CAFÉ SCENE

ASHFIELD APOTHECARY

19 Charlotte Street Ashfield, New South Wales, 2131 Open Monday to Friday 7am to 3pm, Saturday 7am to 2pm

Tucked away in the charming Sydney suburb of Ashfield is the Ashfield Apothecary, a specialty café featuring rotating beans from international and local roasters alike. Founded by Mandeep Bhusal in 2019, he says the venue is based on educating people, building connections, and expanding Sydney’s specialty coffee scene.

“When people want a coffee, they’ll automatically think to go to the city, but we’re working to change this idea and really bridge this gap in Sydney’s coffee scene,” says Mandeep. “We want to prove that suburban areas like Ashfield really do offer great specialty coffee.”

Housed in a 40-square-metre heritage building, Ashfield Apothecary has a quaint appearance with natural light spilling into the white-walled space.

“I saw this venue while I was driving by and just had to come back to check it out,” says Mandeep. “When I opened the door, I just fell in love with the place. It completely fits what I wanted as I’ve always run big venues in the past.”

Having worked in the hospitality industry for more than a decade, Mandeep has managed and grown a number of Sydney’s well-known cafés and spent time working as a chef in a two-hat restaurant in Sydney.

“During this time, I realised I loved food, drinking, and cooking, and the connections you make in hospitality, and I knew I wanted to create a place like that,” he says. “I feel like I’ve used all this experience and knowledge to create the Ashfield Apothecary which is like a one-stop shop for amazing coffee flavours and is always exciting.”

At the Ashfield Apothecary, a different international roaster is featured every two months with previous roasters coming from the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, and more.

“With all our international roasters, there’s no middleman. These roasters buy direct from the producers which means we know they’re being treated fairly,” says Mandeep. “This means for us, when we sell an international roaster, we don’t even make money sometimes, but it’s about knowing why you want to offer this service.”

This ties in with Mandeep’s principles to source and support sustainably.

“For us it’s not about money, it’s about providing this platform, and part of that is making sure what you are being ethical, and that the farmers are being paid right,” he says. “We also try to source everything locally, including for our menu, which feature three set café favourites and three rotating menu items inspired by seasonal and local produce.”

This includes items such as the Apothecary Bowl which features native bush spice cured salmon with lemon myrtle, wattle seed, organic soba noodles, edamame, avocado, finger lime, and white soy dressing, or the vegan friendly date and rolled oats bircher with coconut yogurt, home-made maple roasted granola, macerated strawberries, pink lady apple, and strawberry powder.

Ashfield Apothecary also offers a host of rotating national roasters including New Paradigm, Floozy, Market Lane, Small Batch Coffee Roasters, Wood and Co, with Single O supplying the venue’s house blend.

“I’ve always worked with them and we’ve really built a strong relationship with them over the years,” says Mandeep. “They were the only brand I asked for when I started this café, and they jumped on board straight away and were super supportive.”

Mandeep says this connection across borders, within cafés and roasters, and from barista to consumer, is a pillar in Ashfield Apothecary.

“We’re all about building these types of long-term relationships and giving people the opportunity to share their specialty coffee, and for consumers, a chance to try different varieties,” he says.

With Mandeep excited to continue growing and trying new roasters, he says he is proud of the space he has created — his second home away from home — and his team for helping to create the café he’s always envisioned.

Ashfield Apothecary Owner Mandeep Bhusal has been in the hospitality industry for more than a decade.

COFFEE ICONIC

340 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000 Open Monday to Friday 7am – 2:30pm, Saturday 8am to1pm.

The first time David Lin saw the to-be Coffee Iconic venue six years ago, he immediately knew it was unique space.

“Compared to other cities, Brisbane is a little bit slower in the coffee scene and this laneway café with a huge garden space out back just instantly reminded me of Melbourne. Right away I knew we could make it work,” says David.

“My wife was drawn to it as well, and with my business partner Abel, we’ve created a café that appeals to all audiences.”

Being situated in the heart of the Brisbane CBD, David says the café will typically see an influx of business people in the morning and attract an older crowd mid-morning.

“Then around lunch we get a mix of university students and people dining out. A lot of them come here for the Instagrammable latte art and food,” says David. “This is thanks to my wife who redesigned the food menu to create a fusion of Western and Asian inspired dishes.”

Favourites include the Umami Mushrooms with shiitake mushrooms, dried shallots, parmesan cheese, sherry vinegar, and umami mayo spread on organic sourdough toast, or the Bulgogi Beef Burger with Bulgori beef, diced kimchi, garden salad, tomato, pickled carrot, and house-made bulgogi mayo in a milk bun.

Beside the food, Coffee Iconic serves a range of coffee blends from brands including Padre and Almanac, and offers its own Coffee Iconic bend.

“We roast our beans using a local Brisbane roaster called Cavalier, and so far, our brand includes two varieties: a flower blend and a house blend. Our house blend has chocolatey, sweet notes with a smooth body,” says David.

Choosing a milk — especially an alternative milk — to complement these carefully curated flavours is equally as important as the coffee itself, which is why David uses The Alternative Dairy Co.

“The taste of The Alternative Dairy Co’s milk is so smooth yet allows the taste of the coffee to shine through, which after trialling previous dairy alternatives, is very rare to find,” says David.

“The brand’s packaging is also really attractive, and the colours look really good aesthetically. Brad, the sales rep for Alternative Dairy Co is also super supportive of us.”

In 2022, David plans to open a second venture on the other side of Brisbane’s city district, continuing to contribute to the city’s growing coffee scene.

MATAYA EATERY

20 Sholl Street, Mandurah, Western Australlia, 6210 Open Monday to Friday 6:30am to 2.00pm, Saturday to Sunday 7:30am to 2.00pm

When selecting a name for her café, Natalie Adams, Owner of Mataya Eatery, says she wanted it to be representative of the café’s personality and what it offers the community.

“Mataya, to us, is like a beautiful girl who is not noticed immediately but is lifechanging. She can make you feel like you’re on top of the world when she is standing by your side,” says Natalie. “A Mataya comes along once in a lifetime; you should not pass up a girl like her. She is unlike any girl that you will ever meet.”

This ethos runs parallel to the café.

“It represents us, we are unique and you won’t find another business like us. We don’t just offer incredible food and beverages, we have and will continue to expand into a range of offers that complement the overall business,” says Natalie.

She describes the café as a community hub that serves up fresh and wholesome food, offering food hampers and corporate gifting services while hosting workshops and events.

These include children’s activities, handson floristry workshops hosted by the in-house florist, most recently the regions first Barista Latte Art competition and monthly ongoing coffee training after hours.

“We teach attendees how to get the best out of the coffee machines they have purchased for their homes, the background of coffee, what they should be looking for if making a new purchase of a machine or equipment, and more, so they have an appreciation for coffee like we do the whole commercial coffee community,” says Natalie.

Her passion for quality coffee is why she chose Will & Co as her roasting partner and house blend.

Having worked in New South Wales and Victoria, Natalie says she was blown away by the brand’s quality and decided to bring it to Western Australia.

“We are one of only a few venues in WA to serve Will & Co’s product. It’s unique and super fun to be part of a small collection. Together, we have built a mobile coffee cart so we can extend our coffee services across Perth and the South West regions,” she says.

Mataya Eatery serve Will & Co’s EightO-Eight as the house blend, with Natalie frequently running single origin specials. The roaster’s sweeter Three-O-Three blend is also poured from a cold drip and filter drip system.

The coffee offering is served alongside classic Australian brunch food, with Natalie reporting that bagels are always a huge hit. Part of this one-stop shop, Mataya Eatery often hosts community-focused fresh produce and artisan style markets that help small businesses connect to customers.

“I’ve built this business, the concept and the branding from the ground up. I always envisioned having a strong family oriented, casually dining venue that brings together crowds, pets, families, and the hospitality community,” she says.

“I wanted to create a base, much like the meaning of Mataya, where people can come and feel comfortable, where they’re able to be themselves, be anything they want – let Mataya Eatery be their third space.”

Mataya Eatery is described as a community hub that is family orientated. Coffee Iconic is a laneway café using The Alternative Dairy Co for its range of dairy alternate milks.

LE BAJO MILKBAR

8-14 Howard Street, North Melbourne, Victoria, 3051 Open Tuesday to Friday 7:30am – 3pm, weekends 8am – 3pm 0402189088

Combine a classic Japanese-style cuisine with an Australian milk bar and you get the eccentric Le Bajo Milkbar, a new café in North Melbourne.

“We wanted to create a vintage atmosphere with some Australian elements weaved in – hence the name Le Bajo Milkbar,” says Haruka Yamamoto, Front of House Manager at Le Bajo.

Founder Jason Gunawan had originally planned to open the café in Labuan Bajo in the Indonesian island Flores before the global pandemic halted his development plans.

“The name Bajo is inspired by its original destination in Indonesia,” says Haruka.

Determined not to let nearly nine months of planning go to waste, Jason joined forces with Co-owner Kantaro Okada to turn Le Bajo into a reality.

“Because Jason couldn’t go back due to the lockdown, he decided to bring his ideas to Melbourne instead,” says Head Barista Sean Then.

Le Bajo roasts its own coffee under the brand Ichihaze Coffee Roaster, including its house blend and a selection of single origin coffees.

“In our blend we have a single origin from Indonesia and Guatemala, which has a great flavour profile,” Sean says.

Haruka says the coffee profile pairs nicely with the smooth, full bodied flavour of Riverina Fresh milk, whom they partnered with last year.

“Riverina Fresh milk pairs really well with our coffee blend. It’s really versatile,” she says.

“The milk quality is very consistent. We also use Riverina Fresh to make our bread and cream for our cakes and desserts, so they’ve supported us from the root.”

Le Bajo’s food menu is centred around Japanese milk bread, which is used to make most of its dishes. It’s baked on-site so the recipe can be fine-tuned to suit the cuisine.

“Having that classic Japanese bread is the most special part of Le Bajo because it hasn’t been done before in Melbourne. We use that bread as the main base of all our products,” says Haruka.

From the cups to the cabinets, Le Bajo’s tableware and furniture have been gathered from antique markets, such as the Camberwell Market in Victoria, a place Jason loved to collect unique things from when he was young.

“You can feel the love of vintage items just by dining with us,” says Haruka.

Customers can expect to see more of the Le Bajo crew in 2022, with two new venues opening with completely different themes and ambiances.

“Being in an area that’s already very saturated with a lot of coffee venues, having our own identity wherever we go is something that we strive for,” says Haruka.

KNEAD ON BENSON

76 Benson Road, Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand 1050 Open every day 6:30am to 2pm

When James Bryant decided to open Knead on Benson in Remuera, New Zealand, it was a return to his origin.

“For me, what is special about this café is it’s the same block of shops I grew up in and is where I got my first job in hospitality and fell in love the industry,” says James. “I’ve spent my whole life in this neighbourhood and have such a strong connection with the local community.”

Knead and Benson is an artisanal bakery with a focus on French pastries, located in a heritage building. It is the counterpart to James’ seaside restaurant, Takapuna Beach Café.

“The team at Takapuna are amazing, and I wanted to make sure I could continue to provide them with opportunities so they could continue to develop and grow,” says James.

“There was a drive there to have a focus on bakery items, however, following our philosophy at Takapuna, we wanted to create everything in-house ourselves and needed the space to do so.”

When James heard the venue was becoming available — which had been a bakery since 1930 — he knew it was the perfect fit.

“It’s been a real passion project for me. For example, my mum and I designed the café together and I was sending off the order for the tiles on the day of my wedding,” he says.

James says the café’s design was inspired by places he has visited around the world, and a drive to create a space that was “out of the box”.

With its high ceilings, polished woods, white coloured palate and La Marzocco GB5x coffee machine centrepiece, it all ties together.

“This machine is important to me because none of my other venues have a feature piece like this. It’s all thanks to the New Zealand branch of La Marzocco and our coffee roaster Allpress Espresso,” says James.

He says Allpress has been his choice of roasters since his early hospitality days, with the café’s most popular blend being the Espresso, a combination of sweet, balanced, and complex flavours.

“Having just opened since the start of November, it’s been fantastic hearing our customer feedback and seeing our team grow and love the products their creating and putting out,” says James.

“Looking to 2022, we can’t wait to move out of COVID, enjoy summer, and see what opportunities are in store next.”

Le Bajo attracts local and remote customers to its recently opened venue.

High ceilings, polished woods, a white coloured palate, and La Marzocco GB5x tie Knead on Benson together.

Lakeside Café serves up Mocopan’s Pasquale coffee for its smooth, full-bodied flavour.

LAKESIDE CAFÉ

69 Sir Ross Smith Boulevard, Oakden, South Australia, 5086 Open every day 9am – 9pm

Situated next to a lake within Roy Amer Reserve is the Lakeside Café, a laid-back, family friendly venue that Manager Amy Yu has been running for the past year.

“I graduated with a degree in civil engineering just before COVID-19 and found it difficult to find a job in China,” Amy says. “I decided to move to South Australia and fell in love with the area. When the opportunity came up to manage the café, I jumped at it.”

The sunny suburban café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, catering to a wide demographic from young couples to families and older diners.

“We have a loyal customer base who I really love. Everyone here is so friendly and welcoming that it makes me love working in the café,” says Amy.

“One of the most unique aspects of the café is that we are located right next to a reserve so people dining outdoors feel like they are surrounded by nature.”

Amy adds that this location combined with her team’s warm hospitality makes it the perfect spot for both a quick takeaway meal or a dine-in lunch with family and friends.

Serving up classic café food, Amy says favourites include the Prosciutto Scacciata, or pizza herb bread with prosciutto, rocket, and bocconcini cheese, with the Gourmet Veg Burger or Seafood Platters always a hit later in the day.

Alongside its impressive menu range, Lakeside Café serves up Mocopan’s Pasquale coffee, which Amy says is a favourite among guests for its smooth, fullbodied flavour that releases an irresistible aroma.

With notes of chocolate, caramel, and sweetly spicy aroma, she says it complements both dairy and nondairy milk.

“Before I started managing Lakeside Café, I didn’t know a lot about coffee, but with Mocopan helping me with any technical issues and providing support, I’ve learned so much,” Amy says.

In the future, Amy plans to continue upgrading the café and building upon its menu.

Lakeside Café is located next to a reserve so people dining outdoors feel like they are surrounded by nature.