if somewhat controversial, Sydney bike path. Its location makes it the ideal point for cyclists to stop off for a coffee on their way into the city, perhaps meet up with fellow enthusiasts, get their bike tuned or browse the shop for their next must-have accessory. It's a win-win

29/5/12 7:11:00 AM

43. situation, carefully targeting a niche group. Design Portfolio is responsible for the interior design of the rapidly expanding Cupcake Bakery Franchise – a successful hybrid where coffee isn't the primary income. Since the cupcake craze was ignited in New York almost a decade ago, demand for these treat-sized cakes has continued to snowball. Coffee, however, is an important secondary purchase for Cupcake Bakery customers and has contributed to the overall success of the business. To drive coffee purchasing, Design Portfolio has oriented each counter to ensure the coffee machine is highly visible alongside the cupcake display. The Alice in Wonderland-inspired design concept comprises whimsical finishes, including astro turf, cute button tiles, recycled brickwork, hanging lit signage and a custom-designed wall mural. It mirrors the pretty pastel hues of the cupcakes and provides a brief respite from everyday life, encouraging customers to sit down, tune out and enjoy their coffee and cupcakes together. The success of the cupcake/coffee hybrid enhanced by the light, playful interiors is evidenced by the fact the franchise has experienced almost 80 per cent average annual revenue growth over three years and was ranked 31 last year in the business magazine BRW 's 'Fast 100' – a list of Australia's 100 fastest growing businesses. Interior design plays a key role in café hybrids. Often by improving the design of one side of the business, you help multiply the other and improve the business overall. A prime example of this is The Loaf Bakery in South Windsor – predominantly a bakery business, with all products manufactured on-site. A recent refurbishment by Design Portfolio has helped even the scales with

“ The two sides of the business are now driving each other’s success, which is the ultimate aim with any hybrid – a turbo charge for the cash register. ”

the coffee side and attract Sydneysiders looking for a bit of “Surry Hills” in the mountains. By adding a coffee window at the front of the bakery, the space has been optimised, and the two businesses can operate smoothly alongside each other without customer congestion. The interior scheme was completely updated to reflect the quality of the product, including: new signage and branding, weather board finishes along the counter fronts, a natural colour scheme with timber as the primary material and custom-deigned shelving and displays to best suit the product. The bakery side of the business has markedly improved, which in turn has attracted more customers for the coffee side, boosting coffee sales by an impressive 100 per cent. The two sides of the business are now driving each other's success, which is the ultimate aim with any hybrid – a turbo charge for the cash register. The increased coffee trade has meant more people buying croissants with their morning flat white, and the client has had to double its staff numbers in 3 months to deal with the increased demand. Whether it's a new café or the refurbishment of an existing café, if you choose to make it a hybrid, there are many combinations to choose

Add

from. The hybrid café might take more work, but two income engines driving your business could also help it to grow a lot faster. ABOUT THE TH E AUTH AUTHOR: OR:

Adam Burns is a director of Design Portfolio. Design Portfolio is an award winning company with over 25 years’ experience in retail and hospitality design. They are a multi-disciplinary team that integrates: retail design, interior design, industrial design and graphic design to create retail environments that improve your business. For more information and projects, visit their website: www.designportfolio.com.au or call (02) 9439 1106.

item

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29/5/12 7:11:14 AM

My coffee needs to be perfect. Cup after cup after cup… Jacob Ibrahim – Rush CBD Barista, Brisbane

At Piazza D’Oro, we share your passion for the perfectly consistent cup of coffee. We speciﬁcally blend and roast our beans with your standards, your expert baristas and your professional machines in mind. So if you’re crafting 600 cups a day you can be assured every bean in every bag of your Café Quality blend delivers the same exceptional quality every time. Why? Because we’re not just a coffee supplier – we’re your café partner. Call us on 1800 833 767 or visit us at www.piazzadoro.com.au for further information.

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29/5/12 7:11:44 AM

YOU BY HTT TO YO GH OUGH BROU BROU BR

E M Y BA R f o r 2 ck

012

FFE

T S I

is ba

WE WANT YOU! ARE YOU AUSTRALIA’S FAVOURITE BARISTA? A

Here’s your chance to prove it! It’s simple - register H online now and get your customers to vote for you!

WIN!

South Asia Coffee Origins tour worth $10,000 PLUS $1,000 in advertising for your café!

PLUS $500 CASH FOR E VERY STATE WINNER ! Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/MCMB_Equal To register or for more information go to www.mycoffeemybarista.com Promotion commences at 00:00 AEST on 18/03/12 and all entries must be received by 23:59 AEST on 30/06/12. Judging will take place at Studio 1, 285a Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 at 10:00 AEST on Monday 02/07/12. Total barista prize pool is valued at AUD$16,000. The promoter is Merisant Australia, Level 1, Triniti 3, 39 Delhi Rd, North Ryde NSW 2113, ABN 23 091 674 065. Visit www.mycoffeemybarista.com for full terms and conditions. ©2012 Merisant Company 2, Sarl. Equal is a Registered Trademark of Merisant Company 2, Sarl.

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29/5/12 7:12:06 AM

46. BY JUSTEEN SINGLE

G R O U P Foodco Group Pty Ltd, based in Sydney and founded in 1989, has become one of Australasia’s leading food and coffee franchise business retailers. Concentrating on providing mall and high street locations, the Foodco Group comprises over 350 franchise business retail outlets trading through the Muffin Break bakery café franchise, Jamaica Blue café franchise and Dreamy Donuts premium donut and coffee franchise. Each brand offers its own style of menu selection, service and character.

s part of the Foodco offering, Master Roaster, Fred Vains, recognises the changes in the coffee industry and the growing consumer awareness and expectations for high quality coffee. With many years of industry experience, Fred heads up a team of roasters based in Melbourne that continue to develop and refine each blend. In 2011, the Foodco roasting team entered both Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue coffee blends into Australia’s largest coffee roasting competition, the CSR Golden Bean. The Golden Bean competition provides an award to acknowledge the best of the best in coffee roasting businesses Australia wide. Muffin Break – Espresso Chain – Silver Muffin Break – Milk Chain – Bronze Jamaica Blue – Milk Chain – Gold Jamaica Blue – Espresso Chain – Bronze Proud of their achievements, the marketing team are now doing a great job to ensure their customers are aware of their achievements and

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the excellent coffees they serve. Café Culture caught up with Drew Eide, National Marketing Manager for the Foodco Group, to find out how they have used their win to ensure their consumers know about their great coffee. Muffin Break, Jamaica Blue, Dreamy Donuts. Why did Foodco choose these brands? Were they started at the same time? Did they originate in Australia, or were the concepts brought from another country? Foodco was born with the Australian launch of Muffin Break in Queensland in 1989. The Muffin Break concept originated in Canada and was acquired by Foodco and refined for contemporary conditions. The brand now occupies a unique niche in the retail food industry and continues to grow both domestically and across the globe. Today, Muffin Break trades through more than 250 cafés across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and will soon launch in India. Jamaica Blue is another success story that

Foodco is very proud to have launched in Australia in 1992 at Miranda Fair in NSW. This year, Jamaica Blue celebrates its 20 year anniversary and recently undertook a significant brand evolution project. Today, Jamaica Blue trades in Australia, New Zealand, China, the United Arab Emirates and will soon commence operations in Singapore. Dreamy Donuts is also performing well. The first store opened in 2005 and competes in the premium treat category and also has an excellent blend of coffee. What is the key to Foodco’s success? Have you implemented the same franchise systems across all three brands? A key element of our success is that our shareholders and the majority of our senior management have been with Foodco since the very early days. This has provided a stable foundation for the long-term growth of our brands. The other critical factor is that we focus on accentuating our key points of difference with each brand every day.

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47.

addition to in-store signage, PR and packaging seals, we’ve launched a limited edition cup to mark Jamaica Blue’s Gold Medal win. We’re also communicating these awards through our websites, social media channels and of course, our loyalty club member base. We’ve distributed

Furthermore, Foodco prides itself on a commitment to quality; that is, in terms of our products, training, service, presentation standards, marketing and internal operations. All three of our brand systems share strong synergies, which provides for excellent economies of scale. As for our coffee ... well, that speaks for itself! What products are made in house, and what is outsourced and why? What are the advantages? The vast majority of our products are made fresh daily and in-store. This is a unique point of difference for the Foodco brands, and we pride ourselves on our baked today in-house promise. How has Foodco faired in combating the GFC? Foodco has performed extremely well in spite of the GFC. We attribute this to our training practices and to the up-skilling of our teams in both food and coffee. Additionally, we’re very focused on operational standards, innovative marketing and customer loyalty strategies, as well as ongoing product innovation. Both Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue won medals at last year’s Golden Bean Roaster Competition. How have you capitalised on this for both brands? We are extremely proud of our medals, and we’re enjoying showing them off! In

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a thank you e-DM with a special coffee offer to our Loyalty Club members and of course, our Managing Director formally thanked our franchisees for their significant contribution. We’ve always known that the Foodco coffee blends are outstanding, and now we have the medals from a blind taste-test to prove it! The Golden Bean branding of Jamaica Blue looks fantastic. It seems that you have focused more on this brand rather than Muffin Break. Is this due to the good timing of a brand reinvigoration for Jamaica Blue? Foodco doesn’t focus on any one brand more than another. However, there couldn’t have been a better time to announce Jamaica Blue as a Gold Medal winner in the CSR Golden Bean Awards! Taking the top gong for our Signature Blend in such a competitive category is an extraordinary achievement that we are very proud to have realised. We’re rejoicing in the opportunity to build our coffee credibility through the communication of these awards and of course, it’s great to be attracting new customers to our brands by doing so. Jamaica Blue is in the midst of a significant brand revitalisation and this year happens to be our 20th anniversary; so yes, the timing was perfect. We will continue to focus on the quality of our Signature Blend and also on the intensive training programs for our baristas in order to serve the perfect cup every time. By the same token, we’re relishing Muffin Break’s Golden Bean success through the promotion of this award through similar channels, and this has helped to generate trial of the fabulous Muffin Break blend as well. Has the win also invigorated your franchisees and their employees? How have you

promoted the win in house and ensured that Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue baristas are on board and proud of the product? Yes; our franchisees and their teams are very excited about these awards and have really rallied behind them. The Golden Bean POS is proudly displayed in every store. We have communicated these awards to our franchise network through our intranet and internal newsletters, which has really motivated our franchisees, consultants, coffee trainers and in-store baristas to focus on quality and perfection every day. It’s a great feeling for all those in the field to know that our blends have been recognised nationally amongst our core competitors, and it has motivated the entire team to deliver perfection in every cup. The Foodco brands are expanding internationally. How are these markets different to Australia? Every international market is unique, so we undertake significant research to ensure that we are delivering our concepts appropriately. Muffin Break now operates in three countries (soon to be four) and Jamaica Blue currently has a presence in four countries (soon to be five). While there are some variations to our fresh-food menus, one thing that doesn’t change no matter the market is our coffee blends and our focus on training and consistency. What’s next for the Foodco team? Any new and exciting developments in the pipeline? There are always new developments in the pipeline at Foodco … Muffin Break is continually evolving, and we will have some exciting announcements in the near future. Similarly, Jamaica Blue keeps going from strength to strength; so without giving away too much at this time, watch this space …

29/5/12 7:12:58 AM

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29/5/12 7:14:55 AM

THE 2012 wrap up CAFE BIZ SUCCESS CONTINUES Now in its 10th year, Cafe Biz is the cafe industry’s premier annual exhibition. The 2012 event took place at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney on the 18th and 19th of March, with record numbers through the doors in the new venue.

Largest Cafe Event in the Southern Hemisphere Cafe Biz is about education, innovation, support and celebrating the growth of the Australian cafe industry. The Expo provides the opportunity for suppliers to debut, display and market directly to their targeted audience. Whether you are a new or established company, looking to build brand awareness, launch a new product or promote your business, this is the place to do it.

New to Cafe Biz in 2012

Some photos from this years event

Housed in an eclectic heritage environment and imposing industrial architecture, the new location at The Australian Technology Park excited both exhibitors and visitors with its unique facilities, featuring the Eveleigh Railway Yard as its centrepiece. It was the perfect backdrop for Cafe Biz 2012. With 2 Event Stages for workshops, competitions, and demonstrations,

there was never a dull moment for visitors to the Expo. Café Biz 2012 showcased the industry’s expertise and flair, with a lineup of outstanding Australian talent competing for national awards, prizes and status. Café Biz Evenings were filled with excellent networking opportunities hosted by many of Australia’s leading specialty coffee roasters in their flagship cafes and roasting houses.

Back by Popular Demand Coffeesnobs Beanology Once again Café Biz hosted the Coffeesnobs Beanology, where everyday coffee enthusiasts participated in seminars, workshops and hands-on labs, focusing on the science, art and passion of coffee. The sessions were fun and interactive, including sessions on branding and

marketing with Phillip Di Bella, Di Bella Coffee, Coffee Roaster Blending Techniques with Mark Beattie from Coffee Roasters Australia and Cup Proﬁling with Andres Latorre-Canon of Latorre and Dutch Coffee Traders. It was a learning experience for all levels of knowledge.

Café Biz Lucky Registration W Winner owner of Sandra Gibney, ow Cafe - 0424 831 801 O’Connell Ave Caf Expobar Ofﬁce Winner of the Exp Control Espresso Machine from www.disave.com.au Disave – www.dis

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COFFEE

CHAIN C H A L L E N G E

ONA COFFEE HOUSE wins! This years Equal Coffee Chain Challenge saw ONA Coffee House serve up some excellent coffees to the judges in order to take home the winning trophy. Chain stores including Hudsons Coffee, Krispy Kreme, Three Beans and new comers Charlie Lovett flew in from around the country, geared up to battle it out. Mitch Faulkner from Café Coffee, Brent Williams of Da Vinci Gourmet Syrups, and Mel Caia from the William Angliss Coffee Academy were prepared to judge the finest from each of the teams. Their task was to rate the best of 10 piccolo lattes, 10 caffe lattes and 10 signature drinks. Hudsons and ONA Coffee House progressed through to the final round of the competition with ONA finally taking out the title in the Equal Coffee Chain Challenge for 2012. Congratulations! Congratulations to all the teams that entered, it’s great to see chain stores achieving consistently good coffee at such a high level.

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29/5/12 7:23:22 AM

STATE

ORIGIN of

barista

C H A M P I O N S H I P s

ROUND ONE cafe biz 2012 The Da Vinci State of Origin teams take their competition seriously. Decked out in their full team regalia it was an event not to be missed. With 20 minutes on the clock, teams needed to produce 30 coffees, ranging from a Bonsoy latte to a Da Vinci chai latte, in take away and ceramic cups. The judges place their poker chip beside each of the winning drinks delivered by the teams, with the highest score of the 30 drinks winning the round. After some tight competition, Team NSW currently lead the way, with ACT close behind. SA and WA teams will also join the competition in September at the Fine Foods Show in Melbourne, which will also host the ďŹ nal.

THE LEADER board NEW SOUTH WALES ACT QUEENSLAND VICTORIA

33 29 28 28

ROUND TWO INCLUDING FINALS FINE FOODS MELBOURNE SEPTEMBER 2012

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29/5/12 7:24:37 AM

latte ART

C H A M P I O N S H I P s

CALEB EVANS wins! THIS COMPETITION HAS BEEN A FAVOURITE AT CAFÉ BIZ SINCE DAY ONE, AS MANY OF AUSTRALIA’S WORLD CHAMPIONS HAVE CUT THEIR TEETH AT THIS EVENT. THE EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL, AND NEWCOMERS TO THE COMPETITION ARENA ARE ENCOURAGED TO SHOW OFF THEIR SKILLS BY PRODUCING THEIR BEST 4 DRINKS IN THE 6 MINUTE TIMEFRAME. Caleb Evans is another rising star from the ONA Coffee stable. Caleb scored a perfect 10 from both judges for his Caffe Latte, taking out the 2012 event and taking home $2,000 from major sponsors, Pura/Dairy Farmers. A well deserved second place went to Aaron Le from 65 Degrees in Melbourne. Thank you to all competitors and to Pura/Dairy Farmers for their continual support, enabling competitions like this to provide a training ground for baristas in furthering their conﬁdence, skills and the future of coffee.

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29/5/12 7:25:27 AM

latte ART masters

C H A M P I O N S H I P s

Habib Maarbani Winner 2012 With Australia’s best baristas on stage at the Café Biz Expo, we found out who really is Australia’s Latte Art Master for 2012. Simon Dimattina from Dimattina Coffee (WA) and Lance Brown from Lion-Dairy and Drinks were prepared to judge the ﬁnest from these seasoned competitors, including Scott Luengen, Angus Mackie, Ben Stephens, Jen Marks and of course, Sam Corra. Designed to bring back the champions, it was a fast paced 5 minute show down, with competitors impressing the judges – each with their signature style that has made them so successful. Habib Maarbani ﬁnally took out the event with a polished performance, backing up his win in 2010 at the Café Biz Latte Art championships. Congratulations also to Scott Luengen, taking runner up position alongside Habib.

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29/5/12 7:48:02 AM

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29/5/12 7:27:22 AM

56. BY SEAN EDWARDS

25 years of married life is a great excuse to celebrate with an overseas holiday and to renew our wedding vows … in Spanish. The family choice at that moment was Chile and Argentina in South America, in conjunction with an invitation from friends who originated from Santiago, also planning to celebrate their twenty years of marital bliss.

he excuse was created, and we hopped on a plane for the long 17-hour flight via Auckland to Santiago, the capital of Chile. We arrived to be met by our friends and proceeded to become honouree Chileans, by partaking in the favourite pastimes of eating, drinking and dancing! Most Chileans still practice Siesta periods between 2pm and 5pm daily, and this time is the main mealtime of the day. Food in Chile means empanada. The humble empanada is the South American version of our pie; it can be baked or fried. It comes in all forms, sweet and savoury – and I personally could not go past the Pinto, which was minced meat, eggs, olives, cheese and sultanas, all deep fried in a short crust style pastry. I pushed my way into female only territory, taking some harsh looks to learn the art of pinching these little tasty treats together. I soon discovered also that you couldn’t eat an empanada without ample amounts of local Carmenere wine, which Chile is famous for. Chile has a very strong economy, like Australia, and its 17 million people live a very similar lifestyle to us; and again like Australians, most are working middle class families. The temperature in Santiago is very similar to Sydney, just a lot dryer, and the city does get a bit colder in winter, being

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dwarfed by the overwhelming mountain range of the Andes, which protrudes majestically behind the city. Santiago is surrounded by vineyards, which make up Chile’s second largest industry after copper mining. The dry climate is perfect for red wines, which date back to the Spanish invasion in the sixteenth century. The wines were excellent, and the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots complement the European diet of red meat, bread and cheese. A few days into the holiday, I decided to venture out of the comfort zone of the family home and head to the city and check out the café scene. Santiago has over 7 million people and about the same number of dogs. These homeless canines roam the streets, getting fed and pampered by the city commuters. The dogs are all healthy and seem to be accepted by all their human neighbours. It was a bit of a struggle sleeping at the night, when the stray dogs were breaking out in song. I had the feeling I was going to find some interesting businesses. I had heard of a particular style of café that had evolved in the fifties, and I am now handing over this part of the story to my travelling companion, Darren Kilminster, to tell the colourful background of Legs Café.

DARREN’S STORY

Café con Piernes Despite being in South America, where so much of the world’s coffee beans are grown, it is fair to say that Chile does not rate highly when it comes to the quality of coffee sold in its cafés. Most Chileans would prefer a Nescafe. In fact, if you order a coffee in a hotel in Chile, you are likely to get an instant coffee ... most of the milk being UHT doesn’t really help either. Unlike Brazil and Colombia, coffee has never been a traditional hot drink in Chile. It has really only been in the last few decades that coffee has gained any sort of popularity. Tea has always been the hot drink of choice for most Chilenos. An interesting aspect of the Chilean café scene in the capital Santiago are what are known as Café con Piernes, which literally translates from Spanish as Coffee with Legs. These cafés are called Coffee with Legs, as the waitresses work on raised platforms behind the bar and wear very short skirts for the clientele to have a (for the want of a better word) perve. There are banks of espresso machines where the waitress will take your order to the (almost always male) barista to make your drink of choice.

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CHILE

The most famous Café con Piernes in Santiago are Café Caribe and Café Haiti. Despite the above description, they are not really sleazy. They are quite well decorated and somewhat elegant and serve a mixed clientele of men and women – although, to be completely honest, there are probably nine men for every one woman. The men in these cafés are generally in their fifties and older, wear suits and seem to spend more time reading the paper than looking at the waitresses. These are not in side alleys or back streets, but stand proudly in Paseo Ahumada – the main pedestrian walkway of Santiago – the Santiago Pitt St or Bourke St Malls of Sydney and Melbourne. In these cafés you can only buy hot drinks, be it café con leche, cappuccino, espresso or a hot chocolate. No food or alcohol is served in any Café con Piernes. Now for a little history on this quirky Santiago institution. Fifty years ago, the downtown of Santiago was the main business hub of the city, where mostly men worked in the surrounding offices. Needing some caffeine and harmless entertainment before heading home to their traditional wives and families, they would visit Italian-style coffee bars. Since the concept didn’t fly at first, the genius owner of Haiti had the

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idea to use lovely barmaids to serve the steaming beverages. This time the concept stuck, and his business soared. As the men poured through the doors, competitors rushed to get a piece of the action by opening their own cafés. Thus was born Café con Piernes, a quirky and particularly Santiago institution. There are many other Café con Piernes in Santiago, but Caribe and Haiti are the most famous. There are some sleazy places on side streets, but these don’t seem to be surviving like the venerable institutions aforementioned. Café con Piernes are as ubiquitous in downtown Santiago as Starbucks is throughout so many cities in the world. But unlike Starbucks, these are a true Chilean institution. If you are in Santiago, be sure to visit one to get a nice glimpse of Chileno kitsch. BACK TO SEAN

I soon worked out the coffee was not a major source of enjoyment for the Chilean population; which is quite odd, considering their European lifestyle, climate and close proximity to some of the world’s best coffees in Columbia, Brazil and Peru. It was a bit like stepping back to the seventies, where instant coffee pushed out the

small roaster from existence. The favourite café beverage for locals was a strange concoction of fermented wheat, caramel and a whole apricot, which you sort of ate and drank at the same time. This sweet wheat drink, called Mote Con Huesillo, is served cold and is a summer drink. I was starting to struggle with my lack of good caffeine intake and refused to do instant. I packed 4 kilos of coffee to give away, but greedily hid the supply for the duration of my trip. I even struggled to buy a coffee grinder and a plunger in the department stores, until I found a kitchen shop that had one of each on a dusty shelf. I surfed the net looking for a coffee joint that could help out my quest, and the same café name kept coming up, which was Melbourne Café in a neighbouring port city, two hours away in Valparaiso. We were heading to the coast and decided to pay a visit and find out a bit about this café venture.

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58. DESTINATION CHILE

CAFÉ MELBOURNE

I was greeted in Café Melbourne by the friendly owner, Daniel Fellhandler, who had lived in Sydney as a student and a Chilean wine salesperson. When Daniel decided to go back to his hometown of Valparaiso and start a business, he had observed the growth of the Australian espresso bar culture and knew this would be his future direction. Daniel decided on the Café Melbourne name, as it was a direct relationship to his happy caffeinated timed in Australia. The café had a real Australian feel and was getting good patronage from local financial office workers in this city precinct. Fresh milk is a challenge in Chile and can only be found in certain locations. UHT milk only was available, and it didn’t complement milk based coffees well. Daniel also struggled with other café supplies and still brings in coffee bits and pieces from Australia and the USA. He is planning to grow the business once he gets the local endorsement and support for this style of business operation and gets over the strict local government business regulations. One business that is booming in Chile is the Domino hot dog chain. This sixtyyear old hospitality business is an icon in Santiago, with its group of well dressed old men singing out orders across the room of

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crowded patrons for delicious completos. A completos is a tasty salted, boiled sausage on a fresh bun with a simple salsa of tomato, onion and coriander topped with a creamy mayonnaise. The old blokes also do great Churrascos (meat sangas) accompanied by a fresh juice or a beer. Yes, for all the romantics out there we did complete our wedding vows – but not until after a few hidden surprises, like having to dress up like a Waso Chilean Cowboy and do a courting dance called the la Queca. The ceremony ended up with 100 newfound friends and went until early in the morning hours. Just to top off our great wedding experience, we had a first hand experience with a 6.5R earthquake, which shook scarily for a minute and a half. Thankfully, no one was injured by this shake – that the locals were oblivious to. The nicest thing, apart from the amazing landscape, were the Chilean people, who treated us as if we were part of their family. We will be back. Chao!

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29/5/12 7:30:22 AM

60. BY ANDY FREEMAN

ORTLAND, OREGON WAS THIS YEAR’S HOST OF THE SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA’S ANNUAL EXPOSITION AND THE USA BARISTA CHAMPIONSHIP. THE SCALE OF THE EXPO IS HUGE; 10,000 PEOPLE VISITED THE CONVENTION CENTRE THAT WEEK FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, INCLUDING DOZENS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN COFFEE INDUSTRY. IT SEEMED THAT YOU COULDN’T GO ANYWHERE IN PORTLAND OR SEATTLE WITHOUT BUMPING INTO AN AUSSIE.

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The trade floor is always full of interesting products – many with a bias towards brewed coffee, as that’s typically still the bulk of the US market. But, this is also the regional home of espresso in the USA, and good coffee was easy to find. Below are the winners of Best New Product (judged by SCAA) and the People’s Choice awards (judged by the show attendees). Expect to see these on Australian shores at a café near you soon.

CURTIS GOLD CUP BREWER BEST NEW PRODUCT - People’s Choice Award C AT E G O RY: Coffee or Tea Preparation & Serving Equipment (Commercial) C O M PA N Y: Wilbur Curtis Co. P R O D U C T : Curtis Gold Cup Brewer W E B : www.wilburcurtis.com

Wilbur Curtis is best known for their high volume commercial brewers. This new product is a single cup brewer that meets the Specialty Coffee Association America (SCAA) and Specialty Coffee Association Europe (SCAE) standard for Gold Cup brewing. Consistent water temperature in the boiler is complemented with a touch screen interface, to recall set brewing parameters like time, pulse, infusion and volume. The unit also boasts a USB interface, so getting the same settings to a range of sites across town or around the world is as easy as sending an email. As long as you are accurate in the ground coffee dosage, you will get a repeatable, consistent American style brew from the Curtis Gold Cup Brewer.

STEAMPUNK BEST NEW PRODUCT – (judged by SCAA) CATEGORY: Coffee or Tea Preparation & Serving Equipment (Commercial) COMPANY: Alpha Dominche Limited PRODUCT: www.alphadominche.com

Alpha Dominche was founded in 2011 by Khristian Bombeck (10 year café/roastery owner) and Tymer Tilton (an industrial designer, architect and former barista), and together they have built the STEAMPUNK.

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Released at SCAA 2012 as a full working prototype, it will go into production towards the end of this year. First impression is that the Steampunk is an industrial 4 group coffee plunger, but it actually works more like a semi automated syphon brewer. Water from the 20 litre boiler is mixed with steam and air and introduced to the borax glass crucibles to mix with the coffee. When ready, the barista introduces a small amount of cold water into the bottom, and the coffee is syphoned out. The plunger is then removed with the spent grounds, and it’s ready for the next brew. Conﬁguration of each parameter for each of the four brewers is managed on an integrated touch screen. Very well made and with a huge visual impact, this brewer should be a hit.

OFFERO BEST NEW PRODUCT - (judged by SCAA) CATEGORY: Coffee or Tea Preparation & Serving Equipment (Consumer) COMPANY: Offero PRODUCT: Coffee & Tea Cups WEB: www.TheOffero.com During a coffee tasting session, Mitch Bangert was told to cup his hand around the back of the paper cup to get the full effect of the rising aroma. This was the trigger for his “light bulb moment”, and soon after the Offero was born. Starting out with a single prototype, the range has quickly grown to include coffee cups, cupping bowls, wine glasses and beer glasses that not only look great, but they have the distinct raised back that directs the aroma all around your nose while you drink from it. This is already a great product and thanks to the willingness of the company owner to listen to new ideas, it’s under constant feedback based development. The range of styles, colours and sizes will grow over time, and all the products can be branded to suit the customer. It won’t be long before we see this great product in Australia

being used for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, wine, beer, whisky and any drink where you want to savour the aroma and taste.

BRAZEN COFFEE BREWER BEST NEW PRODUCT – People’s Choice Award CATEGORY: Coffee or Tea Preparation & Serving Equipment (Consumer) COMPANY: Behmor Inc. PRODUCT: Brazen Coffee Brewer WEB: www.behmor.com Designed to meet or exceed the official Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Brew Standards, the Behmor Brazen should revolutionise the domestic coffee market in bench top brew machines. What looks like a modern variant of a drip machine, the Brazen is actually closer to an automated and repeatable electronic pour over and can produce a stunning coffee. The brew water is heated in the upper chamber and the temperature is configurable between 90°C - 98°C in fractions of a degree. When the water is at the set point, then the adjustable pre-soak/infusion can take place before the shower dispersion screen adds the remaining water, allowing the coffee to bloom in much the same way as a pour over technique. The coffee then runs through the mesh filter and into a dual wall insulated stainless steel carafe, allowing the coffee to remain at a good drinking temperature without the need for a reheating element. Easy to use, easy to adjust, funky alien appearance and great results in the cup make it obvious why this product won the SCAA 2012 People’s Choice award.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andy Freeman owns and runs coffeesnobs.com. au. Fresh roasted coffee, green beans and Australia’s biggest coffee forum. www.coffeesnobs.com.au

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29/5/12 7:31:26 AM

64. BY NATHAN WAKEFORD

While coffee roasters and café owners alike probably wish their coffee was appreciated by customers without sugar, the reality is that the majority of consumers add sweeteners to their coffee. However, few coffee roasters and baristas have tested the effect that sugar has on their coffee blend. ost who have are quite startled to find out what their typical customer is tasting, despite the numerous hours spent in perfecting a coffee blend or learning to extract the perfect espresso. Increasingly however, it seems cafes are becoming aware of this, if the growing number of cafes adorning their tables with a rich golden sweet powder called Panela is any indication. Seeing this trend, I decided to jump on a plane to visit the state of Santander in Colombia. This region is typically known for coffee production, but also has a reputation for producing high quality organic Panela. I hoped to learn how Panela was grown, what affected its quality and why Panela was becoming the preferred sweetener for coffee amongst leading cafes. What was it about Panela that gave it a smooth, non-acidic sweetness that maintained the balance of a coffee blend, where others sugars had a negative effect? How did Panela differ to the sugars I had been used to? All these questions and more would be answered when I arrived at a Panela farm in a sleepy little farming town called Chitarake. My tour began with a visit to the office, where I met the farm’s caretaker. On our walk to the cane fields, I was shown the farm’s composting area, where organic fertilizers where made using manure collected from animals on the farm

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and part of the waste sugar cane left over after production. The rich compost provided ample nutrients, as well as helping to maintain the right pH levels in the soil for the cane to grow. The farmer explained that it was critical that the right nourishment be given to the soil to enable the fast growth of the cane over the long term. In a general sense, Panela is quite easy to grow; however, there are many factors that affect its quality. To establish new cane fields, short lengths of sugar cane from seed plants are placed in trenches spaced 1.2 meters apart. If the conditions are right, new cane will germinate. The cane grows quite quickly, producing 5 annual harvests before it has to be removed and the field replanted. The soil in which the cane grows is closely monitored, with the farm’s caretaker adding calcium to the soil to manage the level of acidity to optimum levels. The rich soil, combined with the natural climatic variation in temperature, helps to develop complexity and character in the flavour of the cane. Harvesting the cane is a labour intensive but simple process. The cane is cut with a machete close to the base of the plant, then stripped of its leaves. The leaves are left to decompose on the field once removed from the cane, providing protection and nutrients for the soil. The stripped cane is then bundled and placed on horseback, where it is carried back to the factory ready for

processing. While observing this process, I was fortunate to be able to taste sugar juice directly form the cane – it was amazing how flavoursome and moreish the juice was, without being sickly sweet – paired with a pleasurable energetic lift. The process of extracting the juice from the cane and turning it into powder is also a labour intensive but simple process. The sugar cane is crushed to extract the juice, a sweet pale green liquid that is then passed through a filter, where large impurities are removed. The juice is then transferred through a series of heating vats, where the temperature is slowly increased. In the first vat, the resin from the bark of a local tree is added to the juice, which coagulates the impurities and brings them to the surface. The scum that forms is then skimmed from the surface, then the juice is transferred to the next vat, where it is heated further. Calcium is then added to neutralize the acidity of the juice; it is passed through strainers into hotter vats, where the moisture is further removed, leaving a thick, bubbling syrup. The hot syrup is then left to cool, where it crystalizes into powdery clumps of Panela. The Panela is then sieved to create a coarse and fluffy golden powder. The dried Panela can then be placed into cubes, sachets, or even flavoured. The moisture content of the Panela is then sometimes further reduced, to create a more intense

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65.

“ I encourage you to experiment with different sugars in your café or coffee roastery, to see how the sweetener affects the balance and flavour of your coffee. ”

times further reduced, to create a more intense caramelized flavour, by baking the granulated caramelized ﬂavour, by baking the granulated Panela in ovens. The Panela is then packaged into Panela in ovens. The Panela is then packaged into bulk bags and made ready for transport. bulk bags and made ready for transport. I was quite taken back by how simple and raw I was quite taken back by how simple and raw the whole process was. It wasn’t until I studied the whole process was. It wasn’t until I studied how white sugar and raw sugar was made that I how white sugar and raw sugar was made that I began to understand why Panela tasted so differbegan to understand why Panela tasted so different. Panela is simply the powder that is left when ent. Panela is simply the powder that is left when whole sugar cane juice is evaporated. Much of whole sugar cane juice is evaporated. Much of the nutrients, impurities and flavour of the sugar cane is preserved. Perhaps for this reason, Panela is considered more than just a sweetener, but a drink in its own right in Colombia. Aqua Panela is a very popular drink, made by dissolving a cube of Panela in hot water and adding a squeeze of lime. The beverage is considered quite wholesome and nutritious. Soon after my return to Australia, I was fortunate to have a chance meeting with an engineer who had worked for a large sugar refining company in New Zealand. I shared what I had discovered from my visit, and he explained that the process of making refined sugar was quite sophisticated. He explained that the fine crystallization that can be observed with refined sugar was only possible through the removal of impurities. The process for making raw sugar begins in a similar process to Panela, with the cane being harvested and crushed to extract the cane juice. Calcium hydroxide and carbon dioxide are added to clarify the juice, by creating insoluble calcium compounds. The calcium hydroxide also raises the juice’s pH. With the addition of poly acrylamides, the impurities are filtered from the juice. The juice is then treated with activated carbon and sent through an evaporator to remove water and causing the juice to thicken. The juice is heated in a vacuum, and fine seed crystals are added to aid in the formation of sugar crystals. The mother liquor is separated from the sugar crystals, which is then made into molasses, and a centrifuge is used to obtain raw sugar.

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obtain raw sugar. To make white sugar, the raw sugar is then To make white sugar, the raw sugar is then melted down again through a process called affimelted down again through a process called afnation, that dissolves the remaining molasses. The fination, that dissolves the remaining molasses. The sugar is then washed, clarified and de-coloured sugar is then washed, clarified and de-coloured using phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide or using phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide or with calcium dioxide. The final stage is to boil the with calcium dioxide. The final stage is to boil the solution one last time to concentrate it into white solution one last time to concentrate it into white granulated sugar crystals. granulated sugar crystals. So now I understood why Panela had a less So now I understood why Panela had a less acidic sweetness than raw and white sugar, but I still didn’t understand why when I had compared white and raw sugar in an espresso with Panela, the flavour balance of the espresso containing refined sugar seemed to deteriorate more the longer that it was left to sit. Panela seemed to maintain the overall balance of the coffee blend and sometimes enhance it. The sharp sweetness of refined sugar seemed also to diminish the complexity of the coffee it is placed in. To be honest, I believe further investigation is required to find the cause of these changes, probably with the assistance of a food chemist who can identify the chemical reactions taking place in the coffee. I suspect that a chemical or additive used in refining is reacting negatively with the coffee, as there is often a synthetic flavour that can be observed. That said, I noticed similar but less pronounced changes even with organic raw sugar. It has also been suggested to me that the anti caking agents often blended with the sugar to preserve the free-flowing nature of refined sugar could be a contributing factor. Whatever the cause, I encourage you to experiment with different sugars in your café or coffee roastery, to see how the sweetener affects the balance and flavour of your coffee. Choose one that best complements and maintains the balance of your blend and improves the overall appeal of your coffee. Common sense suggests that it is the last impression associated with the final sip that will be a deciding factor in whether the customer

will purchase a second cup of coffee. So why not conduct your own experiment now? To compare the effect of different sugars on your coffee, I recommend that you use the following method: 1. Make 4 espressos, and in each one place a different sweetener (artificial sweetener, white sugar, raw sugar and panela). 2. Stir the sweetener in and take a small sip; pay attention to the tactile and flavour balance. Give the coffee a rating and record your comments. 3. Wait 40 seconds, then take a second sip. Again, make some comments about the tactile and flavour balance of the coffee and give the coffee a rating. What did you find? I will be keen to hear about your findings! Email me at nwakeford@somage. com.au If you are interested to learn more, you can find a video of Panela production in Colombia at www.somage.tv. ABOUT ABOUTTHE THEAUTHOR AUTHOR Nathan Wakeford is the Managing Director of Somage Fine Foods, a company committed to pioneering improved product quality and knowledge in foodservice venues. Nathan has been a previous Chair of the Victorian Chapter of AASCA, a sensory judge and barista championship competitor. Nathan is also a founder of the Specialty Tea Association of Australia and a regular contributor to industry publications and media supporting the hospitality industry.

29/5/12 3:21:05 7:31:54 PM AM 22/5/12

BY ANDREW McCLURG

TABLET

THE LATEST HAND HELD AND TABLET TECHNOLOGY CAN INCREASE SALES AND PROFIT. andheld technology for wait staff has been around since the 1990s, with a number of companies in New Zealand leading the industry with these products. New Zealand has always been a technology leader and in the 1990s, these were received with interest and trepidation. Things have come a long way in the last 20 plus years, and the most significant change has been the advent of iPhones, iPads, Windows 7 and Google’s Android phones and handheld units. Most staff nowadays are used to using a tablet and smart phone as an everyday device. Handheld wait staff terminals are not just fancy gadgets to make the restaurant look tech savvy; they are not just a way of reducing the cost of note pads, or a way to reduce the time staff spend walking to and from the kitchen. While all of the above are valid reasons for implementing handhelds in a restaurant, the real benefit of them are as a tool to increase customer service and your customers’ spend. A properly designed and implemented handheld will provide information to the wait staff on food and wine matches, on the guests’ previous orders and today’s specials. Effectively trained staff can provide greater customer service by being fully attentive to their tables and manage their guests’ evening by “calling away” the mains when they are required and requesting a bill to be brought to the table at the end of the evening. Modern technology with effective training will increase your customers’ satisfaction and service and increase your business turnover and profit. Where is tablet technology heading? Since the iPad v1 hit the market, quickly followed by Windows 7 and Android tablets, restaurants have been looking for ways to use them to enhance the customer experience. Restaurants in Australia and the United States have used

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them to replace staff and allow customers to order directly from the tablet to the kitchen. This is a contentious direction for the technology and not a direction that is globally supported in many restaurants. But tablet technology has a place in a number of environments, without removing the important human touch of quality wait staff. Table technology is being used to deliver high quality, highly informative and visually pleasing wine cellar information, allowing the guest to select their wine based on the food match of the restaurant available meals and search through the cellar for exclusive bottles of their favourite wine. Tablets can help risk adverse customers! I think we all have our favourite Indian, Chinese, Moroccan or Thai restaurant. The selection is usually fantastic and full of many great dishes, but instead of the many fantastic dishes like Palak Paneer, the risk adverse customer goes back to what they know and chooses Butter Chicken. New tablet technology allows the shy customers to get a more interactive menu than a standard printed one and rather than feel they are embarrassing themselves by asking a simple question about a common dish, they can read all about it, how it is cooked, where it comes from and what the ingredients are and make a new selection that leaves them wanting more. In summary, the latest technology is there to enhance the customer experience, improve customer service and as a tool to increase the businesses turnover and profit. Handheld and tablet technology is changing every day, and software is continually being developed to make the life of all wait staff and hospitality owners easier. For more information or previous articles, feel free to contact Menumate in Australia on 1300 886 942 or New Zealand on 0800 657 300 or via email on sales@menumate.com.

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T H E

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

S C E N E

With the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association national competition just completed, we took a look behind the scenes to see just how these competitions are adjudicated. Craig Dickson of Veneziano Coffee Roasters, one of the most experienced and knowledgeable coffee judges in the country, speaks judging in the international specialty coffee arena.

lready this year, alongside the Australian finals, Craig Dickson has also judged New Zealand’s 2012 competition finals, an event he thoroughly enjoyed. New Zealand coffee skills are world standard and our neighbours across the Tasman are a significant force to be reckoned with on the world specialty coffee scene, placing consistently in the World Barista Championship (WBC) finals over the past 10 years. According to Craig, it was great to catch up with New Zealand industry veterans: four-time national champion, Carl Sara; and three-time national champion, Luciano Marcolino – and incredibly inspiring to see a whole new generation of baristas who have come up through the ranks of the New Zealand specialty coffee community. “The element of surprise in the New Zealand competition was really heightened, because the competitors were unknown and as a judge, I had no preconceived expectations; it was a truly neutral approach to a high level of competition that yielded some really exciting and creative routines,” he explains.“It was also great to have the WBC accredited New Zealand judges reciprocate and help with selecting the Australian national champion.” Of course, that winner is Craig Simon, production manager at Veneziano Coffee Roasters. Craig Simon roasted two coffees from the same farmer, Emilio Lopez of Finca el Manzano in

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El Salvador – one natural processed, the other washed. Craig spent many weeks perfecting the roast times, as well as getting the percentages of each coffee right in the blend, ending up with a coffee that the judges agreed was the standout winner of this year’s competition. Craig described his competition coffee as a well-balanced and full-bodied espresso, with intense cherry flavours up-front and smooth milk chocolate notes at the back of the palate. His signature drink was made using the coffee cherries, and the judges felt this was both an innovative use of all the edible parts of the coffee plant and highly complementary to the flavours his coffee exhibited. So what are the judges looking for? “As a coffee judge, it’s always at the top of my mind whether the barista has what it takes to represent Australia and the Australian specialty coffee industry on the world stage, because once they are selected, they take on that ambassador role,” notes Craig Dickson. “In addition to that, the barista must really be able to demonstrate a genuine understanding of the coffee he or she is using.” He goes on to explain how important it is that the barista really understands the characteristics of the coffee and how factors such as the varietal, origin, farming and processing methods impact on the flavour profile. And it doesn’t end there. A barista serious

about competing will also spend a lot of time cupping as many different roast profiles as possible, to understand what roasting brings to the flavour profile as well. What coffee judges expect from competing baristas is a thorough understanding of the world rules and the competition score sheet; how well they adhere to these and demonstrate their understanding of them has a significant influence on the end score. Craig explains, “It’s not strictly about ‘how awesome this coffee is’, although that does play a very important part. The barista should be aiming to maximise the number of points in every box on that score sheet; at the end of the day, it’s that checklist of items that matters the most.” That is typically the difference between seasoned competitors and those new to the concept; it comes down to knowing the rules and knowing the impact of the final score sheet. In other words, how well the barista understands coffee and applies that knowledge in the competition environment. Obviously competing is not only about the barista; it’s also about showcasing specialty coffee and the care that is afforded to growing, sourcing and harvesting it. Competition brings the roaster and barista together as a team, allowing them to expand their coffee knowledge in their search for the best coffee to use in the competition arena, to produce something that

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will behave exceptionally on the day. Combining that knowledge and understanding with the barista’s expertise in preparing and handling the coffee during the competition is what will help him or her to achieve those vital points. All of these variables come into play when selecting a national champion, with competition conditions governed by WBC rules, and this year’s finalists were all worthy competitors. Now that the Australian winner has been

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chosen, the next step is the World Barista Championship in Vienna, Austria. Both Craigs will be heading off in early June, Dickson to judge and Simon to compete. Rumour has it that this year’s competition will be the biggest yet, with a record number of entries from all over the world. So, for any baristas out there who are new to competitions or considering getting involved, merely being coached by your roaster isn’t

going to cut it. Get on out there and explore, learn, ask questions, make contact with the farmers. And learn those score sheets! A great way to learn is via the internet; a quick search of WBC score sheets will bring up a whole slew of information that is free and amazingly detailed, including previous world finalists sharing their competition results and YouTube clips. The official WBC website is also a good source of information; go to: www. worldbaristachampionship.com. And Craig Dickson’s final word of advice: “Get out there and watch as many experienced competitors in action as you can.”

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72.

Clayton Pine first commenced training as an international buyer for Bushells Tea & Coffee in March 1974. The years and career moves that followed included brands such as Andronicus, Nestle, Belaroma, Amgoorie, King and Robur. In 1993, Clayton started a tea and coffee trading business that would, in 1996, form the foundations of Pine Tea & Coffee, operated in partnership with Lesley Pine. THIS IS CLAYTON’S STORY – A STORY GENERALLY RESERVED FOR FAMILY.

ave you ever seen Maslow’s Hierarchy or pyramid of needs? The bottom of the pyramid is basic Physiological Needs, the next step Safety, next Love and Belonging, then Self Esteem. The highest point and hardest to achieve is Self-Actualization, where you are really in control of your life. Well, I sort of started life somewhere in the middle, and then life changed and I found myself on the bottom. My brother and I at ages 7 and 9 respectively used to sell papers every night on North Road, Caulfield in Victoria, just to put milk and bread on the family table. It was there that I learnt my first lesson in business, when a driver said he would pay me the next night for a paper. He didn’t, and my trust in people became circumspect. It would have been easy to be smothered by a difficult upbringing in an impoverished home with 7 children, but I took a different road. I was fortunate to have a wealthy aunt, who took it upon herself to teach me the finer points of life amidst the old money aristocratic refinement of Toorak society. I came to Sydney at 17, after attending 17 schools in three states, found a sporting and social life playing for Newtown Australian Rules Football Club and obtained a job hauling bricks and coal around the St Peters Brick Yard, now Sydney Park. There is nothing like hard work and burning the soles of your feet in a brick kiln to get your mind thinking about what the future holds, and my attention was drawn to travel. I was two breaths

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away from joining the Army, when a job appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald: “Trainee International Tea & Coffee Buyer”. Now ... that must include travel! So, in 1974 Clayton Pine commenced a career at Bushells Tea and Coffee in the old Rocks premises in Harrington Street, Sydney. Visiting the restored office building today, you will find many of the original features in the renovation. The garage where Tony Oxley parked his Ferrari is now BREW café. Each day, trucks would line Harrington Street filled with tea chests from the ships in port. Everything was break bulk cargo and no containers. The Tea Department was on the sixth floor administration level and below this was the standard internationally configured tea building, including storage, tea blending, tea packing and dispatch. Everything was lifted to the upper levels and gravity fed production. The early days making and tasting hundreds of teas per day and learning the logistics of buying and selling was fulfilling. The Germans will tell you that tasting hundreds of tea samples every day for 7 years in a structured environment is required to qualify as a tea professional. I achieved that and built a library in my sensory memory of the thousands of tea estates, flavours, qualities, and seasons. It is not easy buying tea if you don’t know much about it. Unlike coffee, tea qualities vary immensely from one side of the mountain to the other – sometimes from one side of the

fence to the other and certainly from one week to another. At the very top of Sri Lanka there are Uva teas to the East, Uda Pussellawas on top and Dimbulas to the West. Tea is growing all of the time and being plucked every 7 to 21 days dependent on seasons; whereas, coffee has a flowering period followed by fruiting and then the harvest and processing, which is a long process. And once plucked, the processing can alter tea in a number of directions. A good clean tea can end up fruity, fermented, green, over-fired or burnt, flat and empty, or fantastically flavoury, all dependent on just how good the tea factory manager is at his job. And of course, machinery will decide if the tea is CTC or Orthodox and suitable for tea bags or leaf tea. The relationship is by no means mutually exclusive. I can go on all day talking about tea. This passion grew with the job. But don’t leave out the coffee. After all, I was buying 5,000 chests of tea and 3,000 bags of coffee per week for the old family company Bushells. My first coffee trip was to Eastern Java in the mid 1970s. Today everybody thinks that Kopi Luwak is something new. But it has been around for a long time, though not generally known to the western coffee society. I first tried Kopi Luwak with the manager of a plantation, while sitting around a fireplace in his bungalow one night in Malang. Looking back, you would say that Bushells was antiquated – and you would be correct on today’s

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“ It’s great having a business where you can test your own ideas, work with a happy crew and enjoy a passion for tea and coffee. And I still get to travel overseas and enjoy my other passion for adventure. ” standards. Running cables to the post office to send messages to agents overseas, using adding machines the size of office desks to calculate just about anything, installing one of Sydney’s first computers, which took up a space larger than most cafés today – this was the way business operated in the 1970s for me. Bushells even operated factories in most states and New Zealand. Tea companies operated on very tight margins, and there was no room for incompetence or error. One learnt to be highly efficient, although the pressures often did get to us tea lads in the tea department. One day we had lined up about 20 kilos of bulk production tea samples for tasting, and at the end of it there was a fiery exchange with management. So what did Clayton do? He threw all of the tea out the window from the sixth floor into Harrington Street and took his off-sider with him to a long lunch and long weekend. It was becoming difficult to keep young Tea Trainees, as the world was already changing and not many would endure the long apprenticeship making hundreds of cups of tea every day. So nothing was said. In September 1975, due to a “Rocks” heritage order on the building, we moved to our coffee factory at Concord. Over the next eight years, I learnt a lot more about coffee and instant coffee production, as well as tea. Training at Bushells was comprehensive; I was sent to India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, and in time I took on state and national management positions. Then life took a big turn, when the unthinkable happened. My mother was killed by a drunk driver in Adelaide and subsequently, my wife Wendy and I inherited four children: 11, 12, 13 and 14 years of age. I would not have made it through those dark days without Wendy and her parents. Life had been going so well and I was half way through my degree, but the economics of the situation meant change. After an explosive moment courtesy of my Scottish heritage, I left Bushells and joined Coca-Cola as a sales representative. The experience was good, but it was better a year later when I got a call from Andronicus to

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join as key accounts manager. They were good days at Andronicus, and in no time I was Sales Manager. Then came Nestle, who bought out Andronicus. I was offered a post in Switzerland to attend the Nestle University, but turned that down. So a deal was done with Nestle, and their generosity sent me back to college full-time to finish the degree. Offers then came in from everywhere. After a short stay at Belaroma as General Manager, I went on to a challenging job outside the industry as Business Development Manager for Advanced Food Systems, a major player in catering and accommodation services. This job was demanding, satisfying, highly successful and probably not good for my health. “Sir Lunch A Lot” soon organised numerous successful meetings with leaders of government and industry. The Police Academy contract in Goulburn was a satisfying prize, as previously I had always seemed to be on the wrong end of a highway patrol decision. Then the move to D&J Fowler, and I remember my wife crying as I picked up that job, as she knew of my passion for tea. D&J brands included Amgoorie, Robur and King teas, as well as Golden Crust, Empire, and Lion Brand flour and farinaceous products and of course, Munchee Snack Foods. To further my career, I then took a position as Marketing Manager of the Australian Almond Cooperative, which included trading green coffee. For the last ten years friends had been asking when was I going to start my own business. I had the broad experience, I had the degree, and I had the passion for tea and coffee. It was time.

So in December 1993, I rang my old friend Tony Witham and asked him to supply a container of Brazil Santos Green Coffee Screen 17/18 SSC. The following year we had the frost, and the business did suffer difficult times due to some significant bad debts; but, heavily mortgaged, we managed to survive. In 1996 my sister Lesley joined the business, to assist with sales and run a tight ship. It’s great having a business where you can test your own ideas, work with a happy crew and enjoy a passion for tea and coffee. And I still get to travel overseas and enjoy my other passion for adventure. Pine Tea & Coffee is moving into an interesting stage of growth. We produce excellent product that is reflected in the 32 awards at Golden Bean and RAS competitions, and the award for BEST TEA in Sydney in the 2011 Good Food Guide. If you are going to create a business, make sure you create strong brand recognition. Without brands, your business is not worth a lot. Silvertip, Bella Italia, 7th Heaven, Bungalow are good brands achieving some growth in the specialty market, but it takes good people, good marketing and funding to connect the sparks that generate sales. And these days, make sure you have a good web presence and embrace that social media! Hard work, keep you sense of humour, get some business training, don’t be frightened to try new ventures, even outside of what might be your passion, as it is good experience. Look after your clients, look after your suppliers, definitely look after your family, keep a war chest for a rainy day, and never give up.

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76. CAFE CULTURE RECIPES

A selection of recipes from Ingham using TURKEY

GINGER TURKEY INGREDIENTS

TURKEY RICE PAPER ROLLS

INGREDIENTS

• 8 dried rice paper wrappers • 8 butter lettuce leaves • 8 slices oven roasted or smoked Ingham Turkey Breast, thinly sliced • 3 vine ripened tomatoes, finely diced • 1 Lebanese cucumber, finely diced • Hoisin sauce or tomato sauce, to serve METHOD

Half fill a large bowl with warm water. Using 1 rice paper wrapper at a time, rotate wrapper in water until wet. Transfer to a flat surface. Place a lettuce leave, sliced Turkey, tomato and cucumber on the edge of wrapper. Roll once, fold sides in and continue rolling enclosing filling. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling ingredients. Serve with hoisin sauce or tomato sauce. Tip: add half a mint leaf to each roll for an extra flavour hit!

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• 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 1 tablespoon kecap manis • 2 tablespoons minced ginger • pepper to season • 300 g Ingham Turkey Breast, diced • 1 tablespoon sesame oil • ½ brown onion, chopped • 1 clove garlic, crushed • 80 g button mushrooms • 50 g snowpeas, sliced • ½ red capsicum • 2 spring onions, sliced • 200 ml chicken stock • 1 tablespoon cornflour • salt and pepper to taste METHOD

In a bowl, combine soy sauce, kecap manis, 1 tablespoon ginger and pepper. Toss turkey through the marinade and leave for 20 minutes. Heat the sesame oil in a pan or wok, cook the onion, garlic and remaining ginger until softened. Add the turkey to the pan, cook for 5 minutes or until well browned. Add mushrooms, snowpeas, capsicum and spring onions to the pan. Combine the chicken stock and cornflour, stir through turkey mixture. Simmer the liquid until it thickens to form a sauce. Serve turkey with rice. Season with salt and pepper.

TURKEY KEBABS INGREDIENTS

• 500 g Ingham Turkey Breast fillet, cut into 1.5 cm cubes • 8 bamboo skewers • 1 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped • Juice of ½ fresh lemon • 1 clove garlic, crushed • 1 tablespoon oil • Salt and pepper to taste • ½ red capsicum, cut into wedges • ½ green capsicum, cut into wedges • 8 fresh lemon wedges, cut in half • ½ red onion, cut into wedges • Olive oil spray for cooking • Extra lemon wedges for serving METHOD

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water to prevent burning. In a large bowl, combine coriander, lemon juice, garlic, oil, season with salt and pepper. Add the turkey cubes and toss well to combine. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes. Thread skewers with capsicum, marinated turkey, fresh lemon and onion. Spray skewers with olive oil spray, place on a BBQ plate or under a hot grill and turn to cook evenly. Serve kebabs with extra lemon wedges and salad.

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News and industry updates from the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association.

ith the Australian Barista Championships now completed for 2012, it is a great time to reflect on the Australian specialty coffee industry and its growth in the last few years. This year, Australia elected to bid for the right to host the World Coffee Championships in 2013. It was a reflection of the professionalism of the AASCA team that the World Coffee Expo representatives visiting Australia as part of the bid process were very impressed with the quality of our national competition and the way it was managed – a timely stamp of approval from the people deciding which country will be the successor of the Vienna, Austria event and the hosts of the World Barista Championship in 2013. This was also the first year the competition was held during a dedicated coffee event, the inaugural Melbourne International Coffee Expo. The Grand Pavilion at the Melbourne Showgrounds was abuzz with exhibitors from the coffee industry, both domestic and from abroad. It proved to be a great environment in which to hold the

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AASCA Championships, with the competitions achieving a record number of entrants, some 250 competitors and producing some well-deserved winners, who will attend the world events later this year: Detpak AASCA Australian Barista Championship – Mr Craig Simon, Veneziano Coffee Roasters. Runners-up: Will Priestly; Janelle Kingsley. Pura AASCA Latte Art Championship – Mr Scott Luengen, Cup Espresso. Runners-up: Angus Mackie; Jen Marks. AASCA Cup Tasting Championship – Mr Fred Lullfitz, Di Bella Coffee. Runners-up: Jonny Pisanelli; Craig Simon. AASCA Cup Brewers Championship – Mr Matt Perger, St Ali. Runners-up: Dan Yee; Josh Tarlo. Congratulations to all the competitors, especially the finalists, who put on a world class show for the general public on Sunday. As the biggest competition yet, it was a wonderful reminder to all of us working for, and with, AASCA that the breadth of knowledge and level of skills in the specialty coffee industry in Australia grows exponentially every year. Thanks to all the sponsors: Detpak, Pura Milk, DaVinci Gourmet,

Brita, Cafetto, Nuova Simonelli, Espresso Mechanics, Pullman Tampers, Axis Travel, Natvia, Caspak, BeanScene, Lattore & Dutch, C4 Coffee Roasters and Marco & Hario for their unwavering support, without whom these competitions would not be possible. Most importantly, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the volunteers for their tireless work. They ensured that all aspects of the weekend’s competitions were run seamlessly. It was wonderful to see the New Zealand contingent of world-qualified judges who loaned their expertise to our barista competition. We are extremely fortunate to have these individuals, with more than ample world experience behind them, support and mentor our entrants within the competition arena. This year as President of AASCA, I had a first hand experience of the planning and countless hours of hard work that goes into this type of event, but I still found myself looking around on Sunday afternoon and being amazed that AASCA is a volunteer organisation. A huge thank you once again, and we hope to see you all back again next year! Craig Dickson.

29/5/12 7:38:28 AM

80. CAFE CULTURE RECIPES FIG GALETTE

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f course dips are synonymous with dipping, but savvy cooks know that there is so much more to these flavour packers. Be it for spreading, basting, marinating, dolloping, coating, filling or smearing, the versatility of ‘dips’ is really only limited by your creativity. They should actually consider changing their name. It’s often said that tasty dips taste good on everything, and so with almost everything they can be paired. Think chicken breasts stuffed with roasted garlic hommus, chunky basil pesto stirred through penne pasta, or chorizo quesadillas filled with guacamole. Black Swan has been making dips and yogurt for over 35 years (they are actually the only products the company manufactures). Black Swan is, in fact, responsible for introducing dips into Australian culture. The company founders used family recipes from Greece to create the first ever dips available for sale in Australia and sold them through the markets in Victoria. Now the dips are available in all supermarkets nationally. Surprisingly though, cafés and restaurants are only just realising the benefits of sourcing pre-made dips. While many kitchens were opting to make their own from scratch, the saving in time and cost for a product used and preferred by most Australians is changing their thinking. There is now a real shift towards premium, ultra fresh ready made products such as Black Swan. “We offer a fantastic base product that can easily be modified and tailored into something original. A simple sprinkle of sumac, a crack of black pepper and some garlic infused olive oil will transform our Hommus dip instantly. We sell millions of tubs of hommus each year, so we know Australians love the flavour. We provide the building blocks for cafés; the rest is up to them,” said Nathan Seabrook, National Business Manager, Black Swan. Black Swan dips and yogurt are available in foodservice/bulk size quantities.

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HALOUMI, BLACK SWAN TZATZIKI AND ZUCCHINI STACK

SERVES: 4 INGREDIENTS

400 g Haloumi 1 cup Black Swan Tzatziki 3 zucchini 1 bunch basil 4 tbsp olive oil METHOD

Cut Haloumi and zucchini into equal sized squares. Brown Haloumi and zucchini separately and set aside. Chop basil and also set aside. Carefully layer the Haloumi and the zucchini on a baking tray, lined with paper; create 4 stacks. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, spread a generous amount of the Black Swan Tzatziki on each plate. Remove the stacks from the oven and place on the Black Swan Tzatziki. Add another dollop of Black Swan Tzatziki on the top. Sprinkle with the fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil.

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82. STORY BY JEREMY DAKIS - BITE SIZE COFFEE TREATS

B I T E S IS TZO REY THE REAL BITE SIZE STORY WAS BORN IN A CAFÉ IN EUROPE ... ANY CAFÉ IN EUROPE, ACTUALLY. GREECE, ITALY, SPAIN ... THE PLACE IS INTERCHANGEABLE, BECAUSE WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT IS THE EUROPEAN CULTURE OF HOSPITALITY, WHERE A CUSTOMER IS TREATED AS A GUEST ENTERING YOUR HOME. YOU WANT THEM TO FEEL WELCOME, TO FEEL COMFORTABLE, TO RETURN WITHOUT HESITATION. SO YOU TREAT THEM TO SOMETHING SPECIAL, SOMETHING THEY DIDN’T ASK FOR, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING.

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AWARD WINNING HONEY BITE

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eing involved in cafés for years and of course, growing up in Europe, we understood the importance of client appreciation. In the last café we were involved in, we served a little chocolate on the side of the coffees. It was not only a nice gesture, but also a point of difference between the surrounding cafés and us. Chocolates were then the ‘in thing’ in the market and pretty much the only option when it came to coffee accompaniment. On one particular day I was sitting down going over the rosters, and I asked one of the wait staff to bring me over my standard piccolo. She was new, and I guess wanting to show me she was efficient, put one of the chocolates on the side of my coffee. I laughed when I saw it. I was so used to drinking my coffee standing, that this was an indulgence for me. In all our years serving chocolates on the side of coffees, it was the very first time that I actually had one on the side of my coffee. So I tried it, sucking the chocolate until it dissolved in my mouth and then taking a sip of my piccolo. I was expecting the rich flavour to flood my taste buds, like it usually did, but I was amazed to find that the coffee actually tasted bitter and nothing like what it should taste like. I couldn’t understand why. Our baristas were good, specially selected to be the best at what they do, and we knew it wasn’t them. Our coffee brand hadn’t changed, because we were drinking it every day and it tasted just as creamy and rich as ever. We checked the milk, the machine, everything and could not understand why

this particular coffee tasted bitter. Eventually it dawned on me that there was still one variable left to consider: the chocolate. So naturally, the management then tried it for themselves. We each took a sip of our respective coffees, made exactly the way we each loved them: sugar, no sugar, strong, weak, milk, no milk, and then we had a bite of our chocolates. And then of course, another sip. All I remember was looking around at my partners and seeing a blank look on their faces. Nino, one of the baristas, broke the silence with two words in his thick Italian accent: “That’s ‘orrible”. We all burst out laughing. Coffee and chocolate was a terrible combination. The coffee after the chocolate tasted burnt and dull, definitely not as full bodied as the first sip. Who would have thought, when mochas taste so sweet? The espresso and the deep chocolate flavour actually worked against each other when isolated, as if they were fighting for the attention of your palate. We just couldn’t believe it. After years of serving chocolates on the side of the coffees, we had never stopped to actually try what we were serving! We went back to the drawing board as they say, but there was nothing on the market that fit the size, taste and price requirements that we had. The problem was that we didn’t want to lose the relationships we had built with our customers over this time, nor did we want to give up on a concept we knew was working and would potentially work even better when we found the right kerasma. We had little choice, but

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to begin baking our own coffee accompaniments. Luckily for me, my business partners in the café were my mother and my aunty. Trained from a young age in the art of baking, they didn’t waste much time before applying years of home schooling to developing our new coffee accompaniment. It took months and many trials of biscuits to perfect it, but we eventually developed our own Bite Size Coffee Treat to serve to our clients. It was a crispy almond shortbread made by hand and baked in my aunty’s own kitchen. It was their mother’s recipe, made the same way it had been for generations, but Bite Size. This time we made sure we had a taste with coffee, before we started feeding it to our customers. The results were unanimous. No one could stop at one. Our coffee sales were hitting the roof, and we were doing week after week record trade. People were ordering coffees and asking for their biscuits – a lot of regulars even opting to get a second coffee, when for years they would only ever have one. Our cake sales also increased; it seemed that people didn’t realise they wanted

had made us realise that hospitality was an industry no different to any other, where people appreciated an incentive to pick one brand over another. Our customers were no longer just the people on table 2, but educated consumers, who were making informed decisions on where they would eat and/or drink based on what they got in return. Atmosphere. Relationship. Value. Traditional concepts of service, quality and reliability were proving to only get cafés or restaurants so far in our saturated hospitality market. If our experience taught us anything, it was that it’s the small things you do in business that make all the difference. After we sold the café, my mother, aunty and I decided to go into business together again, but this time not in the café business ... in the coffee accompaniment business. We actually wanted to help other café owners create a point of difference in their business just like we did. So in June 2006, we registered Bite Size Coffee Treats Pty Ltd. We started baking out of my aunty’s kitchen, with just two clients. Today, the business produces over 7.5 million biscuits

B I T E S I Z E

O R I G I N

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS 2006

Sometimes it’s a shot of grappa or maybe a petit four, other times fresh fruit, depending on whether you have a café or a restaurant. The message however is consistent. I appreciate you and your business. In Greek we call this kerasma, which translates to “on the house”, because that’s exactly what it’s about; reminding your customer that they are in your house and you are a good host. SUZANNE DAKIS & SUSAN KOTROS

something sweet until they had a tiny taste. We became known as the café that gave you something when you ordered coffee and overall, our customers were very happy. After 18 months of serving these home-made accompaniments to our clients and seeing the café go from 18 kilos a week to 32 kilos a week, we decided to sell. But in that time, a shift had finally occurred in Australia. It might have been in a handful of cafés, but it affected thousands of customers, whose expectations of their dining or drinking experience had been altered in a way that could never be undone. They now understood the concept of value adding to a café experience: of being thanked at the owner’s expense for merely choosing us rather than our competitor; of being welcomed into our place, in the hope it will become your place. It was a wake up call even to us, who already appreciated the idea of bringing this European trend to Australia. The success of the concept

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THE FACTORY 2012

a year, employs 12 full-time staff, services over 350 clients Australia wide and has won 13 Royal Fine Food Awards for best accompaniments in the country, including Champion Biscuit 2012. The most prestigious award, however, came only a few weeks ago, when we were awarded the “Award of Outstanding Excellence”. This award is the highest accolade given out by the Royal Agriculture Society of NSW and to be eligible you must have already won a Gold and Champion medal in your chosen field. The “Award of Outstanding Excellence” is rarely given out; in fact, there have only ever been 3 other companies in the history of this award to win such a prize since its inception nearly 20 years ago – none of them, however, in the field of biscuits. This special award is summarised in the following way: “It is awarded to a product considered by all judges to be of Outstanding Quality, well above in superiority than all others. The judges must in their professional opinion

believe that this product can’t be altered or perfected any more than what it currently is”. We can now comfortably say our products have been tried and tested and found to be “the perfect coffee accompaniment” – not just by us, but by clients, customers and now by judges alike. But the truth is that despite all the awards, the success, the fact that people now know our name, the biggest satisfaction still comes from being told that your product has helped someone improve their business. The smile on the face of a business owner as you watch them take their dreams and mould them into real places – that is my favourite part. Knowing that we assisted in creating those dreams, in increasing their coffee sales, in making them stand out against their competitors, it’s a pretty nice feeling. Business owners in Europe had it right all along. Bring them into your home. Show them your hospitality, because that’s what this industry is all about.

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