BeanScene October 2023

From

stand out standard to

Why it’s time to elevate the coffee experience

MICE2023 wrap

Toby’s Estate explores coffee acidity

How automation is pushing the industry to new heights

The next generation of boilerless brewing technology

87 HELPING CAFÉS WORK SMARTER

How Dalla Corte’s automation features assist busy baristas

88 SOMETHING TO FROTH OVER Latte Art Factory’s steamless milk-frothing technology turns heads

89 MYTICO MOMENT

Franke reviews Oceania market launch of Mytico line

90 ALL WRAPPED UP

Why Trimatt won the MICE Product Innovation Award

91 WONDERS IN THE WORKPLACE

How the WMF range is suited to the office coffee market

How to turn staff shortages into a training opportunity 98 ESPRESSO YOURSELF

Celebrate birthdays with Amy Zhang’s cake latte art design

48 A NEED FOR SPEED

50

Why

Peter Wolff on the future of coffee convenience in a fast-pace world

How different water filter technologies affects flavour

92 CAFÉ SCENE Around Australia and New Zealand

Pat Russell’s path to glory

102 GET TO KNOW

Veneziano’s Barista Brawl Champion Michael Beckford

BeanScene covershoot

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Sarah Baker

sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au

JOURNALISTS

Hayley Ralph hayley.ralph@primecreative.com.au

Dominic Morrell dominic.morrell@primecreative.com.au

ART DIRECTOR/DESIGN

MONIN

Level 3,1 Smail Street, Ultimo, New South Wales, 2007 stuartalexander.com.au/pages/monin

On the eve of the 2023 Melbourne International Coffee Expo, BeanScene met with MONIN’s Sydney team at Worksmith in Collingwood, Victoria to create the cover for this year’s October edition.

Armed with MONIN syrup flavourings, cold brew, and garnishes, this edition’s cover criteria was to embrace a simplistic, stylistic and refreshing coffee beverage that would get readers to think “out of the box” when it came to using flavoured syrups.

“We wanted to transport the barista or café owner into a creative world where coffee doesn’t just have to look like coffee, it can be viewed as an ingredient to create a mocktail, cocktail or coffee concoction that entices a café customer after 3pm,” says MONIN Advocacy and Innovation Manager, John Davidson.

“In the lead-up to the MONIN Creativity Cup Challenge, we wanted to inspire readers to be bold with their coffee choices. There’s a whole realm of opportunities to experiment with coffee, and MONIN flavours are a great way to introduce options that are delicious, subtle, and really complement coffee flavour characteristics.”

To bring the cover to life, BeanScene enlisted the assistance of photographer Blake Storey and experimented with the studio’s range of glassware, textures and available ingredients, from citrus props to ice, and liquid nitrogen and baby’s breath botanicals.

“We utilised just a touch of MONIN favouring to really elevate the cold brew and its citrus characteristics. That’s the great thing about MONIN products, just a small serve is needed to completely transform a beverage into an ‘after work aperitivo’. This opens up a whole new opportunity to experiment with coffee as an ingredient, not just a morning beverage or afternoon pick-me-up,” says BeanScene Editor Sarah Baker.

Thanks to the stylistic assistance of Stuart Alexander’s Karel (Papi) Reyes who represents its brand portfolio of spirits and liqueurs, the end result is one that mirrors something you would expect to see in a cocktail bar, but can very easily be adapted to a café menu.

“Create the X factor – something that ticks the boxes on quality, deliciousness, and revenue return, and it’s a win-win,” Sarah says.

Daz Woolley

HEAD OF DESIGN

Blake Storey

DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER

Michelle Weston

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Adele Haywood adele.haywood@primecreative.com.au

C LIENT SUCCESS TEAM LEADER

Janine Clements janine.clements@primecreative.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY

Blake Storey, James Thomas

CONTRIBUTORS

Emma McDougall, Amy Zhang, Anthony Lawrence, Birgit Kohler, Peter Wolff

HEAD OFFICE

Prime Creative Pty Ltd

379 Docklands Drive, Docklands, Victoria 3008 p: 03 9690 8766 f: 03 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.beanscenemagazine.com.au

SUBSCRIPTIONS

03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au

BeanScene magazine is available by subscription from the publisher. The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher.

A RTICLES

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

COPYRIGHT

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Amy Zhang is the 2022 ASCA Australian Latte Art Champion. Born in China, Amy is a Coffee Quality Institutecertified Q Grader and Barista Trainer, basing many of her latte art patterns off her favourite Disney films. Amy won the 2022 ASCA Northern Region Latte Art Championship, and the 2022 National title. She currently works at The Maillard Project in Brisbane, Queensland.

Peter Wolff is the Co-Founder and Master Roaster of Wolff Coffee Roasters. Peter has been at the forefront of the specialty coffee industry in Australia for more than 30 years. Peter and Penny Wolff established Wolff Coffee Roasters in 2010 in Brisbane with a focus on flavour, sustainable sourcing, and delivering “delicious specialty grade coffee”.

Peter is an accomplished roaster who has dedicated his career to empowering and upskilling students to master the craft of roasting through the Wolff College of Coffee Courses.

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

Anthony Lawrence is a barista trainer for UCC Coffee. He has been in the industry for 20 years and brings his expertise of coffee service and sensory understanding to the training sessions he conducts. Working with coffee has taken him to London and Byron Bay, and back to Brisbane where he currently resides.

Anthony is passionate about making coffee accessible and exciting for baristas of any skill level.

Birgit Kohler is the Head of Organoleptic Department at BRITA where her focus is on understanding the sensory perception of water, tea, and coffee, and bringing this knowledge into product development. Birgit is a trained water sommelière, receiving qualifications from the renowned Doemens Genussakademie in Germany, alongside having a background of studies in nutrition science, and qualifications as a coach.

A word from the Editor

Memorable moments

en years ago, I remember being in early discussions for a new industry expo called ‘MICE’ that would unite the Australian coffee industry in the one place, once a year, as a means for buyers and sellers to connect and do business, and network. Fast forward 10 years, and MICE has become an internationally renowned expo that has connected Australian businesses to the world, and a platform to showcase Australia’s coffee talent and discerning coffee standards. It’s held the World Barista Championship (WBC) twice, countless national and other World Coffee Championship events, and this year launched its own Australia’s Richest Barista Competition.

What’s rewarding to see over those 10 years, however, is the people, products, and businesses that used the event as a launchpad and have seen national and international recognition as a result. Growing the industry is what MICE is all about, and how exciting to see its evolution first-hand.

This year, many wondered how the event would backup its 2022 performance, which was undoubtedly hard to beat when you hold an event that was postponed for two years and hosted the world along with the WBC. It was huge and memorable, and one of the best editions, and this year’s MICE was wonderful in its own right. It ticked all the boxes in terms of numbers, vibe and connections, with the industry applauding the quality of conversations and leads, even the friendly size that allowed people to embrace all that was there to try and buy.

A lot has changed in 10 years. Technology has evolved, automation has converted opinions, and businesses are captivated by convenience and products that deliver quality and easy-of-use. There’s always a natural progression of new challenges and trends, but it’s how the industry adapts and responds that credits this evolution.

In this edition, we see how automation is being used to revolutionise coffee experiences, optimise extraction times, and deliver data-driven insights to anticipate needs. We learn how it can assist busy baristas to deliver their job without pressure, eliminate variables such as milk texturing, and help businesses remain competitive.

Once applied correctly to a well-oiled operation, the efficiency will only magnify, and the results will push our industry to new heights.

SARAH BAKER

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

DELICIOUSLY DEPENDABLE

JIE YANG OF SIM PUR COFFEE WINS MILKLAB BARISTA BATTLE SERIES FINAL

Jie Yang of Sim Pur Coffee in China won an all-expenses paid trip to Toronto, Canada in the final of the Milklab Barista Battle at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo on 18 August.

“I’m so happy to have won. Although I’ve competed in many barista competitions, the last few years I haven’t been competing due to COVID-19, so I was actually quite nervous this time,” says Jie.

Tyler Wong of Strengthbrew Coffee Bar in Malaysia placed second in the final.

Jie has been invited to become a Milklab Master Barista. Having won the international final, Jie scored a trip for two to the Toronto Coffee Festival 2024.

Jie created a horse latte art pattern in the first round using Milklab Oat Milk, a caveman pattern in the second round with Milklab Almond Milk, and an eagle pattern in the final round using Milklab’s Oat Milk. He finished with 134 points out of 150.

“I created patterns that I thought the judges and Australian coffee community would like,” Jie says.

Jie attributes the win to the support from his friends and family in China.

ACTA HOSTS MELBOURNE NETWORKING AND PRESENTATION EVENT

On the eve of the Melbourne International Coffee Expo on 16 August, the Australian Coffee Traders Association (ACTA) hosted a Melbourne event in an annual gathering, and the first to kick-off Melbourne Coffee Week.

Hosted at Hophaus Dining Room on Southbank, ACTA members were treated to a three-course meal while guest speakers Emilie Coulombe of Condesa Co Lab and Melissa Garcia, Owner and Manager of Kwila Coffee, shared their journeys into the coffee industry and the lessons learned along the way.

Emilie, a United States native, arrived in Australia in 2017 and initially got involved in the industry as a coffee competition scorekeeper. Determined to find more to depth to her coffee pathway, she attended Barista Camp in the US before returning to Australia to hold jobs at coffee roaster Market Lane, and trader FTA, before finding her feet at green bean partner Condesa Co.Lab.

Emilie has also connected with other like-minded industry women through the International Womens Coffee Alliance (IWCA) Australian Chapter.

“I’m proud to be part of the IWCA. My hope for the future is to ‘flip the table’ on women’s career in coffee and make it an open and inviting pathway for others to follow,” Emilie told the audience.

Melissa shared her business experience and mission to focus on

beanscenemag.com.au

building community over profit. Half Colombian, and married to a Papua New Guinean partner, Melissa has lived and breathed travel. After a year on the road from Argentina to Mexico, then much time in PNG, she knew her path was one of activism.

“I was determined to think global and act local, and push women beyond statistics

I would take her with me to Toronto, so I’m really excited to visit Canada for the first time with her,” says Jie.

in positions of power,” she said. “When I started Kwila, our staff was 80 per cent male. It’s now 80 per cent female. I value hospitality as a career path and hope in future women’s value can be re-evaluated in this sector.”

The next ACTA Association event will be a Golf Day on 3 November, and a Members’ AGM on 23 November.

“Before the competition I was focused on training, so I didn’t get to spend much time with my wife. I promised her if I won,

Stuff on the scene

Piazza D’Oro’s ‘coffee on us’

As part of the recent Piazza D’Oro brand refresh, through October, 60 café partners are participating in a consumer promotion to drive coffee sales and engagement with each of their outlets. By purchasing a Piazza D’Oro coffee, consumers have a chance to win one of 500 “coffee on us” $10 e-gift cards. Consumers are encouraged to return to their Piazza D’Oro café and cash it in for their cup of exceptionally crafted coffee. The promotion will be supported with a social media and out-of-home campaign.

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

Brita Purity C 150 Quell St

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

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

Cold Wolff Cold Brew Concentrate

Wolff Coffee Roasters has launched the new Cold Wolff, reimagined with a sleek and innovative package tailored for cafés, bars, and restaurants. Customers can elevate their beverage game with this premium cold brew concentrate.

The new package is eye-catching and highly functional. Its compact design takes up minimal space behind or on top of the counter, making it easy to store and access. Plus, its easy-to-pour tap ensures quick and mess-free serving during the busiest hours, keeping the lines moving smoothly. Cold Wolff Cold Brew Concentrate is crafted using specifically roasted coffee beans and triple filtered, UV treated water. It’s a versatile base for crafting a wide range of coffee creations, from classic iced coffees to innovative coffee cocktails. The rich, smooth flavour of this concentrate will

Lotus Coffee Brew Water Kit

Brew like a champion with the Lotus Coffee Brew Water Kit. Water is the primary ingredient of brewed coffee. As a result, the quality of the water and the minerals in it have a considerable impact on the final brew. With the Lotus Coffee Brew Water Kit, customers can improve the quality of the water being used, as well as optimise it to suit their taste, beans, and their brew method. By simply adjusting the mineral content of the water, the desirable flavours in the final brew can be emphasised and the less desirable ones muted. Lotus Water Kits contain a vial each of magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium. Each vial is fitted with a precision dripper. Follow one of the recipes on the website or customise water recipes.

For more information, visit www.coffeetools.supply/lotus

Etzinger Etz-I Hand Grinder

Etzinger sets new standards in manual grinding with a fresh design available in two versions, Trim and Regular. Both versions feature a retractable crank with an ergonomic handle, magnetically attached lid and collection cup as well as a single-piece absolute vernier scale.

The hand grinder has rotating hollow shafts to eliminate disturbing centre mechanics, which ensure the Etz-I is quickly filled and ready-for-use. Thanks to the external vernier scale, it’s easy to adjust and return to the desired setting after cleaning. Opened with a flick of the wrist, swiftly cleaned and reassembled without any tools or screws, this is what Etz-I is all about. The retractable crank ensures space-saving storage and enables users to easily stow and pack the grinder, or show it off next to the coffee machine.

For more information, visit baristagroup.com.au

BY BARISTA ATTITUDE.

Auto Tamper T-100 V2

Today’s barista strives to achieve the perfect coffee, consistently with every shot. As the coffee industry evolves, we are introduced to endless tools to help achieve that perfect brew. Every part of the coffee making process is critical. There are state-of-the-art grinders for the perfect grind, scales for perfect weight and now, the T-100 V2 Auto Press for the perfect tamp. With its detachable safety guard, the T100 V2 auto tamper allows the barista to achieve fast and easy cleaning without dismantling the tamper. The Autopress is engineered to apply consistent pressure and a perfectly level tamp every time. Baristas are now demanding the Auto Tamper as they acknowledge the importance of a consistent tamp.

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

The Tempesta is crafted with state-of-the-art intelligence to enhance the relationship of the barista with machine – allowing effortless use and unwavering dependability.

Coffee Works Express, the Australian distributor.

Never Short of ideas

Cafetto is turning 20, and as

in

Chris Short never asked his father for permission to start a coffee machine cleaning company. Instead, Chris did the legwork and research required to ensure it was a sound business strategy.

“I bought a San Marino Lisa one-group machine, which I’ve still got, and a Mazzer Mini grinder, and when I was reading the installation manual, I realised I needed a cleaner,” Chris says.

“The next time I was in Melbourne, I stopped at a machine wholesaler and said to them: ‘I need a cleaner for my machine’. They sold me a 900-gram jar of imported powder cleaner. I brought it back to my home in Adelaide, and cleaned my machine following the instructions. I was unimpressed with the results. So, I took it to the research and development team [at my father’s commercial cleaning and sanitation business, Dominant]. I asked one of our chemists to create a higher-performing formula, then bought every other cleaner I could find, and laboratory tested them all.”

Confident he could do better, Chris had the R&D team develop a cleaning product with the criteria to be better than anything on the market; something that cleaned well, rinsed well, and didn’t have an unpleasant fragrance. Chris took a few jars of the finished product to cafés to road-test, and they all gave him a thumbs up.

Chris needed a name for his new product, and used his love for Italy as inspiration.

“I wanted an Italian sounding name to imply ‘the perfect coffee’, which in Italian is ‘il caffè perfetto’, so I shortened caffé and perfetto and joined them together to create the brand name Cafetto,” he says.

One of the first people to see the potential in Chris’ cleaning product was industry service manager Rob Balassa, who rang Chris wanting to come see him in Adelaide. He wanted tablets, sachets, and liquid cleaning products. Rob made him a proposal and said: “If you can make them, I’ll buy everything from you.”

Chris bought a couple of second-hand tablet presses, including a “very clunky” 1947 Manesty No. 3 tablet machine, and a sachet-making machine, housed in a rented warehouse. Once the products were developed, true to his word, Rob bought the whole range to service the Australian and

Founder Chris Short tells BeanScene,

New Zealand market. Word spread and Cafetto started to take off.

“My father said to me, ‘son, I don’t mind you doing this new range of products, but just don’t take your eye off the core business,’ which was Dominant. I promised him I wouldn’t, but that was a lie because I became addicted to trying to develop the Cafetto brand,” says Chris.

“Dominant was very much a South

ALWAYS

Australian brand that my father wanted to see national. When he would drive to Melbourne, he would stop in Stawell or Horsham and go into a café for a coffee. He’d ring me and say: ‘son, son, they’ve got your product here’. I think the more he travelled around Australia and saw the product in more and more places, it really made him very proud.”

Two tablet-making machines have since

its

its success

the international coffee market is the result of a truth, a lie, and a dare to create a range that suits every coffee machine application.

A DREAMER

Chris Short taught economics at the University of Melbourne before joining his father’s cleaning products business, Dominant. Chris, who once dreamt of being a racing car driver and a rockstar, then dreamt of creating something of his own. Cafetto is the result of his drive to innovate and break the mould. Twenty years later, Cafetto is now in 70 countries.

in Adelaide with custom machinery for tableting and sachet manufacturing. The factory is complete with a temperaturecontrolled dehumidification, which Chris says is essential for quality control.

“The 1947 clunker machine is now well retired and sits in our museum,” he adds.

The Cafetto product line now caters to a broad range of coffee equipment categories including cleaning products for traditional and automatic espresso machines, milk containers and lines, grinders, capsules,

for pioneering a full range of certified, organic cleaning products, thanks to a challenge inspired by industry stalwart Enzo Massarotti.

“At this 20-year milestone, we are most excited about our array of organic products. Our innovation and product development are heavily informed by our customers’ needs, and we are passionate about sustainability as we begin the next 20 years of Cafetto,” says Chris.

Chris White of Altura Coffee Company his first international customer, and still a loyal one today. Chris says getting recognition and acceptance overseas was a steep hill to climb.

To help highlight the importance of cleaning, Cafetto successfully proposed sponsorship for the World Coffee Championships in 2008, and has continued to nurture this relationship over the past 15 years. This presence on the world stage has helped Cafetto grow in Asia, followed by Europe, the Middle East, United Kingdom, and the Americas. Cafetto now distributes products to more than 70 countries.

Aside from the quality of Cafetto’s product range, Chris’ determination to build relationships has been incredibly important in the establishment of the brand. In the early days, Chris would spend six months of the year travelling as the company’s main sales rep, attending trade shows and holding face-to-face meetings to “get to know the people behind the brands they represented”.

Nowadays, he says the influence of the internet and social media have a massive impact on market communication, but he and the Cafetto team maintain that face-to-face interaction is the best form of social engagement.

“As a company, what we offer is a commitment to make the best cleaning solutions possible for any coffee machine in the marketplace at an economical price,” Chris says.

To do that, Chris says Cafetto must keep up with the evolution of the beverage equipment market.

Cafetto has always believed in building relationships through attending trade shows and holding face-to-face meetings.

Cafetto has grown its product range to include certified, organic cleaning products.

“We have a whole warehouse of coffee machines, from traditional and fully automatic to pod, to ensure we have a product that can work with each model,” he says.

Chris adds that Cafetto’s commitment to excellence and innovation has enabled the company to work closely with many businesses to develop machine-specific cleaning solutions.

One of the biggest challenges for Cafetto is to ensure products meet the required regulatory standards of the countries in which they are sold and used. For this reason, Cafetto has its own regulatory team, as well as external consultants where required. Chris says customers must always feel assured that Cafetto’s products formulations are suitable for their market, and that the labels and documentation comply with local regulations.

“The plan is to further the brand’s international presence and success. To do that, I think we’ve just got to stay on this path of innovation, research, and development. We’re building our team, and we’re also looking at new products to meet new industry trends. We always want to be at the forefront of effective and sustainable cleaning technology, and I want to see the brand grow. Hopefully, I’m here for a lot longer to see it because it brings joy to my life,” Chris says.

“I’m very proud of what Cafetto has achieved. My colleagues in R&D, Christine [Song], our General Manager, Jason [Bond] our International Business Manager, and the whole team consistently do an incredible job of championing the brand. And of course, there are our wonderful customers, many whom have become absolute advocates for the brand.”

Above all, Chris says the most rewarding thing is seeing people love the brand he has built from the ground up.

“In 2017, I went into a beautiful little café in Milan and had a delicious coffee. Everywhere I go, I ask the barista what they use to clean the coffee machine. I asked this one, and they pulled out a jar of Cafetto Evo from under the cabinet. I was delighted. My product used on the other side of the world,” Chris says.

For more information, visit www.cafetto.com

Introducing the last of 2023’s limited edition Flavour Savour’s, Blueberry Crumble!

Roasted with the frothers in mind (any milk choice will do), turn your face blue with tasting notes of blueberry compote, berries of the forest, blueberry cheesecake and blueberry danish. It’s a blueberry bonanza. With only a limited supply, be berry quick. Pour yourself a scoop of Blueberry Crumble.

The Cafetto team have championed the Australian brand around the world, including (from left) Su Ning Thiang, Christine Song, Chris Short, and Jason Bond.

If blueberry is your jam, then this brew is for you.

DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF COFFEE.

Kiln at Ace Hotel, Sydney Photography by Anson Smart

A pastry powerhouse

BeanScene meets Lune Founder Kate Reid and discovers the different layers to her career, what makes her croissants the best, and why her entire career in hospitality has an underlying connection to coffee.

ate Reid started Lune Croissanterie as a micro wholesale bakery supplying croissants to Melbourne’s best espresso bars. Each day, between 6am and 7.30am, she would drive around Melbourne with her boxes of pastries in toe.

By Sarah Baker

“Everyone would ask, ‘do you want a coffee?’ It was my one chance to be social. I had been up since 3am or 4am baking, and after deliveries I’d spend the whole day by myself,” Kate tells BeanScene. “I’d say ‘yes’ to an espresso because that’s all I had time for. Except I’d then stop at Patricia [Coffee Brewers] and have an espresso and a flat

white. I’d often have eight to 10 coffees in the space of one-and-a-half hours.”

This became Kate’s morning routine for a year-and-a-half. Over that time, industry café icons taught her how to drink espresso and understand what she was tasting. She learnt not to stir the espresso cup with a metal spoon for risk of tarnishing taste,

grfsgds

WORLD-RENOWNED MP3 CROISSANT

Kate Reid credits good friend Matt Perger with bringing New York Times writer Oliver Strand to Lune. Strand famously wrote about Lune’s flaky pastries after tasting a traditional croissant and an MP3 – a Matt Perger Pulled Pork Croissant – a flavour Matt requested, which Kate created and brought to MICE2014 to celebrate his WCIGS campaign.

and why it was better to swirl the cup to incorporate crema.

“I developed a real coffee appreciation. It was such a gift to have a masterclass with the best of the best in Melbourne every morning; Aaron [Wood], Bowen [Holden], and Mark Dundon. So although I was buzzing, at least it was from the highest quality of coffee – and people,” Kate says.

Kate ran Lune solo for 18 months until she realised she was missing out on “the end piece”, seeing customers enjoying her pastries. To help turn Lune intro a customer-facing retail bakery, Kate asked her brother Cam to join her venture in 2013, and the pair committed to the journey.

From the end of 2013 to September 2015, the siblings worked side-by-side for 80 hours a week, waking each morning at 2.45am to head to their then-Elwood bakery.

“The only thing that would get me out of bed was the knowledge that within half an hour I’d have a coffee. It’s probably one of the most important things in my whole day,” Kate says.

“Nothing is better than the first coffee. Am I right? The first coffee is Godly, and that first sip is sacred. It’s such a moment.”

When Kate and Cam would arrive at the bakery, the first thing they’d do is turn the coffee machine on. Cam would dial-in the grinder, make an espresso to go “down the hatch”, while Kate prepared each of them a slice of Dench Fruit Toast with Pepe Saya butter and sea salt. Like a well-choreographed routine, as the toast was ready, so was Cam’s perfectly crafted flat white, which he’d place in front of Kate to enjoy as a “sipper”, in reference to a coffee that, once poured, must be sipped immediately while the milk is still settling for a creamy texture and “trademark shine”.

“A ‘Cam sipper’ is the best coffee on the planet. Hands down,” says Kate, especially when it’s a full single shot in a 160-millimetre cup, which she calls “the bachelor”, a coffee she thinks should become ‘a Melbourne thing’.

“If everyone who likes a magic had a bachelor, I think they’d prefer it because it is just more rounded. It’s a magic but with a full single shot rather than a double ristretto. It’s the same volume of coffee but not quite as strong. It’s just more balanced,” Kate says.

She is particular about her coffee, and rightly so. She enjoys rosetta latte art due to its functionality of even crema distribution, and despises swan latte art for the opposite reason. She admires baristas who take proper care when making takeaway coffee, but will send a poorly textured milk coffee back because she “enjoys it too much” to be wasted.

All Lune venues are powered with La Marzocco KB90 machines. At home, Kate was the proud owner of a La Marzocco Linea Mini before regifting it to her dad

because she enjoys the ritual of going out for her morning coffee.

“We are 100 per cent in the best city in the world for coffee,” she says. “I’ve learned that through my travels in Australia and my time spent overseas.”

Her first experience as a “serious coffee drinker” post-university was in the United Kingdom where in Kate’s pre-Lune career, she worked as an aerodynamicist for Formula One team Williams.

Kate later worked for a UK marketing company that specialised in F1, and would enjoy the 10-minute walk to the canteen on the Silverstone race circuit for a coffee break, which she enjoyed more than the chain coffee itself.

Returning to Australian in 2008, Kate says it was a revelation that her home country really did make the best coffee.

“The general standard is so good here,” she says. “The brunch scene had taken off. I was enamoured by the quality of the coffee and menus of food being served. There was thought going into spaces, atmospheres with attitude and vibe, and on top of that, exceptional coffee.”

Kate’s love for hospitality continued with stints at some of Melbourne’s iconic bakeries and cafés, including St Ali and Three Bags Full. However, she forewent Melbourne’s best coffee to travel back overseas to conduct a stage at boulangerie Du Pain et des Idées in Paris – with no coffee machine in sight. Instead, the Head Pastry Chef would make Kate a Nescafé Blend 43 at 6am every morning.

Thankfully, it was a little café called Boulangerie Béatrix that gave her a ‘lightbulb moment’.

“I would order my pastry and coffee in broken French, then stand at the art deco bar at the back. The coffee was truly terrible but the service was beautiful. No-one in France knew how to texture milk in 2010 so you’d only have an espresso, but it became my dream breakfast,” Kate says. “When I came back to Melbourne, I really wanted that experience to be replicated – but this time with good coffee.”

To merge Kate’s love for quality croissants and coffee has become a revelation, with five Lune stores across Melbourne and Brisbane. Kate’s croissants aren’t traditionally French by technical standards but what they are, are a celebration of the butter they’re made with.

A normal croissant uses 25 to 30 per cent butter. Lune’s are 43 per cent butter, but through Kate’s reverse engineering process of making croissants, she figured out how to lock in the butter so it doesn’t leach out and make the eating process greasy.

“You can walk into Lune and know that the traditional products are maximum half

Kate Reid has reverse engineered the process of croissant-making to ensure a crunchy and delicate texture.

Square One Coffee Roasters is the official coffee partner of The Lune Co group.

an hour out of the oven and still warm. It’s such an experience to get a freshly made croissant that’s delicately crunchy on the outside, and buttery and warm on inside,” she says.

If it hadn’t been for Kate’s education and previous career as an F1 aerodynamicist, she genuinely doubts Lune would be as well-known had she gone through a baker’s apprenticeship at age 16.

“I think we’re lucky Lune has an interesting story behind it. When I tell it, there are so many different aspects to what I’ve gone through that resonates with someone and makes them feel emotionally connected,” Kate says. “If you can convince someone who never dared to line up for our croissants to do so, and enjoy the experience when they get to the front, you’ve converted them into a customer for life.”

Lune’s customer base was confirmed during the 1.5 years of COVID-19 lockdowns when it conducted more than 10,000 deliveries to 273 Melbourne suburbs. Kate would leave boxes of buttery joy at doorsteps, and hear squeals of delight as she’d run back to the delivery van.

“COVID-19 really taught us how far and wide our customers were,” Kate says.

That customer base is growing, with the opening of two Sydney Lune Croissanteries in the first half of 2024, and international expansion “blue sky thinking” but “definitely possible”. Kate is also now part-owner of Square One Coffee Roasters, the official coffee partner for The Lune Co group.

“To have control over our second most purchased product – coffee –makes a lot of sense, especially when every single version of Lune has had a connection with coffee. Coffee and croissants are the perfect pairing after all,” Kate says.

The other, will be seeing popstar Taylor Swift enjoy Lune pastries from her Crown Towers hotel room in February. Kate says the promise has already been made, but even more rewarding would be seeing Tay-Tay visit Lune’s Fitzroy store and bakery.

“Now that would be a life goal,” Kate says.

If the magical union doesn’t happen, Kate is still content with the thousands of Melbournians who embrace her products and the Lune experience each day.

“It’s humbling walking past the line in the Russell Street store on a daily basis and realising that 11 years on, people are still lining up. That’s hard to comprehend,” she says.

“My favourite thing is being in a random corner of the city, not near Lune, and seeing someone walk around with a little brown bag with Lune’s rocket symbol on it. They walk past me with no idea who I am, but I know they’re carrying a little part of me around, and that’s pretty special.”

Kate Reid pioneered Lune Croissanterie from a desire to ensure Melbourne served the best pastries with quality coffee.

Ultimate cup creativity

hen it was Danny Wilson’s turn to prepare his routine for the MONIN Creativity Cup Australian final, he went into professional mode. He methodically laid out his ingredients one by one, and positioned golden spoons next to each of the judges with individual straws. When it came time to start his five-minute presentation, the crowd was hopeful that Danny was ready, but it was he who asked the crowd if they were.

As the clock began, Danny talked about the inspiration behind his ‘Stargazer’ drink, designed to transport the drinker away from the city lights and allow nature’s symphony to take centre stage. He constructed a beverage that bordered on cocktail

appearance, topped off with theatrics and a hint of speed towards the end when the clock’s ticking seconds got the better of him.

But it was enough. With the judge’s scores locked in, and a beverage that embraced espresso and MONIN’s salted caramel syrup, Danny was crowned the winner and Australia’s best hope of winning the international title in Kuala Lumper in November.

“I produced a tasty combination of flavours on the day. Everyone enjoys yummy drinks, and when you can get the balance just right and everything tastes exactly how you want it, that’s all you can ask for,” says Danny, a Head Roaster at Ona Coffee in the Australian Capital Territory.

“There was a lot going on with my flavours. There was sweetness from the

MONIN salted caramel syrup, and the added botanicals, so a little cola helped to stabilise all those ingredients and add some freshness. It’s a familiar ingredient and one you associate with the city. Cola and coffee – it sounds like a weird combination, but it works really well.”

The MONIN Creativity Cup aims to find the most innovative, progressive, and creative coffee mocktail designed by industry professionals. MONIN Advocacy and Innovation Manager, John Davidson, says the competition is also designed to show people how to explore different MONIN flavours in coffee beverages in a fun and creative way.

“As always, MONIN is not asking to be named on a menu or placed on the top shelf of a bar or café. They just want to create an

It’s time for beverage innovation to take centre stage and lead café menus into afternoon aperitivos that can help boost revenues, customers, and expand tastebuds beyond traditional coffee beverages.

MONIN’s 170 flavours are designed to support and enhance coffee flavours, not overcrowd them.

arsenal of flavours, aromas, and textures that people in kitchens, cafés and bars can use to create an interesting signature service,” he says.

“What we saw at the MONIN Cup Australian Final was people at that top level of creativity, using coffee as their mechanic and baseline of flavour, then adding a variety of additional notes. We had a head roaster using citrus flavouring, a bartender make a foam, and our winner using textures in a really innovative way. He was able to bridge the gap between a pretty standard pantry item – cola – and an incredible coffee using a MONIN product. What you’re left with is a signature serve that speaks to a wider palette of ideas than what we see on an everyday café menu.”

On the night, the finalists presented three very different drinks, some that divided the crowd, and the judges, but what separated each of the beverages, John adds, was Danny’s confidence and level of professionalism.

“Everyone has the capability of making a good drink but what separates good to great is the way you present yourself to the

judges. Faith and trust in what you present is almost the invisible garnish on a drink. Everyone puts the same three ingredients into a daiquiri but somehow some are just better than others. I know it’s pretty lame to say the secret ingredient is love, but it is, and sometimes that secret ingredient, is confidence,” he says.

MONIN Australia will work with Danny to ensure he’s prepared for the MONIN International Final, where he will aim to impress three industry judges and a technical judge, in the hope of taking an international title, and the chance to win a trip around Asia on a coffeeinspired getaway.

John is confident in Danny’s ability, but more importantly, he is thrilled that MONIN has created another connection point within the Australian coffee scene.

“Every year, the competition will get bigger and bigger, and it will always be about creating delicious serves. Drinks don’t have to be re-engineered. There are only 12 notes playable in music but we keep coming up with new albums every year. MONIN has 170-odd flavours in its range, so I don’t

see this creative industry running out of ideas,” he says.

BREAK THE MOULD

While the world has always looked to Australia for coffee innovation, John says it’s time for Australia to look at the world for beverage innovations.

“From Los Angeles to Singapore, the Melbourne coffee menu consists of three types of drip or batch coffee with origin, place, process, and altitude listed, which is amazing, but there’s still a disconnect in communication as to what exactly is in a cup,” John says.

“Twenty years ago, people determined the wine they drank as black and white. Then, people started to say ‘I drink sauv blanc because it’s fruity. Then they started to say ‘I like New Zealand sauv blanc because it’s tropical, fruity, and dry. With coffee, the general consumer may drink batch coffee, and they know it’s from Ecuador, for instance, but they’re still on that journey that the wine consumer in Australia has gone on for a long time. There’s still a way to go.”

The reason being, John adds, is due to consumer interest, and a willingness to experiment.

It’s about drawing a connection to land, terrain, and harvest, which is something John says Australians especially care about as a great farming nation.

“The gatekeepers of wine were originally the wealthy. As small bar licences were more readily available and smaller wine producers started to rise in Australia and New Zealand, and the rest of the new world throughout the 80s, people started to really define what they liked. At that time, espresso coffee in Norton Street in Sydney and other Italian populated areas, for example, was really bitter,” he says.

“The wine and the coffee industry have expanded at a similar rate, but wine got a bit more of a head start because we’ve been growing it in this country for more than 150 years.”

Now, as young people are more discerning about what they drink, John says the key moving forward, and at speed, will be to continue conversations in cross communities and industries, from wine and cocktail to restaurants and farming. He adds that competitions remain the best way to funnel all that knowledge into one platform.

In time, John says the most confident and educated baristas will be those that acknowledge macchiato sales are plummeting after 2pm, and are brave enough to experiment with another kind of coffee beverage, like Danny’s ‘Stargazer spritz’ with refreshing and sparkling soda and espresso.

The top three MONIN Cup Australian finalists from left: Milann “Max” Murakami, Jake Mai, and Danny Wilson.

“Baristas don’t need to dilute the story of where the coffee is coming from. They need to amplify it and MONIN is a great tool to do that,” he says. “Bring out the dried tannic, flowery tea notes of a black coffee, and infuse it with MONIN’s lavender, violent or hibiscus syrup. MONIN has quick, consistent solutions that won’t become the hero of the drink. Keep the coffee as the hero but provide the rhythm section behind the lead that is coffee.”

This idea was on full display at the MONIN Creativity Cup, and through conversations at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo. MONIN presented visitors with two black coffees, one from Brazil and one from Ecuador, with tasting notes. Guests were encouraged to understand the tasting notes, such as floral or citrus, then add a tiny dash of MONIN flavouring to complement the flavours.

“For example, if someone tasted apples in the black coffee, we encouraged them to look for more orchard fruits like pears to add to the beverage. People were shocked with these quick, simple twists on traditional black coffee,” John says. “It’s not like we’re loading the coffees with vanilla or caramel flavourings, we’re simply injecting a few complementing drops of

MONIN flavours that break up the palate a little more, such as sour notes with citrus or cherries, or tart flavours like pomegranates or hibiscus.”

In a time when the hospitality industry is hungry for innovation and ways to drive more business and revenue, John says café should consider MONIN’s affordable artillery of flavours to create serves that bring new customers into a store, and a community together to share ideas in the form of national competitions.

TMR ROASTER

“This is how we’re going to move forward: together, with creativity, and community,” he says. “And Melbourne has to keep its foot on the pedal and keep the guys in Los Angeles at bay, and the baristas in Bangkok at arm’s reach, because the coffee they’re serving is amazing. We have to keep pushing the boundaries with beverage innovation.”

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

Stuart Alexander’s Karel (Papi) Reyes prepares a Monin Fusion for MICE visitors.

Tone and deliver

hen Barista Group General Manager Joe Chalhoub met Tone

Founder Holger Welz

in 2019 at HostMilano in Italy, he saw the Swiss manufacturer’s potential to develop world-class brewing equipment. But when Tone unveiled the Touch 04 boilerless brewer in April 2023, he believed it would deliver precision control, unparalleled energy efficiency, and redefine the future of brewing.

“The Tone Touch 04 is one of the most revolutionary brewers on today’s market and offers the operational capability to take the modern brew bar to the next level,” says Joe. “It transcends conventional brewing machines by enabling baristas to tap into the full potential of their coffee and tea beverages while using 10 times less energy than a traditional brewer.”

The latest iteration in Tone’s line of Swiss precision brewers builds on the Touch 03 boilerless technology and is now optimised for brews from one to four litres.

“The Touch 04 allows the barista to control agitation, flow rates, and pulse patterns at any stage of brewing, including blooming, turbulence, and development, in order to optimise extraction. Unlimited recipes can be created and shared using the Tone Beverage Manager software which is available on iOS, Android, and Microsoft app stores,” Joe says.

“Anyone can press an applicationprogrammed recipe button to start the brewing process. The operator does not have to be a coffee professional.”

The Touch 04 has four recipe buttons that can each be programmed to execute two functions. For example, one can program four coffee or tea recipes and four dynamic water profiles for dispensing set quantities when the brew basket is removed. By optimising water reach and penetration of the coffee bed, the Tone Touch 04 can achieve high extraction and replicate recipes.

“The boilerless standalone brewing system in instantly hot. As a result, it sustainably channels brew water through two highly innovative heating elements that eliminate the need for a traditional heating phase. The tabletop machine comes with a small footprint, as no boiler underneath the counter is needed. Electricity is only used during the brew cycle, so no wastage

of energy occurs, saving up to two tonnes of carbon emissions annually per machine,” says Joe.

“The barista or shop owner is empowered to easily adjust brew recipes by changing temperature, brew time, and a

host of other parameters to profile various coffee and tea beverages. Through Tone’s Intelligent Brewing System, users can generate different strengths of extraction from the same volume of coffee. This system is a key part of the programmability offered

Barista Group has partnered with Swiss company Tone to bring the next generation in recipe development and boilerless brewing technology to Australia.

The Touch 04 has four recipe buttons that can each be programmed to execute two functions.

in the Tone Beverage Manager software.”

Just like its smaller predecessor, the Tone Touch 04 utilises a black box maintenance concept to simplify service and upkeep.

“All electronic and mechanical parts are built in a black box. If a service is needed, the black box can be exchanged within five to six minutes with no downtime of the brewer,” Joe says.

“The Tone Touch 04 simplifies a lot of steps in the brewing workflow, which allows users to allocate time elsewhere in the business. This innovative product also empowers baristas to effortlessly fine-tune recipes and cater to the diverse preferences of customers.”

The patented Tone descaling valve is built-in to every new brewer. It enables easy monthly descaling of the machines with Tone’s specially developed descaling liquid Green Clean. The process should only take about seven minutes for any barista to complete.

Joe says the custom designed Tone Touch 04 brew basket and corresponding cover offer four key benefits.

“The brew basket carrier is dishwasher safe and can be easily removed. Condensation backflow is directed into the brew basket. The basket detection and locking system ensure safety and security during the brewing process, and optimised

water bypass functionality enables simple pre-programmed water dosing and allows for concentrate dilution,” he says.

Barista Group’s partnership with Tone means that it can provide customers with Tone’s full range of brewing products for venues that want the same degree of control over their batch brew or filter at higher volumes.

The Tone 01 is a multifunctional brewing solution that also allows baristas to brew iced and hot coffee or tea in batches up to four litres.

The Tone 02 is like a ‘decked-out version’ of the 01. The main brewing chamber delivers bulk brew coffee and tea, while a side arm extended with two waterspouts jutting out the right of the machine makes it possible to brew Chemex-style coffees.

The Tone 03 single serve brewer uses an electronic continuous slow heating system to ensure water is at the right temperature as it leaves the machine, eliminating the need for a traditional boiler. It produces batches from 250 millilitres up to 1.5 litres in size, making it optimal for single cups or highend coffees.

Rounding out the Tone line is the Nitro, a plug and play unit that uses an integrated cooler and nitrogen pulled from the air, instead of a canister, to produce nitro cold brew.

“The Nitro is a game changer. Space is crucial in cafés and having a nitro unit you can plug and play is awesome,” Joe says.

“It’s a very simple device that you can fit on any counter. You can even regulate the temperature and amount of nitrogen brought into the coffee from the back as well.”

Although Australia is still an espressobased, milk-heavy market, Joe sees potential for filter uptake to grow exponentially, especially with Tone brewers making it much easier for a busy café to deliver a filter option.

“I can’t see any coffee shops surviving or being sustainable in the future without having the right coffee, the right equipment, and an offering that is unique to them – like a diverse menu of single origins,” Joe says.

Barista Group customers can place a pre-order for the Touch 04 and expect the boilerless brewer to be available in Q1 2024.

“We believe Tone is strategically positioned where Tesla was 15 years ago. Barista Group sees the future of brewing and espresso manufacturing will go boilerless due to its efficiency and carbon footprint reduction. Afterall, every business should contribute to operating as sustainably as possible, including us,” Joe says.

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

The Tone Touch 04 can achieve high extraction and replicate recipes.

In the lab

here’s no room for complacency in the coffee world. Searching for new ideas and activating them is what makes the top companies stand out from the rest, and it’s this mindset that pushes coffee roaster Vittoria to explore new avenues.

The company’s new Lab Release series is one such innovation that showcases seasonal, specialty Arabica coffees from around the world.

“We’re forever curious about coffee, and we wanted to release a new series that explores new flavours and techniques through partnering with innovative farmers and coffee alchemists who share our scientific approach to the art and science of espresso,” says Vittoria Managing Director Rolando Schirato.

Vittoria has created and unveiled the first blend of the release, named Blend No. 58.

It features a naturally processed Brazilian coffee, a washed Sumatran, and two Colombian origins, including a Sidra from producer Edwin Norena’s farm, Campo Hermoso, just outside of Quindio.

Edwin combines the generational knowledge he learned from his father and grandfather, and has experimented with a new processing style.

The cherries in the blend are selectively harvested when their sugar concentrations go beyond 24 Brix before being soaked in water for three hours. They then undergo the initial anaerobic cherry fermentation process using ‘mossto’, a technique whereby crushed coffee cherry pulp is added to influence the fermentation.

“Edwin is literally adding extra coffee juices and selected microbes from a previous fermentation batch of the same cherries,” says Rolando. “The process helps

to enhance chemical reactions during coffee fermentation giving the naturally-occurring microbes extra sugar to process. The result being a highly amplified flavour profile.”

Once the beans are harvested, they are washed, pulped and sun-dried for 22 days before the Vittoria team finds the right blend and roast combinations.

Rolando says the creation process is a partnership between the Schirato family and Vittoria’s in-house team of roasters and quality assurance specialists.

“In this case, we cupped a wide range of high-grade Arabicas from around the world searching for a green bean that could provide a unique dimension, leading to the discovery of the anaerobic fermented Sidra from Colombia,” he says.

The roasting process included 23 steps measuring a range of variables during and post-process.

“We roasted countless small batch samples on our one-kilogram Probatino and 12-kilogram Probatone roasters, altering variables such as temperatures, air flow and roast times to find the right blend profile,” Rolando says. “Every blend was also assessed across multiple roast days, providing valuable insights into its performance over time.”

The process was further elevated thanks to Vittoria’s recent integration of the Metrohm Omnis system.

“We’re the first roaster in Australia to use this system which allows us to scientifically analyse coffee for acidity, pH, density, brix, total dissolved solids, and caffeine levels,” Rolando says.

The end result is one Rolando describes as “a beautifully balanced cup with deep malt and chocolate undertones, hints of honey and maple syrup before a lingering

raspberry flavour”.

The new blend, which presents a sweeter cup when paired with milk, and slightly elevated acidity as espresso, was officially unveiled at the 2023 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE).

“In our view, there’s no better place to introduce it than an industry event where every detail, nuance, and innovation is embraced, respected and celebrated,” Rolando says. “We chose MICE because it was a place where the intricate balance between art and science would be appreciated by those who truly understand and cherish the nuances of coffee creation.

“[The release] is not confined by the need to scale up supply. Instead, we embarked on a quest to discover something truly distinctive, a blend that would capture the essence of our heritage and infuse it with the spirit of innovation.”

Rolando hopes the release can bring more attention to the innovation that takes place behind the scenes at Vittoria. He says established brands such as his, can have trouble gaining attention of the industry when others are looking for the next new thing.

“Amid this quest for novelty, our aspiration was not to capture fleeting attention, but to articulate the enduring value of experience,” he says. “With every passing year, we’re refining, experimenting, and evolving, ensuring that the Vittoria name continues to be woven with threads of innovation and time-honoured expertise.

“We’ve been roasting coffee in Australia for 65 years, and we’re continually pushing the boundaries of roasting.”

For more information, visit www.vittoriacoffee.com

Vittoria discusses its latest Lab Release series of blends, and the importance of pushing for innovation in a competitive field.

After a long creation process, Blend No. 58 was successfully launched at MICE2023.

A Storm brewing

hen Barista Attitude takes over 540 square metres at the Host Milano expo in October, it will be one of the larger coffee manufacturing stands on offer. It will be the first time the Italian machine manufacturer has displayed its complete product line of equipment, and the official unveiling of its Pilot machine.

“At Host Milano 2021, we only had Storm, one prototype of Pilot, and Tempesta was only available to the United States market. A lot has changed in the past four years,” says Jacopo Bambini, Barista Attitude Group Marketing Director.

Barista Attitude’s brand ambassadors Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, Andrea Allen and Emi Fukahori will be on hand to showcase the best features of Barista Attitude’s machines, and how they can improve the barista’s coffee-making experience.

“When we talk about coffee, it’s not just coffee that Barista Attitude cares about, it’s about the overall experience baristas have behind our machines, and how they can utilise the tailor-made features of Barista Attitude machines to address certain needs and impact the final result,” Jacopo says.

“We want our brand ambassadors to send a strong message that our products support the specialty coffee industry, as well as the broader coffee market. Our products embrace all skill levels in the international coffee community. We really consider the needs of baristas and understand that their job is not always easy. That’s why we have solutions in place to help improve their daily routine and their coffee output in the best way possible.”

Jacopo says while the manufacturer may “not be so well known” it is backed by the

much larger and experienced group, CMA, which has been manufacturing espresso machines in Veneto, Italy since 1969. The technology, research and development, and service extension behind each Barista Attitude machine, including the World Barista Championship Qualified Espresso Machine Tempesta, Pilot and Storm, therefore has the full technical support and backing of CMA.

Jacopo says Storm is particularly well known in Europe and is the official espresso machine of the Germany Barista Championship, however the Flow Rate Control (FRC) model is equally a suitable machine for the Australian market thanks to its raft of features that support the country’s penchant for milk-based drinks: long steam wands, cold touch, and levers to control the level of stream via dry steam technology.

It is a multi-boiler model with the capacity to control the flow of extraction in each group, and adjust the pressure profiles in different stages of brewing time to further customise the brewing process and control the intended flavour profile. A barista can therefore choose to dedicate a different coffee to each group to achieve a different cup result from the same machine.

All the functions of Storm can be easily controlled and adjusted through the simpleto-use interface on each group, which Jacopo notes has been one of the machine’s best features since its inception in 2017. The user has all the information and opportunity to control and set the pre-infusion, pressure, flow, extraction time and brewing temperature with six parameters available, or use the machine’s lever to make a free style extraction.

“Even if the technology within Storm is complex, the interface and its useability is the connection point between the machine

and the barista,” Jacopo says.

“The machine helps the barista express themself. A really skilled barista has the freedom to use the pressure profile in a freestyle way, setting each group to be different to the next, or they can set the profile to get identical results. The barista doesn’t need to compromise anything because the machine will give you the guarantee of consistency in every cup.”

All Barista Attitude machines come with Internet of Things solutions and can be connected to Wi-Fi to access the manufacturer’s Beans2Cloud telemetry platform. This gives the user the ability to change parameters remote, such as water and group temperature, as well as features that monitor and assess best-selling drinks and service needs.

“The main target for Storm is dedicated coffee shops, but more and more we’re experiencing coffee chains utilising the FRC model. They’re looking for a machine that is reliable and one that staff can be trained on easily so staff can take advantage of its capabilities and produce the best coffee experience,” Jacopo says.

“We have had great feedback from the market but equally we have listened to baristas and made small adjustments to features, such as the filter gusset and shower head, not because they weren’t working well, but to improve the features even further. We are also working on a new group handle that is a little shorter with a new shape, to be even more ergonomic. We always open to listening and introducing solutions that can make the barista’s life better.”

For more information, visit Australian distributor Coffee Works Express www.cwe.com.au or www.barista-attitude.com

How Barista Attitude’s Storm FRC model puts the barista in the driver’s seat with the ability to adjust pressure profile and control the ultimate flavour profile of coffee.

BeanScene

Smooth operator

to Anthony Douglas

Having a champion barista on your staff roster may lift the expectations a customer has at a café, but having two champion baristas under the one brand? Well, those expectations go through the roof.

Axil has 19 locations across Victoria. While the company can boast having the 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas and 2023 Australian and Third Place World Barista Champion Jack Simpson working behind the bar, the pair can only be in one place at one time.

When Anthony and Jack are not travelling the world, they can be found at Axil’s flagship location in Hawthorn, where the front entrance rightfully states that the café is home to the 2022 World Barista Champion, and the 2022 and 2023 Australian Barista Champions.

“When I’m in the country, I typically am based around Hawthorn because we’ve got our roastery, office, and training room nearby,” says Anthony, who leads Axil’s research and development team. “I visit the other stores, but you’ll find me spending most of my time here.”

Jack works with Axil’s quality control and sales teams, and travels around Melbourne to support the company’s cafés.

To make sure their presence is felt throughout each Axil location, the company has established training techniques that reflect the work of its champions, and to ensure a similar customer experience.

“A lot of the staff that come to work for Axil know how to make a coffee, but we’re very particular about our systems. We have systems in place to make sure we have the same consistency and quality across all our stores, as well as our wholesale accounts across Australia,” Anthony says.

“[The induction] is two to three hours where we go through the barista playbook, which entails the way we make our coffee. It’s an opportunity for [new staff] to get any questions out of the way, and to make sure there’s no ambiguity.”

Anthony says the induction process is helpful for existing Axil staff, new hires, and wholesale café partners, to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

“We don’t want to throw them into the deep end because that’s not a very fun feeling,” he says. “When you start a job, sometimes you don’t really know what’s

Jack Simpson

expected of you and what you’re trying to achieve.”

The induction period is followed by the F20, the term Axil uses for a new barista’s first 20 shifts at the company.

“It’s broken down by the week, and consists of a series of goals that the baristas work through with their manager,” Anthony says. “It’s drip feeding them everything they need to know over a few weeks.

“Week one could be about pouring coffees, and then we move on to learning about steaming.”

The F20 also covers operational parts of the job, including the procedures to open and close a café.

Anthony says that while he is less involved in the training process since his WBC victory in 2022, he is assured the staff in place at Axil continue to run a smooth operation.

“We have operations managers who are all across our staff and which areas we need to be paying more attention to in this everchanging landscape,” he says.

“I’m very proud of our team. Because we’ve got so many locations, it’s really important for customers to come in and have  a consistently pleasant experience [between locations] and I think we’re achieving that.”

Both Jack and Anthony credit Axil for helping them develop the skills that eventually made them champions, and imparting those lessons onto the next generation so that they may reach similar goals.

“Competitions can be complex, but 90 per cent of it is fundamental coffee skills,” says Anthony.

Jack adds that winning championships is a reflection of the people working behind Axil, including its Founder, Director, and 2008 World Barista Championship RunnerUp, David Makin.

“A lot of the stuff Anthony and I have learned and done in those competitions has been filtered back to the cafés,” says Jack.

It’s this trust in Axil’s training program that has given the company hope to further expand its operations.

“At the moment, we’re trying to focus on wholesale throughout Australia,” says Jack. “We have some amazing coffee partners in Victoria, and we’re looking to stretch out with our wholesale program.”

The most important consideration as the brand scales, Anthony adds, is that its staff take care of the quality and service the Axil brand has become renowned for.

“When we expand out of Melbourne, we’ll be looking to partner with cafés that are aligned with Axil’s pillars of quality consistency. We need to work with people we can trust, and in a way where we can change to deliver the same quality across all locations as we do here [in Hawthorn],” Anthony says.

“We’ve got a very strong team behind us [to make that happen].”

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

talks

and

on how their coffee expertise can be felt at any Axil Coffee Roasters location across the country.

Anthony Douglas (left) and Jack Simpson have brought their learnings from barista competitions to all Axil locations.

The art of espresso

ccording to Leon Wolf, Smeg Australia’s General Manager of the Professional Division, for more than a century, the name La Pavoni has been synonymous with espresso worldwide, representing Italian excellence in coffee machine production.

“Renowned as one of the pioneers of the espresso coffee machine, La Pavoni embodies a harmonious blend of elegance, quality, and reliability. Their commitment to bringing handcrafted coffee machines to life is underpinned by their Italian identity, marked by an intrinsic passion and their love of tradition,” says Leon.

Focusing on premium espresso machines, La Pavoni shares its expertise across both domestic and commercial platforms.

“The Italian machine manufacturer maintains consistent engineering and performance synergies throughout its entire product range, from the domestic lever machines and semi-professional coffee machines through to the powerhouse commercial units,” Leon says.

La Pavoni’s range of commercial coffee machines encompasses three distinct series: Geniale, Desiderio and Diamante, each available in a variety of colours, featuring two and three group systems.

GENIALE

The Geniale series is a collective of workhorse machines capable of handling higher output volumes for a diverse range of businesses and industries.

“These machines are constructed with clean lines, accompanied with user features such as volumetric timers and boiler temperature feedback, providing owners and operators with assistance while delivering on style, quality, and value,” says Leon.

DESIDERIO

The Desiderio series elevates the coffee machine experience by incorporating an LCD display that offers real-time machine feedback, customisable settings, and brewing calibrations.

“Desiderio is a top-of-the-range coffee machine for the professional sector, featuring a touchscreen display used to program all machine functions. The temperature of the different groups can be independently regulated to ensure impeccable results with every blend,” Leon says.

“These machines are meticulously crafted, blending the latest technological advancements with traditional highquality materials, driving La Pavoni to the forefront as innovators in professional coffee solutions.”

DIAMANTE

These machines are available in both lever-operated and programmable pushcontrolled brewing options, along with a choice of three bold and captivating colour selections.

“The Diamante series stands as an embodiment of design excellence, echoing the artistic movements of the 1950s with striking angular forms,” says Leon.

Leon continues that La Pavoni’s dedication to espresso perfection is not just about creating visually stunning machines, it’s a reflection of its genuine Italian heritage, handmade in Milan and unwavering passion for its craft.

“Each series within the professional coffee machine line-up is a testament to their commitment to innovation, quality and value. From the performance Geniale, the technical Desiderio, and the avant-garde Diamante series, each machine reflects their dedication to providing coffee enthusiasts, businesses, and the industry with the ultimate coffee machine,” he says.

“For La Pavoni, coffee isn’t just a beverage; it’s an art form, and each cup is a masterpiece crafted with precision and appreciation.”

For more information, visit au.lapavoni.com

La Pavoni tells BeanScene why its range of professional machines are the secret to a real Italian espresso coffee.

The La Pavoni Diamante series have contoured panels offering a diamondlike prism of reflecting angles.

The Diamante DIA L 3GR is a lever espresso coffee machine with chromed brass groups.

Straight to the source

the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), a key industry event Riverina Fresh proudly supports.

“The recent MICE event in August provided the Sydney and Melbourne teams with an ideal opportunity to connect directly with all our key partners and customers,” says Luke, who has been integrating Riverina Fresh’s sales teams to foster collaboration and mutual support across the business.

In addition to offering premium milk products and food services, Riverina Fresh’s local ownership and regional base are commonly cited as reasons for choosing their products.

Fresh may have noticed recent changes to its sales team. As the company celebrates its centenary year, it is strategically setting the stage for the next century.

Central to this strategy is an emphasis on its new sales approach, made possible by the expansion of its vertically integrated food service distribution model. With nearly 80 per cent of its distribution in Sydney and Melbourne now handled in-house, Riverina Fresh has experienced a substantial increase in direct relationships.

“We’re now much closer to our customers and their day-to-day experiences, expanding the scope of our team’s responsibilities,” says Riverina Fresh General Manager of Sales and Distribution Asher Davies. He says this has resulted in a significant increase in the supply of Riverina Fresh dairy and food service products in the café and restaurant sector.

Leading this new strategy is Luke Hobbs, who assumed the role of Head of Sales at Riverina Fresh earlier this year. With over two decades of experience in the beverage industry, Luke is excited about contributing to an Australian-owned company with such a rich heritage. Luke’s focus lies in investing in people and building a robust team.

“We now have a team with extensive experience across the dairy service, food service, and coffee sectors,” Luke says.

With a strong emphasis on cultivating enduring, long-term relationships, the sales team is focused on exploring opportunities to add value to the needs of its customers. Asher says the current sales environment underscores the importance of regular

frequently, so we truly understand their needs,” says Luke. “Our efficient cold supply chain and a product portfolio of almost 400 products enable us to continually devise more cost-effective and consistent approaches to our food service offerings.”

One facet of the sales strategy that remains is Riverina Fresh’s commitment to the specialty coffee sector. For over a decade, the company has continuously contributed to the growth of coffee culture across Australia.

This association with the specialty coffee market provides Riverina Fresh valuable insights into emerging café trends in milk and food service products. This allows the company to collaborate with coffee roasters to match milk products for different roasts and coffee styles, while adding value with a targeted foodservice offering.

To sustain and expand engagement with its customer base, Riverina Fresh remains dedicated to supporting community and industry events aligned with its values and overarching strategy. This includes

With its head office in the heart of the Riverina at Wagga Wagga, Luke says he and his regional sales team are ideally positioned to promote their love of coffee to regional centres.

“Everyone in the Riverina has grown up drinking Riverina Fresh milk, and now they are realising that it pairs perfectly with locally roasted coffee,” says Asher.

Riverina Fresh is also an active supporter of several regional community organisations and events, including the Riverina Australian Football and Netball Leagues, and annual Wagga Show.

“At each of these events, we look to support coffee vans serving locally roasted coffee with Riverina Fresh milk, produced right here at our factory in Wagga,” says Luke.

As Riverina Fresh celebrates its 100th year, the company remains dedicated to its customers, its regional roots, and providing premium dairy products and exceptional service – now, and into the next century.

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

through its revamped sales strategy, and how the company is looking to be more direct with its customers.

Asher Davies (left) and Luke Hobbs have helped guide Riverina Fresh through its new food service distribution model.

Riverina Fresh is proud to support dedicated industry events, such as MICE.

ith more than 100 years of experience in the market, IMA Petroncini is not new to coffee processing. Its expertise and solid company know-how is based on the installation of over 4700 roasting plants throughout the world.

“This has led IMA Petroncini to be recognised as a leading supplier in the coffee processing industry, providing tailored engineered plants for coffee processing, from green coffee receiving up to the roasters; from the grinders up to the most advanced degassing systems,” says IMA Petroncini Head of Research and Development Maurizio Mazzoni.

As IMA Petroncini has grown and evolved over the years, so too has the batch volume of Petroncini roasters, starting with its one-kilogram specialty shop roaster, TT Traditional range for small- to- mediumsized production, and its best-selling TMR models for industrial-scale needs. The largest in the range is the 720-kilogram drum roaster.

“We continue to innovate in our field and are always developing our roasters. The biggest difference from the past to now, is our roasting control system, which is able to guarantee reliability, consistency, and repeatability of the end product,” says Maurizio.

“Thanks to heat control, roasting air volume and the drum rotation speed, the Petroncini TT Roaster allows the operator

Level up

“The TMR uses just one burner as a heat generator and after burner to reduce carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds emissions due to the roasting plants. The heat recirculation allows, on average, 30 to 35 per cent energy saving, compared to traditional roasters, and this focus on sustainability is now more important than ever.”

Maurizio says IMA Petroncini has also introduced a different, but just as impressive, new control software to its flagship TMR series called Orchestra.

to vary their method of transferring heat to the bean, achieving a perfect balance between convection and conduction. Creativity in personalising the product is in the hands of the roaster and IMA Petroncini works to provide all the tools capable of turning that creativity into reality.”

Ranging from capacities of 240-kilograms up to 1600-kilograms per hour, TT Roasters are suitable for medium-sized businesses, allowing the roaster to meet a wide range of customer requirements.

“The air convection technology allows perfect coffee roasting control, optimising the thermal efficiency and the flavour development,” says Maurizio.

He says the TMR model roaster is one of Petroncini’s greatest technical innovations thanks to its Air Recirculation and Heat Recovery System. The first unit was installed in Chile in 1995, and ever since, Petroncini has been committed to updating and upgrading the system to better maintain consistency.

“TMR models are modular drum roasters with a 90 per cent convection to 10 per cent conduction ratio, suitable for a wide range of coffee roasting profiles, and with a capacity to roast from 1000 to 3600 kilograms per hour,” he says.

“The technology is now so efficient it allows us to have no more than one second ending time difference between one batch and the next, so consistency is extremely high.

“With Orchestra, the roaster can set up to 30 roasting set-points, including the temperature to reach each set point, and the time interval in which to reach it, as well as drum rotation speed and the flow rate of the heating fluid. During the setting of the various setpoints, Orchestra shows a simulation of the roasting profile and the ending time estimated, allowing the operator to preview the final result,” he says.

“During roasting, Orchestra allows you to view the curve in progress alongside the pre-set profile. These two profiles will overlap in the visualisation of the roasting trend, thanks to the precise self-tuning of the machine valves, burner, and aspiration system power.

Orchestra can obtain constant roasting results over time, especially for products such as pods and capsules, which self-tunes the machine parameters on the basis of the humidity of green coffee, the quantity of the batch entering the roaster, and environmental variables.

“I always tell customers that repeatability is not only about the quality of the coffee. It’s about achieving the same taste in the cup customers expect time and time again,” Maurizio says.

He adds that IMA Group’s acquisition of Petroncini in 2018 was needed to take the company to the next level. Most important to the manufacturer’s growth, Maurizio says, is its consistency.

“IMA Petroncini is developing very ambitious projects on roasting technology to minimise the environmental impact and guarantee a future-proof automation for coffee factories as well,” he says.

For more information, visit www.petroncini.com or www.ima.it/coffee

IMA Petroncini describes how it continues to innovate in the coffee field and develops roaster engineering to reach the highest level of production efficiency.

IMA Petroncini’s TT models are suitable for medium-sized companies looking for a quality roasted end product.

Time to make a Légacy

hen Barista Equip’s Brett Bolwell first saw the size of the Eversys Légacy machine and learned about its features, output capabilities and price point, he knew it was an exciting opportunity that could speak to a broad cross-section of the market.

“Eversys has an incredible DNA and plays at the high-end of the market but until now, I didn’t really think it had a machine that was suited to the mid-sector, which is a much larger representation of the Australian market,” Brett says.

“Légacy is a machine that can be used in convenient outlets, but even down to those that want to embrace it like a barista model and stand behind it. You can create that theatre with Légacy knowing that the extraction that comes out of it will be as good if not better than any traditional espresso machine.”

Brett is on the board of the Australian Convenience and Petroleum Members Association and says he is excited to present Légacy to the Association’s 7500 members at a Brisbane conference. He believes the industry will have strong growth over the next three to five years, particularly given the rise of electric vehicles and a predicted drop in revenue of fuel prices.

“This is an industry that’s going to be looking at how to focus their attention on retail, and we all know that coffee is the number one product in retail,” Brett says.

“I’ll be discussing the value proposition of automation in convenience and retail, what the benefits are for the long-term, and what the variety of options are. We have to give them solutions, which was one of my biggest decision-making reasonings behind jumping behind a brand like Eversys and supporting its Légacy model. It’s something we can put into the market for under $20,000 without the need for significant power upgrades, and super easy installation. We’re even looking at a fixed price service model for a set monthly fee.”

Brett adds that the attraction to coffee, convenience, and petrol, even from a barista’s perspective, has untapped potential.

“Baristas may not think of it as a career option but on average, overall wages are around 15 per cent higher in retail and convenience than what they are at a café,

and they can be doing the same work with a lot more ease with machines like Légacy,” he says.

Barista Equip’s distribution of Légacy is a result of its new sub-distributor partnership of Service Sphere in Queensland. Service Sphere is one of two official distributors of Eversys in Australia. In October, Barista Equip will launch its new partnership to coincide with the launch of its new factory.

Barista Equip will also conduct installation and training of Eversys machines in the Queensland market, including its telemetry features with remote access to diagnostics, recipe upgrades, and serviceability reminders.

“As service provides, we can tell exactly what’s going on and share that information with users at no cost. It’s a very impressive unit,” Brett says.

Brett says there are already a significant number of Australian accounts looking at Eversys and what its machines are capable of achieving in the convenience sector.

“All the big players in the market know the brand and even though it hasn’t been around in Australia that long, it’s developed its own hype and a strong reputation. Every conversation I have about Eversys has been ultra-positive, people just love it,” Brett says.

“The convenience sector understands that they’re never going to get the dedicated

staff they want, and they’re not capable of full-on training, it’s not in their genre. They just want a machine that delivers something that tastes amazing with a small footprint.”

And with Légacy just 36 centimetres wide, 60 centimetres deep, and 71 centimetres high, it’s a compact solution with remodelled grinders, coffee brewing chamber, and piston head adapted from previous Eversys models.

To Brett, its most impressive feature is its customisability. Users can choose up to four integrated grinders in the one machine and one power chamber, such as a chocolate hopper, which can also be divided in half and used with another powder, such as chai. Users can also house up to two types of dairy and non-dairy alternative milks.

He also likes that users can utilise the different steam wand technologies with full manual operation, semi-automatic, or go full automatic.

“I love that you have the ability to use it like a hybrid. You’ve got a lot of features for a little box. There’s no question this machine is the best,” he says.

Barista Equip is taking pre-orders for Légacy with market availability from February 2023.

For more information, visit baristaequip.com

Barista Equip on why the convenience and petrol sector is looking to coffee machines that deliver consistent quality with ease of use, and how its new distribution partnership will provide that solution.

The Eversys Légacy houses up to four integrated grinders with maintenance accessibility to the machine’s internal organs via the back panel.

Grind like a Pro

Coffee Machine Technologies highlights its customer relationship with Fiorenzato, and how it helped the brand become internationally renowned.

hen Coffee Machine Technologies (CMT)

Founder John Colangeli introduced grinder manufacturer Fiorenzato to the Australian market in 2014, he saw the potential in the brand to innovate and make waves in the specialty coffee industry.

“The perfect coffee starts with the perfect grind, and you can’t get that without a quality grinder. I saw so much passion in the Fiorenzato family [when I first met them], and how much they believed in their own grinder products. I knew they wanted to make a globally successful brand,” John says.

“We recognised the quality of their grinders but also suggested areas for improvement.

They valued our feedback and made substantial enhancements, from electrical functions to design. To this day, they send us their products for assessment before market release.”

In return, CMT acknowledges the trust the grinder manufacturer places in its

team. The Australian distributor helped Fiorenzato’s grinders come standard with red speed burrs, which are a combination of high-grade hardened metals and offer extended grinding life.

“We were the first company to introduce a three-year commercial warranty and the revolutionary red speed blades to the market,” says CMT’s National Sales Manager Carmelo Corallo.

“When we decided to include grinders in our product collection, we were determined to offer the best blades as a standard feature.”

John says a drive towards innovation has allowed Fiorenzato to manufacture stateof-the-art products and solutions for coffee grinding. He says this all-round guarantee is the outcome of decades of experience and a longstanding partnership with CMT that has facilitated ongoing research into technologies, and aesthetic appeal.

“A Fiorenzato product offers highquality coffee even under extreme operating conditions when consumption is high,” says John.

“In addition to constant monitoring of grinding, and reliable performance, which are factors that have strengthened the trademark on an international scale, these products have an elegant design that makes them stand out. This important feature, combined with low operating noise, makes Fiorenzato coffee grinders valuable tools for all professionals in the coffee sector.”

John says Fiorenzato has been able to design increasingly advanced and efficient grinders with “exceptional performance and ease of use”.

“Each grinder is able to ensure precision and consistency, reduce energy consumption, and offer exceptional reliability even when used over a long period of time,” he says.

To obtain a quality espresso, baristas can produce a constant dose of coffee with the Fiorenzato XGi line. The XGi grinder dosers require a one-time setting of the right amount of coffee to be dispensed. Thanks to the load cell located in the bottom of the XGi grinders and to a software that

Fiorenzato grinders can be customised to suit any business’ needs.

records and processes data, every dose of blend contains the exact amount of coffee required.

“This creates less waste because it allows you to precisely adjust the amount of coffee to be ground. You also have constant control of the number of ground grams thanks to the software monitoring the weight even when the machine is on standby,” John says.

Fiorenzato’s premium range of professional coffee grinders is the Pro Line Series, with a detachable grinding chamber that John says is easy to release and results in high performance and reliability.

“The Pro Line is an innovation that allows the baristas to operate with the grinder in a simple, intuitive, and fast way, by removing the detachable grinding chamber without modifying the grinding point setting,” he says.

“This also makes the maintenance operations of the grinder simpler and faster. It is no longer necessary to remove the adjustment ring to carry out periodic cleaning or burrs replacement. To access the grinding chamber, the barista can simply flip up the two clips situated either side of the coffee grinder and extract the desired component without losing the grinding point.”

John says the Fiorenzato F83 E Pro is one of the most popular grinder models sold at CMT.

“The F83 is equipped with 83-millimetre burrs to support a high-volume business and XGi grind-by-weight technology to expedite workflow. It has one of the coolest innovations for coffee grinders and a design that allows the grinding chamber to be detached with the release of two levers, making cleaning a breeze. The 4.3-inch touchscreen in-plane switching display has an intuitive user interface and scrolling menu so you can monitor coffee stats and easily switch between grinding modes,” he says.

Despite a wealth of intuitive features, Carmelo says the Fiorenzato grinder is still an affordable product.

“You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck. When we start to explain the advantages of having a Fiorenzato grinder, our café customers gravitate towards it, and find it hard to go back to another brand,” he says.

One of those customers is specialty coffee roaster The Bean Cartel. National Sales Manager Melissa Glentis says the Fiorenzato F83 E Pro is a tried and tested model at many of its wholesale locations.

“The consistency and ease of operation from both a training perspective and instore is unmatched. Fiorenzato provides all the best of technology in a single grinder,” she says.

“CMT has always looked after us and provided us with the best service and

technical help. We rely on partnering with the right people, and our longstanding partnership with them has proven very beneficial for us.”

Although Fiorenzato is considered one of the leaders in commercial espresso grinders, John also wanted a domestic grinder available to satisfy market needs. He says that’s how the Fiorenzato F4 Eco was born, which is a miniaturised version of the larger commercial models.

“I told Fiorenzato that we needed a grinder that was affordable for the at-home market with continuous dosing via a microswitch that detects the handle being locked into the grinder. After I was told it couldn’t be done, I personally added a microswitch to an electronic grinder and showed the team that it could, in fact, be done. The moment they saw I had done it, they went into production and made 4000 units, with ‘F4 Eco By John’ inscribed on the side of the grinder,” John says.

The Fiorenzato F4 Eco comes with a stepless grinding adjustment collar and fast and accurate grind performance at approximately nine seconds for a 20-gram espresso grind. It also has a compact coffee bean hopper with a capacity of about 600-grams, and continuous micrometric grinding adjustment.

“To say that this is a professional grade grinder is no overstatement. The F4 can be used in commercial environments for lower volume applications. This makes it a perfect home espresso grinder. It is fast, quiet, ultracompact and performs exceptionally with consistency and reliability,” John says.

He adds that CMT will always support innovation and high hopes for the future of Fiorenzato grinders.

“We can’t wait to see what they do next,” he says.

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

The Fiorenzato F83 E XGi Pro grinder dosers require a one-time setting of the right amount of coffee to be dispensed.

Imagine if artificial intelligence could scan motor vehicle number plates as they pulled into a café’s carpark or its proximity, immediately alerting baristas that “Joe” was arriving. Suppose, based on pre-saved order history, the customer received a prompt text message asking: “would you like the usual”? The barista would begin preparing Joe’s flat white. Then, upon reaching the café’s counter, Joe retrieves his coffee and departs, his payment handled effortlessly via

details in an online app. A swift, seamless experience. What if I told you that Wolff Coffee Roasters is already exploring this technology, aiming to bring this vision to life soon? Intriguing, isn’t it?

We believe this anticipatory service can simplify the ordering process, accelerating the experience for our customers. This concept stems directly from our conversations with patrons and their expressed inconveniences.

Our current initiative involves beta

testing within our facility’s boundaries. Sure, some pizza chains have ventured into similar territory, and we’ve all seen the success of drive-throughs, pick-up apps, and subscription models – primarily due to their sheer convenience. However, our ambition stretches further, aiming to discover the next level of customer convenience.

This initiative isn’t just about customer service; it’s also a strategic business decision. The number of available parking spaces directly impacts turnover at the counter.

Peter Wolff dives into the future of coffee convenience, emphasising the importance of accessibility in an increasingly fast-paced world, and why we shouldn’t fear technology advances.

Peter Wolff says drone delivery is already active, and one of many technical advances that could aid delivery services in future.

If I can expedite the turnover in the parking area, why wouldn’t I? I’ve witnessed cars approach, see a full parking lot, and simply move on. That’s a business challenge I must address.

Many worry that automation could compromise product quality or diminish valuable barista-customer interactions. My response? Those seeking the traditional café experience will always have it. Our goal is to merely extend our services to the pavement, providing options and not making assumptions about customer preferences.

Consider our regular, Maryanne, a loyal customer of 13 years. I always believed she valued casual banter. Yet, when we introduced the Skip app, allowing her to pre-order and pay, she lauded it our best addition. It was a revelation that she would prioritise convenience over friendly banter.

I envision a future where our point-ofsale system communicates directly with an automatic coffee machine. This would bypass the need for paper dockets, reducing delays and waste. With declining interest in hospitality jobs – a consequence of factors like COVID-19, changing job landscapes, and alternative earning options like Uber –we must consider innovative solutions. We remain committed to delivering a quality product, honouring our supply chain, and ensuring fair practices.

The evolving industry landscape demands adaptability. Café owners often lament about dwindling profits in the current environment. Margins are shrinking. Yet, like the ratchet of the industrial revolution, we must evolve, optimising systems and procedures. This evolution ensures customers receive quality products without increased costs.

So, what’s on the horizon? Drone delivery? It’s closer than we think. Our neighbouring Brisbane suburb, Logan, already employs drones for food and beverage deliveries – albeit due to unique airspace conditions. Regulations remain a hurdle.

Another ambition of ours at Wolff Coffee Roasters, is a daily coffee subscription, akin to a gym membership. Instead of monthly commitments, customers could pay a weekly fee, enabling them to enjoy our coffee as frequently as desired, regardless of location.

Additionally, we aim to cater to the rising population in Australia’s regional areas by installing vending machines stocked with our coffee beans. Our current project includes 10 vending machines equipped with our beans, V60 filter papers, hand grinders, and a refrigerated section for beverages like cold brew coffee, and tea.

Thanks to a collaboration with a regional shopping centre group, these machines will be dispersed through rural towns, our roastery in Hendra, Queensland, and some partner venues. This vending venture will initially run for six months before undergoing a review.

The future, with its technological

advancements and evolving consumer needs, awaits.

For Wolff Coffee Roasters, this means forward-thinking and innovative solutions. And we’re already on it.

For more information, visit wolffcoffeeroasters.com.au

Wolff Coffee Roasters will trial 10 vending machines in regional Australian towns to ensure quality coffee is easily accessible.

Testing the waters

Besides using different coffee beans and methods of preparation, water has a crucial impact on the flavour of coffee. Using water with an unfavourable chemical composition can negate the time, money and effort gone into defining and achieving a particular flavour profile, resulting in a sensory experience that falls short of expectations. It’s therefore important to understand not only how different filtration technologies work, but how they affect coffee’s flavour to either amplify the desired sensory effects, or eliminate undesirable ones.

The principal characteristics of the main water treatment technologies are activated carbon filtration, decarbonisation, softening, total demineralisation, reverse osmosis, and mineralisation. Let’s break them down while focusing on the sensory aspects of how they influence coffee flavour.

ACTIVATED CARBON

Activated carbon is a porous, fine-grained carbon. It is obtained by charring a natural carbonaceous material such as wood, peat, anthracite, or coconut shells and then ‘activating’ it in a thermal process. This second step causes it to develop a large number of pores, greatly increasing its internal surface area and enabling the material to attract and hold large amounts of other substances. BRITA uses food safe activated carbon made from coconut shells.

Activated carbon is able to significantly reduce the organic substances in water that have an unpleasant odour. These include, for example, metabolic waste products from the bacterial decomposition of plant residues such as foliage. An example is geosmin, which can impart a stale earthy smell to groundwater and consequently also to drinking water. Depending on its concentration, this substance can also

BRITA’s Head of Organoleptic Department Birgit Kohler explains how different water filter technologies affect the flavour of coffee.

Two of the four representatives of the BRITA Organoleptic Department includes Birgit Kohler (left) and Alexandra Merz.

Birgit Kohler is the Head of Organoleptic Department at BRITA.

induce an atypical off flavour in coffee that is perceived as ‘wrong’.

Activated carbon is also used as a catalyst for reducing chlorine. Chlorine has a distinctive odour and can, in sufficiently high concentrations, be perceived in coffee. But even when the chlorine content is quite low, reducing it is a very important prerequisite for ensuring good-quality coffee. Chlorine is highly reactive and can combine with organic substances in the coffee, altering their structure and sensory properties.

Due to the chemical and sensory changes that chlorine undertakes when reacting with coffee constituents, the resulting undesirable changes in the aroma profile aren’t attributed to the chlorine, despite having caused them. That’s why it’s always advisable to filter water –including so-called soft waters – with activated carbon.

DECARBONISATION

Decarbonisation, also known as partial demineralisation, is a term applied to all water treatment methods that reduce carbonate hardness. How does this affect coffee’s sensory attributes? Acids, including those in coffee, are by definition, substances that possess and readily emit hydrogen ions. If water is not filtered or decarbonised, the hydrogen carbonate would react with the hydrogen ions of the acids present in the coffee. The remaining part of the coffee acid left after shedding the hydrogen ions can lose its sour taste in the process. The more hydrogen carbonate is available to react with the hydrogen ions of the coffee acids, the more coffee can lose its sourness.

SOFTENING

Softening refers to all water treatment processes for reducing total hardness (the sum of carbonate hardness and permanent hardness).

The more perceptible roasted aromas and increased bitterness result in a coffee flavour that is often referred to as ‘typically Italian’. Those who don’t enjoy this flavour profile can additionally decarbonise the filtrate. This substitutes hydrogen ions for part of the sodium ions in the water. Fewer sodium ions and hydrogen carbonate are then available, which can reduce roasted aromas and bitterness, and allow sourness to develop better.

TOTAL DEMINERALISATION

Total demineralisation is a technology that involves the combined use of both cation and anion exchangers. As a result, it almost completely eliminates the cations calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, and the anions hydrogen carbonate, sulphate,

chloride, and nitrate. Reducing these minerals in the water can also mitigate any adverse effects on the coffee’s balance of flavours.

In sensory terms, however, such chemically mineral-free water isn’t ideal. It can result in coffee with excessive sourness and weak aromas. To let the aromas fully unfold while reducing the coffee acids somewhat, a certain amount of minerals must be present. This is commonly ensured by mixing the filtrate with a small quantity of unfiltered water from the same source via a bypass. This comes at a price, however, as the added unfiltered water can also contain other, undesirable high amounts of chloride or sulphate. Whether or not a bypass solution will work as intended, depends on the types and concentrations of these unsavoury substances.

REVERSE OSMOSIS

In reverse osmosis, water is pressed through a membrane. The membrane’s pores are so small that only water molecules, which are very tiny, can pass through. The minerals and organics dissolved in it are all too large to wiggle through. The filtrate therefore consists almost exclusively of pure water.

This somewhat more complex technology can always be deployed if other, simpler methods fail to achieve the desired effect or there is no other way to resolve a water-related sensory problem. Its advantage is that regardless of the original water, almost all other molecules are removed leaving only chemically pure water.

The drawback is that like total demineralisation, it yields water that isn’t optimal for preparing coffee. Here too, it’s a good idea to add a small amount of

unfiltered water to the filtrate via a bypass. A more elegant alternative is to additionally install a post-mineralisation filter to make sure that only acceptable amounts of the desirable calcium and/or magnesium ions and hydrogen carbonate enter the filtrate.

MINERALISATION

When coffee is made with water that is almost completely free of minerals, coffee acids can dominate its flavour. This can be offset by intentionally adding a small amount of calcium and/or magnesium ions and hydrogen carbonate to enhance the balance of flavours while slightly reducing the sourness. In solutions that use reverse osmosis, mineralisation is an alternative to a bypass and even superior to it in purely sensory terms, as it only channels the desired minerals into the filtrate.

Many mineralising filters use grains of stone containing calcium, magnesium, and carbonate. When these minerals come into contact with slightly acidic water, they dissolve into it. It therefore makes good sense to insert a further, pHreducing filter (such as a decarbonisation filter) ahead of the mineralisation filter to ensure that a sufficient quantity of the minerals is dissolved.

Suitable filter equipment can be used to purposefully adjust the chemical composition of the water and optimise the flavour of coffee as a result. BRITA has a variety of filtration technologies available for accomplishing this, and can be counted on to give sound advice on matching flavour preferences.

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

Adding small amounts of calcium or magnesium ions and hydrogen carbonate to water can enhance the balance of flavours.

MAGIC MICE

MICE2023 celebrated in style, honouring a decade of memories and the many people and products that make the Australian event unlike any other.

There’s something special about the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) that draws exhibitors and guests through its giant doors each year. On the morning of 17 August, the stage was set to celebrate the 10th edition of the expo that once started as a small specialty coffee expo under the big tent at the Melbourne Showgrounds, and is now recognised as an international gathering and the largest dedicated coffee expo in the Southern Hemisphere.

With new MICE signage in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre ready to be inundated with selfies, giant inflatable cups floating from the ceiling and the aroma of freshly ground coffee wafting through the exhibition space, all that was left to do was begin a walking journey and be prepared to stop every five seconds for a sample, or a longawaited industry catchup.

COFFEE, COFFEE, COFFEE

The first stop for many at a coffee tradeshow, and rightly so, are the booths offering caffeine. This year, Vittoria Coffee turned heads with its Lab release blend 58, and its dark and mysterious booth that celebrated how the old world meets the new. It had baristas in white lab coats, massive brew bars, and a six-group Universal 1950s machine an absolute piecede-resistance as one of only a few in the world, serving traditional ristrettos.

Five Senses Coffee had guests covered in every direction of its booth, offering flights of coffees, gesha filters, and different processed coffees with nothing but smiles and educational wisdom shared.

Dc Specialty Coffee Roasters couldn’t be missed in their signature lime green stand and vibrant packaging, and Dipacci Coffee Company, Blueberry Roasters and Bean Alliance had crowds constantly queuing.

At the La Marzocco True Artisan Café, a rotation of roasters popped up throughout the days with Toby’s Estate, St Ali, and Axil Coffee notably drawing attention thanks to plenty of star barista power.

ALL THE DAIRY OPTIONS

There’s never a coffee show without dairy and dairy alternatives and MICE couldn’t have had more options. Vitasoy enticed visitors with its fairy floss machine and new brand, Barista’s Choice, featuring its Oat, Soy and Almond products served out of the side of a van.

Visitors only had to look up at a giant rotating banner to see where Milklab was

placed in the exhibition. It brought the vibe, with resident DJs spinning tunes, and a Milklab Lane inviting visitors to explore its range via a Nutty Nook, Almond Arthouse, and Summer sensations coffee carts.

The Alternative Dairy Co’s Local Way merchandise had visitors frothing over tees, as well as its Cold Brew Oat, espresso ice cream, and some star latte artistry utilising the product range.

Saputo Dairy represented Australian Dairy with its Sungold Devondale and Liddells Dairy products; and Riverina Fresh celebrated its range of dairy options with a daily rotation of roasters including Ona Coffee, as well as its daily Latte Art competition.

MIGHTY MACHINES

What’s new and what’s impressive? These were the words circulating amongst visitors as they bee-lined to manufactures for a glimpse of product innovation and knowledge of what options they need to consider for their business.

Franke celebrated the launch of its Mytico line in Australia with its Mytico Due machine and special international guest Wojeciech Tysler from Switzerland.

La Pavoni’s commercial and domestic espresso machine line sparkled, none more so than its Diamonte machine; and Coffee Works Express had its suite of products including the Mazzer T-Tamper and Australia’s first look at the new Barista Attitude Pilot machine.

At the La Marzocco Home stand, the Linea Micra, Linea Mini and GS3 models served coffee all day long, but it was an Instagram photo competition thanks to a purple kitchen setup and vibrant yellow Linea Micra that had visitors trying everything in their arsenal to take home the coffee machine prize.

Espresso Company Australia had its complete commercial range on show including machines from Rocket Espresso, Heylo Coffee, Anfim, Cinoart, Aillio and Drink Morning.

At Coffee Tools Distributing, it felt like

its whole warehouse was on display, with the NanoFoamer Pro and Xbloom automatic pourover machine popular items.

Barista Group celebrated devices that could improve café workflow and consistency, with Markibar and Izaga W grinders, Tone Touch 03 and the new Übermilk milk texturing device showing customers how to maximise multiple milks from the one device.

Latte Art Factory captured the curiosity of onlookers with its milk-foaming technology, and Barista Equip turned heads for its new Flow Grinder, powered by Fiorenzato, along with the Eversys Cameo.

IMF Roasters and Australian agent Roastquip showed off its 60-kilogram roaster from Italy, and ADM Packaging demonstrated the benefits of its automated packing and filling machines.

FLAVOUR IN ALL DIRECTION

Origin Alley celebrated the world’s best coffee offerings and the countries that make it happen. Regular cuppings were seen from Colombia Land of Many Origins by Café de Colombia, Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand, and the Indonesian Pavilion; along with 10-year MICE exhibitors Southland Merchants, and Minas Hill.

New to the expo this year was the International Womens in Coffee Alliance who also shared cuppings, panel discussions and united women from all sectors of the coffee supply chain.

To flavours of a different kind, Maltra Foods represented Arkadia and Urban Barista, giving MICE visitors a caffeine break with plenty of frappes to try, including its new biscoff flavour.

MONIN had coffee-on-tap but in a clever twist, invited drinkers to pair the coffee’s flavour profile with experimental dashes of MONIN’s range of natural flavourings.

Naked Syrups also shared its range of natural flavourings, powders, and sauces, with its white chocolate dessert sauce, and a “barbie beetroot” getting quite the attention.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Elsewhere around the show, Biopak

showcased its new aqueous cups and lids and the importance of sustainable packaging conversations; Star Outdoor presented its new Swing Range signage frames – along with free cannoli; and Shift talked finance and technology solutions and B2B transactions. Cookie samples were a hit, Tastebuds’ toothpaste was an interesting discovery, and Brewtech’s exclusive tradeshow offering of coffee-themed tattoos was a permanent reminder of this year’s event.

RICHEST BARISTA

Over the course of three days at MICE, the booming sounds of the emcee and cheers of applause were reserved for baristas in the inaugural Richest Barista competition. The event was a chance for baristas to win a share of $40,000, the richest cash prize on offer for a barista competition final anywhere in the world. The baristas left standing on the last day were those that proved their ability in the barista, latte art, and cup tasting categories. Rawirat Techasitthanet of Jibbi Little’s Coffee Roasters was crowned the inaugural title winner and took home $25,000 in prize money. Pirada Tungbenjaphol placed second, winning $10,000, and Lucky Salvador placed third, winning $5000.

PRODUCT INNOVATION

New Product Innovation Awards were also crowned. The Trimatt ColourStar AQ V by Trimatt Systems was awarded the Product Innovation Award for Coffee Accessories.

Franke Coffee Systems’ Mytico line won the award for Coffee Preparation Equipment. The Rhino Spinjet Spray Assembly and Actuator Starb3-EDP by Bombora Supplies won the Ancillary Electrical Equipment award, and The Good Cup by Roastar Coffee Packaging won the People’s Choice award.

MELBOURNE COFFEE WEEK

Throughout the week of MICE, events kept visitors engaged and connected to maximise the most of their time in Melbourne. It kicked off with the Australian Coffee Traders Association networking dinner and presentation event on MICE eve. After day one of the expo, La Marzocco opened its doors to an old-school warehouse party that had decks spinning to the early morning; and day two’s night events had something for everyone. Hario celebrated its new independent Australian office on the top floor of Crown Casino; MONIN crowned Danny Wilson its Creativity Cup winner; and Veneziano Coffee Roasters hosted its Barista Brawl with Michael Beckford of The Alleyway Café crowned the

winner and went home $5000 richer. The last night saw exhibitors and guests toast a successful week of engagements and 10 years of tradeshow gatherings.

THAT’S A WRAP

MICE2023 registered 10,218 attendees across the three days of the show, with visitors travelling from across the country, and overseas. MICE will return in 2024 for its 11th edition from 12 to 14 May at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“This year’s MICE was a resounding success. Off the back of a strong World Barista Championship year, we were proud to hear that exhibitors embraced strong, qualitydriven customer leads and conversations, which is testament to the purpose of MICE from its inauguration 10 years ago: to be an annual meeting place to connect buyers and sellers and do business,” says MICE Show Director Lauren Winterbottom.

“We couldn’t be happier with the result. This year’s show has truly cemented the value and place of this wonderful expo in the heart of the coffee industry landscape, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year.”

For more information, visit internationalcoffeeexpo.com

Bonsoy, non soy

Bonsoy takes BeanScene through its new marketing campaign that aims to change the way people view the brand’s products.

It’s difficult not to associate Bonsoy with soy. After all, soy makes up half of the brand’s name, and it’s been making soy milk for 40 years. However, Bonsoy isn’t only about soy. That’s the message of the company’s new campaign, ‘Bonsoy Nonsoy’.

Spiral Foods Marketing Director Raphaelle Wilson says the company is looking to get the word out that Bonsoy offers beverages that don’t include soy but are still made with “wholesome natural and organic ingredients”.

“We’ve embarked on a fun campaign that’s going to run for the next 12 months. The campaign is to educate customer’s mindset, to link products outside of soy while championing the brand,” says Raphaelle.

The stars of the campaign are two products that Bonsoy introduced in 2019. The first is its range of sparkling coconut waters, which are available in five different flavours: passionfruit, watermelon, lychee, ginger, and organic natural.

“[In 2019], we saw there was an opportunity to expand our beverage range under the Bonsoy umbrella while working closely with manufacturers to perfect the waters,” Raphaelle says.

“It has taken a while, but this year’s campaign also coincides with the coconut waters that will be available in Coles from 14 November. Healthier options for soft drinks have really seen a boom the last 12 months.”

The sparkling coconut waters come in 320-millilitre cans and can be consumed on their own or in combination with other ingredients.

“Mocktails and cocktails are definitely a popular choice,” says Raphaelle. “You can add some fresh lime or lemon for a fresh twist.”

On its own, Raphaelle says Bonsoy’s coconut waters have many health benefits.

“We use certified organic water, so it’s got electrolytes, it’s hydrating, and it’s all natural,” she says. “There’s no added sugar. It’s perfect for the average sportsperson.”

With summer just around the corner, Raphaelle says the coconut water range is an ideal option for cafés to store on hotter days.

“They naturally are [a spring and summer product]. Obviously, you can have them throughout the year, but a cold sparkling beverage is associated with refreshment and cooling down, which is synonymous with summer,” she says.

“Consumers are always looking for something new to try. People are doing a lot more due diligence with brands and products, so why not offer something that’s good for everyone, from the kids to the grandparents?”

Raphaelle says Bonsoy specifically uses older coconuts in the harvesting stage, which are known to produce sweeter water.

“It’s all about working really closely with our manufacturers to figure out how we can get the best of a natural product without having to manipulate it,” she says.

The second drink featured in the ‘Bonsoy Nonsoy’ campaign is the company’s almond milk. Raphaelle says that while Bonsoy is best known for its soy milk, it still offers almond for any café willing to expand its options.

“It’s a mild flavour. It’s not going to compete with the coffee,” she says. “The same goes for cereals, smoothies, or anything else.”

Bonsoy has sought to find the balance between producing the best milk while also maintaining the values that have carried the company for 40 years.

“If you work with good manufacturers who know what we’re doing, it becomes a good partnership,” Raphaelle says.

“We have our values and certain nonnegotiables that we adhere to, and the right manufacturer is happy to go over and above to perfect the formula with you.”

This extension of values and a quality formula is reflected in Bonsoy’s sparking coconut water and almond milk.

“We’re a trusted brand with longevity, and you can trust that the ingredients going into the products are 100 per cent natural,” Raphaelle says.

With these values in place, Bonsoy is now committed to spreading the word that the commitment to staying natural extends to all its offerings.

“We’ve always believed in producing quality products, and it’s gotten us to where we are today.”

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

Bonsoy’s sparkling coconut water comes in five different flavours.

A supreme experience

before. As a roaster with three decades of experience under its belt, Coffee Supreme New Zealand Wholesale Manager Natalie Guest says café businesses can trust that it prioritises quality and taste to create better coffee experiences for all involved.

“Coffee Supreme brings a level of expertise and support that is beneficial to everyone, even experienced café owners. Not to mention, amazing coffee. It’s a given that our coffee is excellent,” Natalie says.

Coffee Supreme Australia Wholesale Manager Ray Kelland says there’s much to consider when opening a new hospitality venture or taking over an existing one. He says choosing a trusted coffee supplier should be an early consideration.

“The first thing is that you have a clear plan. Investing in building a new site requires supervising builders, contractors, and project managing, while purchasing an existing one means retaining the staff and customer-base while adapting an existing business concept into your own. Both require careful consideration,” he says.

“Working with an experienced professional like Coffee Supreme ensures that you’re getting expert market knowledge. We love helping café owners navigate their way through the industry.”

Natalie adds that working with a qualified roasting partner is an important decision Coffee Supreme doesn’t take for granted, and it goes beyond

bench layout ideas, workflow arrangements, and mapping out how their customers will move through the space. A lot of us at Coffee Supreme come from a hospitality background, so we’re well-versed in the industry,” she says.

“To our café partners, we think of your business as our business, so we’re always going to try and improve things to offer a better coffee experience.”

Ray says Coffee Supreme looks to partner with cafés that share the roaster’s same values for coffee, community, and quality.

“We consider what café owners are trying to achieve and their business plans. It’s not simply a transactional relationship for us,” he says.

“We want to become familiar business partners and understand how we can impact and add value to your café.”

Once a coffee shop has opened its doors and secured Coffee Supreme as its supplier, the roaster offers barista training, technology support, and personal account management to ensure employees are equipt to provide consistent quality coffee.

“Coffee Supreme offers customised training to each café we partner with. Because we’re really involved with the cafés, we know their setup, the owners, the workflow requirements, and the café itself, so we can tailor the training to their needs. We also have set training modules including beginner, intermediate and advanced head barista, and can hold cupping sessions if

Ray adds that the roaster also offers latte art courses for baristas, which are a customer favourite.

“We use the training sessions as a way to get to know the baristas who are working with our coffee to best support them. As the last people to touch the coffee before the end consumer, we want them to feel supported, engaged, and proud to serve our coffee,” he says.

Coffee Supreme believes in providing holistic support to its retail customers. To create an effortless workplace dynamic, Natalie shares her best tips for operating a café.

“Always come back to the customer experience and consider them in every decision you make. You want to make it as easy as possible for the consumer to fall in love with your business,” she says.

Ray continues that café owners should never compromise on quality.

“Invest in the items that customers will touch, see, and hear, as this will enhance their overall experience,” he says.

“And ensure the business is profitable. Focus on making sure you know your values, your goals, and your direction about where you’re taking the business. Partnering with Coffee Supreme means a cup of coffee you can trust for flavour and care, so that’s a great place to start.”

For more information, visit shopau.coffeesupreme.com

Coffee Supreme offers café partners consistent, high-quality coffee.

The NEXT level

ccording to WMF Professional Coffee Machines, Australia is a trend-setter when it comes to coffee culture, being geared towards barista quality beverages and coffee specialties. This is why

WMF Head of Marketing Axel Fähnle is convinced the WMF espresso NEXT is “the perfect match” for the Australian market.

As a semi-automatic portafilter machine, WMF espresso NEXT is suited to cafés and coffee shops that want to combine the best of traditional Italian coffee culture with the process reliability of a modern fully automatic machine.

“The design also connects traditional barista appeal with light, dynamic surfaces. The machine shares the best of two worlds: the benefits and emotionality of a traditional portafilter machine with the advantages of a modern fully automatic coffee machine,” Axel says. “While the WMF espresso NEXT underscores Italian coffee tradition, the processes inside ensure that all timeconsuming and error-prone tasks are performed automatically.”

The grinding, tamping and foaming of milk is done automatically, and each brewing group has a separate display screen, with distinctive areas for coffee and milk preparation.

“The two integrated grinders of WMF espresso NEXT are equipped with precision-honed grinder disks to allow very fine grinding, ensuring outstanding quality of espresso. Coffee grounds are delivered directly into the portafilter where it is automatically tamped and brewed,” Axel says.

“This machine is the answer to the current challenges of any modern coffee spot, such as staff shortages, increased

demands on staff, and the desire of customers to always be served top quality coffee, regardless of the person behind the bar.”

Axel says the portafilter concept has always ensured maximum process reliability by using a range of automated features.

“The new functions of the WMF espresso NEXT include the Auto Milk Dosing, which provides increased milk texturing technology from previous models. At the touch of a button, the system draws just the right quantity of milk and foams it to the desired consistency. This avoids extra milk and waste, since only the exact amount is dispensed that is actually needed,” he says.

He adds that the WMF Auto Steam provides an additional performance boost and delivers the ideal milk foam.

“This advanced procedure allows simultaneous use of the two configurable, automatic steam lances on the two sides of the machine. In this way, baristas can process two [pitchers] with different milk types or milk alternatives at the same time –doubling machine output,” Axel says.

“What’s more, is that each steam lance can access up to six stored foam profiles, allowing milk foam and plant-based offerings to be foamed and prepared to the desired consistency. The operator can also choose to foam milk manually with the second basic steam wand, allowing an experienced operator to create latte art in a traditional barista style.”

The new machine is equipped with the digital solution platform WMF CoffeeConnect to analyse and process data about the machine, enabling the user to

optimise processes, reduce service costs, and boost sales.

“WMF CoffeeConnect provides you with the option to collect valuable machine data. Wherever you are, you can obtain an overview of your sales figures and current service information at any time. You will receive warnings which will let you know if you are running low on beans or if maintenance is required,” says Axel.

Fitted as standard, the WMF espresso NEXT also includes the Dynamic Coffee Assist technology that continuously monitors ground coffee quantity and grinding degree. It automatically adjusts to the ideal extraction time for espresso, and produces consistent and qualitydriven results.

“Manual fine-tuning is no longer necessary. This streamlines the entire coffee preparation process, permitting time for other tasks such as customer contact,” says Axel.

Customers can expect the WMF espresso NEXT to hit Asia-Pacific waters in 2024.

“We are very confident that the machine will be well received as it is the perfect answer to the questions and challenges of the coffee world. Reproducible and consistently high barista coffee quality in the style of a portafilter machine, coupled with the undeniable benefits of automation and all in one machine are a huge advantage,” Axel says.

For more information, visit www.wmf.com

The WMF espresso NEXT is hitting Australian waters. The German manufacturer explains why the semi-automatic coffee machine is more relevant now than ever.

Axel Fähnle is WMF’s Head of Marketing.

The WMF espresso NEXT is a semi-automatic portafilter espresso machine.

On a high

or those looking to immerse themselves in a vibrant atmosphere where coffee lovers gather to celebrate the unique flavours that acidity brings to the cup, look no further than Toby’s Estate’s Acid Experience. The Sydney-based roaster is providing a platform to discover the nuances and complexities of acidity through interactive tastings, expert-led sessions, and stimulating discussions.

“Toby’s Estate’s sensory events are designed to educate baristas and the coffee keen public in a fun and engaging environment. I think it’s a digestible way to introduce to people why coffee is so unique and complex,” says Toby’s Estate Coffee Trainer Linda Maksic.

“Whether you’re a coffee pro or simply curious about the world of specialty coffee, these events offer a fantastic opportunity to expand your knowledge and challenge your palate. Attendees can connect with fellow coffee enthusiasts, exchange stories, hopefully learn something new, and uncover the secrets behind Toby’s Estate’s exceptional brews.”

Linda held an Acid Experience session on 21 June at Small Change Espresso in Queensland and says the response from attendees was “super positive and very rewarding”.

“I’m really appreciative of the baristas that take the time out of their busy day and choose to spend their downtime with us, so I want to make the sessions as valuable as possible for them,” she says.

“I love the way we train at Toby’s; the curriculum is simple and structured to improve all levels. We have a wealth of knowledge about the specialty coffee industry and the products we produce. What’s really cool about these sessions is that they simplify a complicated topic.

The Acid Experience focuses on four main types of acidity: citric, malic, phosphoric, and acetic.

CITRIC

Can be described as bright, vibrant, and zesty. This refers to any kind of citrus like acidity that maybe present in the coffee. When we experience citric acid in coffee we are referring to fruits like lemons, limes, oranges and mandarins or grapefruit. Each citrus fruit can be differentiated, and so there can be different expressions of citric

acidity. For example, oranges are juicer then lemons, limes are tangy, lemons can be sour and dry.

MALIC

Unlike citric acid, malic acidity is less as intense initially and is more rounded then citric. When malic acidity is present in coffee, it’s often referred to fruits like apples, plums and peaches and other types of stone fruits. Just like fruits you can have different expressions of malic acid, such as red apples being sweeter and juicer then green, green apples can be crisp, a ripe peach verse a underripe peach all have different expressions of malic acidity.

ACETIC

According to Linda, once you’ve experienced this, you’ll never forget it. Acetic can be described as sharp and intense. It’s what we experience when we taste vinegar, tabasco and even balsamic. This can be both pleasant and unpleasant in coffee. Can be great to promote fruitier flavours or can be more like a vinegary cup of joe.

PHOSPHORIC

This is where acidity starts to become complex. Phosphoric can impact the texture and mouthfeel of coffee. When we experience phosphoric it can be like the same texture experience as soft drink, cola and even tonic, it’s a little fizzy yet soft at the same time.

“Each time both [Toby’s Estate Coffee

Trainer Michael Rast] and I host this workshop, we find it very enjoyable and love hearing feedback on how interesting the workshop was for people. People, myself included, walk away understanding more about what they like and why they like certain types of coffee, love seeing people connect the dots of their learnings, and for us at Toby’s we get to understand our wholesale customers and consumers more, which is very rewarding,” Linda says.

Toby’s Estate believes acidity is one of the most important attributes when it comes to assessing quality in coffee. Linda says it’s important to the roaster to hold these events to help break down “one of the most complex beverages in the world” and bring some clarity to the definition of the different acids.

“As complex as coffee is, we believe a huge contributing factor to that complexity is acidity and from a sensory experience, acidity is one of the most important components in coffee. For us at Toby’s, we put a huge emphasis on acidity when assessing coffee and is one the main four characteristics we believe is important in the overall coffee drinking experience,” she says.

“Hosting events like this keeps us engaged and on our toes. We love creating workshops, events, and training that promote engagement and encouragement for people at all levels in their coffee journey.”

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

Toby’s Estate prepares to indulge in the complexity of coffee as in-house Coffee Trainer Linda Maksic explores the art of acidity in coffee.

Toby’s Estates’ sensory events are designed to educate baristas about coffee acidity.

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The award-winning Icon features independent multi-boilers, industryleading energy efficiency and technology to help you work smarter.

Find out how Dalla Corte can help you work smarter dallacorte.com.au

Jump on BOARD

Milklab explains how it’s utilising an eco-friendly building material in its trade exhibit design and why the environment is always front of mind.

Operating sustainably is at the heart of Milklab’s brand ethos. The family of plant-based and dairy milks made for baristas and coffee-lovers is always looking for ways to reduce its environmental impact.

To further this brand promise, Milklab used its stand at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), which took place from 17 to 19 August, to showcase a sustainable building material made from recycled waste, including longlife milk cartons and coffee cups.

“As a brand, we’re constantly on the lookout for ways we can increase the sustainable initiatives we undertake,” says Milklab Marketing Manager Natalie Latimore. “Whether that’s partnering with The Common Good Co. to create sustainable merchandise that uses ecofriendly materials and ethical production practices, or promoting our recyclable milk cartons, we always try to put the environment first.”

The new-look stand, dubbed Milklab Lane, incorporated an exterior that resembled hole-in-the-wall style cafés and coffee carts that encouraged guests to explore and discover the ‘laneways of Milklab’.

Through the laneways, Milklab was able to showcase its milks specifically designed to complement espresso.

“The range includes almond, oat, soy, macadamia, coconut, full-cream dairy, and lactose-free milks. The milks are made in collaboration with baristas, for baristas, to deliver high performance texturing and stretching with a creamy mouthfeel,” Natalie says.

For the first time, Milklab’s stand was made with saveBOARD, a low-carbon building material made from hard-torecycle liquid paper board used in long-life milk and juice cartons.

“saveBOARD is focused on building a circular economy by turning composite packaging waste such as milk cartons, ingredients bags, coffee cups and soft plastics back into low-carbon products that re-enter the local supply chain and therefore eliminate future waste,” Natalie says.

saveBOARD manufactures healthy, high-performance building materials from its facilities in Hamilton, New Zealand, and Warragamba, Sydney. The company

upcycles packaging waste in Australasia through the implementation of scalable technologies that can turn locally collected waste into locally distributed, recyclable building products.

For the walls of Milklab Lane, Milklab worked closely with saveBOARD to create a circular economy solution by integrating milk carton packaging waste into the board products. Natalie says there are no additives used in the boards, such as glues, chemicals, and adhesives. The plastic in the packaging is the glue, and the colour is created from the original consumer packaging.

“Each board saves 500 used beverage cartons from landfill, with each saveBOARD plant capable of recycling four million kilograms of soft plastics and fibre every year at its facilities,” she says.

Natalie says that following the success of Milklab Lane at MICE, the plant and dairy milk company plans to roll-out the sustainable stand at other trade events.

“Sustainability is important to Milklab, so we are committed to implementing sustainable practices in our products, processes and packaging,” she says. “We are excited to partner with saveBOARD to use upcycled milk carton packaging for the build of Milklab Lane to offer our customers an exciting and sustainable brand experience with a reduced environmental impact.”

saveBOARD Country Manager Chris Collimore says saveBOARD was a true solution to problematic waste management, and the company was proud to partner with Milklab.

“We divert hard-to-recycle packaging waste from landfill and turn it into an aesthetically pleasing, functional and commercially sustainable building product,” Chris says. “We can then recycle that product again and again back into saveBOARD. Supporting saveBOARD really is a circular solution to waste.”

Earlier this year, saveBOARD opened its new Warragamba beverage carton manufacturing facility in partnership with Tetra Pak, one of the paper suppliers used in the cartons for Milklab’s range of barista milks.

“We are incredibly proud of the ongoing partnership between Tetra Pak and saveBOARD, keeping valuable resources out of landfill, preserving our planet’s resources, and reducing waste to create sustainable

building materials from used cartons for the local market,” says Tetra Pak Marketing Director Jaymie Pagdato.

“Through this collaboration, we are not only creating value through the life cycle of every carton, but we are also contributing to a low-carbon, circular economy.”

For more information, visit www.milklabco.com

Milklab used the sustainable material saveBOARD in its stand design at MICE.

Simply the best

It’s important for businesses to be observant of market trends and capitalise on opportunities that offer growth, especially in the coffee world. Simply Beans knows this well. The Queensland-based roasting company started in 2009 out of the garage of Founder Giuseppe ‘Joe’ Anapo, where success came quickly which prompted the company to consider expanding their services.

“We were roasting strictly for wholesale,” Giuseppe says. “We had to strike while the iron was hot, and so we went into retail right away.”

By 2012, Simply Beans had moved its wholesale and retail operations into a factory, and opened an espresso bar to showcase its range to the public.

“We wanted to offer an experience that shows there’s more out there than just café blends,” Giuseppe says. “As we got bigger and bigger in the retail shop, we were certainly getting different clientele that wanted that unique coffee experience.”

When searching for a complementary coffee machine, Giuseppe looked for a workhorse that could best match the demand the espresso bar was seeing.

After researching online, he found the Tempesta multi-boiler machine from Barista Attitude, distributed through Australian distributor Coffee Works Express (CWE). It didn’t take long for this machine to impress Simply Beans’ staff, who took a liking to its features and design.

The Tempesta multi-boiler machine is the World Barista Championship Qualified Espresso Machine until 2025.

The machine was designed to enhance the user experience and put the barista in the spotlight.

Giuseppe says the Tempesta does just that, and has helped increase quality of coffee and enhanced its flavour profile.

“The fruitiness that comes out during the extraction is like nothing I’ve seen,” he says.

“We’ve told our customers that there is a huge difference in quality, and they’re starting to notice too. Once we find the right taste, we tend to just stay with it.”

The Tempesta’s touchscreen interface is easy to navigate and gives the barista the power to control the brewing of the coffee with displays on each group head monitoring performance and extraction data in real-time. This includes information and adjustability on pre-infusion, pressure, flow and brewing and water temperature, extraction time, and the profile for

With the multi-boiler system, the operator can control pre-infusion and individual temperature settings on each group, to be changed with a precision

Giuseppe adds the compact nature of the machine allows two baristas to use it at once without getting in each other’s way.

Even with Tempesta’s long steam arms, baristas can easily adjust the wand’s position and control the speed of steam via a lever for preferred consistency and texture. Its Super Dry technology without

the need for additional water also helps optimise the texturing of dairy and dairy-alternative options.

And it’s not just the quality output that customers are noticing.

“How it looks is a real wow factor,” Giuseppe says. “It looks polished and finessed at all times.”

Giuseppe says Simply Beans remains committed to the Tempesta due to its quality and the service machine distributor CWE provides.

“CWE is a 10 out of 10 when it comes to us wanting feedback, information, and support,” he says. “I can ring anyone anytime for help.”

CWE supports its customers with training on installation of machines, and can provide further on-the-job assistance through direct conversations and via digital communication of pictures and diagrams to better illustrate how each machine works.

“I’m not a tech-savvy person. I prefer to get on the phone, and CWE are just marvellous with that,” says Giuseppe.

Giuseppe credits the team at CWE and the Tempesta and for allowing Simply Beans to grow into the business it is today.

“[The Tempesta] really stands true, and that’s why we love it so much,” Giuseppe says. “When you’re on a good thing, you just stick with it.”

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

Queensland roaster Simply Beans discusses how the Barista Attitude Tempesta multi-boiler has helped the business grow and expand its offerings.

The Tempesta multi-boiler is easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing to Simply Beans customers.

Simply Beans Founder Giuseppe ‘Joe’ Anapo has been pleased with the Tempesta multi-boiler.

Image: Simply Beans

Image: Simply Beans

Planet friendly inside and out.

Plant-based caps

Cartons made from 85% renewable materials!

Double

A helping hand

Co-founder

offee roasting company

Double Roasters opened operations in 2010 with Cofounders Scott Robertson, Gary Parkes, and James Brown. The trio had worked together in past cafés but decided to pivot to the other side of the coffee industry to control the end result.

“At the time, James and Gary had a café and I just sold my own café. We had the same complaints about our coffee roaster suppliers, which inspired us to jump in and do it ourselves,” says Scott.

In 2012, the group purchased a 210 square metre warehouse in Marrickville, New South Wales, and soon realised they’d need to expand.

“We were roasting seven days a week just to keep up with demand on a 15-kilogram roaster, which was exhausting,” says Scott.

As such, the Double Roasters team started to think big, and explore what kind of features they wanted from a new roaster.

“By far, the biggest thing we were looking for was automation, so we could take some of the physical part of the job out,” Scott says. “The idea was to get away from the heavy lifting and to have more energy to spend on the coffee side of things.”

Scott says they felt the time was right to

stop looking at small capacity roasters and focus on larger, more industrial equipment that could still produce an artisan product for their growing business.

Double Roasters turned to Roastquip, a consultation company and IMF Australasian agent and distributor, which connected them to the Italian manufacturer’s 60-kilogram roaster.

Roastquip Director Will Notaras then designed a roasting plant to accommodate the fit-out in under 80 square metres of space to include six IMF integrated onetonne silos and a 200-kilogram blender. It provides Double Roasters with the capacity to grow, and enough automation to free-up time for the co-founders to conduct more research and development, and introduce more products.

When green beans arrive at the factory, Double Roasters transport the coffee into the silo hopper using a forklift, before loading it into the appropriate silo. This ensures no manual lifting.

The IMF roaster uses load cells on the silos to weigh the coffee as it’s loaded into the roaster hopper. After roasting and destoning, the IMF software is programmed to load each origin according to the set recipe, and automatically sends it to the blender hopper to discharge once complete.

“When we integrated the silo system, we knew we could then separate two sides of production: loading the silo, and roasting and blending the coffee,” Scott says. “We couldn’t believe the volume we could produce in such a small time frame.”

Between roasts, it takes about 90 seconds for the temperature to reset until the next load is dropped into the drum. This enables up to four batches of 60 kilograms per hour of roasting and saves gas due to reduced waiting times between roasts.

“Ten years ago, not a lot of people were thinking about how much gas we were using, particularly when we were running systems with a separate afterburner,” says Scott. “One of the things we liked [about the IMF roaster] was not using as much gas.”

The IMF roaster uses one burner. It simultaneously heats the beans and incinerates the emissions, then recirculates the heat, saving up to 47 per cent in gas consumption.

Scott says the adaptability of the roaster has stood out, as the control of operations still very much remains with the user and

not the machine.

“While we wanted to automate production, we still wanted to be fully involved in the process,” he says.

“Although it’s a 60-kilogram roaster, we can roast 15 kilograms [of coffee] in it. Even though there’s a silo system, you can bypass it and load the coffee directly to the roaster.”

While the roaster has seldom caused any problems for Scott and Double Roasters, he takes reassurance in knowing that he can receive help whenever it’s needed.

“Will is always available if we require support and we keep in contact,” says Scott.

“Our roaster connects to the internet and any issues can be diagnosed quickly.”

Scott adds that customers who have toured the Double Roasters facility have been noticeably impressed with the IMF machine.

“Our roaster is 10 years old now, but it still looks and performs like brand new,” he says.

Scott says the IMF roaster has been paramount in building successful relationships with his café partners, which he believes should continue well into the future.

“The fact that I can keep long relationships with customers is because we’re able to keep consistent with the product,” he says. “If you were to ask café owners what they really want, it would be the same coffee every week.

“We can achieve consistency, and it’s helped us grow to what we are now.”

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

Roasters

Scott Robertson on how Roastquip and IMF has helped grow the business and put it on the path to success.

Double Roasters Co-founder Scott Robertson says the IMF 60 kilogram roaster has been instrumental to the growth of his business.

The 60-kilogram roaster has six IMF integrated one-tonne silos and a 200-kilogram blender.

Hot off the AeroPress

Coffee Tools Distributing debuts the new AeroPress XL and Clear coffee maker models in time for the World AeroPress Championship to descend on Australia.

Nearly 20 years after the AeroPress was created, the cylindrical and versatile coffee brewer is getting an upgrade, many in fact. Under the ownership of Tiny Capital, the iconic coffee maker and three-in-one brew technology has now expanded to include the AeroPress XL, Clear and Premium, which will be available in Australia from exclusive distributor Coffee Tools Distributing.

“These models have been highly requested for years and are really nice complements to the original AeroPress device,” says Coffee Tools Distributing Director Curtis Arnold.

The AeroPress Clear is made with crystal clear, shatterproof Tritan material that can withstand the weight of a vehicle.

“The Clear model combines the best of several brew methods into one easy-to-use, very portable device. It’s compact, durable, and lightweight,” Curtis says.

The AeroPress XL is the same iconic press, made with the same patented technology, but with double the capacity. It includes a 20-ounce carafe made of Tritan and features new branding and an updated logo.

“With a volume of up to 600-millilitres, the XL can brew up to six shots of espresso style coffee, or up to two cups of coffee in just one press,” says Curtis.

“These AeroPress products received a lot of attention at the 2023 Melbourne

International Coffee Expo. It’s great to see such uptake in the Australian coffee community for such a longstanding product.”

The AeroPress Premium, due to be available from Coffee Tools Distributing in 2024, will feature a construction of glass, stainless steel, and aluminium instead of the usual plastic.

“The premium materials and attractive design will also make it a standout piece on any coffee bar,” Curtis says.

To pair with the new models, AeroPress has also released some new accessories to enhance the brewing process.

“The AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap uses a pressure-actuated valve to eliminate drip through and maximise control over the brew process. Unlike others, this cap fits perfectly on AeroPress Original, AeroPress Go and AeroPress Clear coffee makers and can be used with metal and paper filters, together or separately,” Curtis says.

“The Stainless Steel Filter is a reusable metal coffee filter that keeps out grounds but allows flavourful oils to pass through for full-bodied coffee. Made from premium grade 316 stainless steel, it’s ideal for home, office, or travel, and is sustainable and easy to clean. The filter is also compatible with AeroPress Original, Clear and Go coffee makers.”

Curtis says the new versions of the AeroPress come at the perfect time, with the 2023 World AeroPress Championship taking place from 1 to 3 December in Melbourne, Australia, on the event’s 15th anniversary.

“We’ve always been involved with the competition, especially at the Australian level, and have had a long working relationship with the organisers. It’s important to our company to show our support for the brand and for the product, especially this year with the world championship taking place in Australia,” he says.

After a series of state competitions, the Australian National AeroPress Championship will take place on 1 December at Fieldwork Coffee before the World Final from 2 December.

The global coffee-making competition is designed to find the world’s best cup of AeroPress coffee. Each season is comprised of a series of regional and national competitions, run by independent hosts across 60 countries, which culminates with

the World AeroPress Championship final. The competition is a multi-round elimination tournament. In each round, three competitors will face off against each other, simultaneously brewing a single cup of coffee using the AeroPress brewer.

The judges evaluate each coffee and make their own assessment as to which is the best, based solely on personal preference. On the count of three, the judges simultaneously point to their favourite coffee, moving the winner on to the next round while eliminating the losers.

“It’s pretty rare that you have a competition like this spring up around a product, especially a simple tool like the AeroPress. It’s really cool to be a part of this phenomenon,” Curtis says.

For more information, visit www.coffeetools.supply

The AeroPress XL has double the capacity of the original AeroPress.

The AeroPress Clear is made with crystal clear, shatterproof Tritan material.

With Liddells your customers can have the freedom to enjoy the delicious taste and nutrition of real Australian dairy without the lactose.

A world of opportunity

BeanScene talks to Merlo Coffee Trainer Ryan Howell about his journey in the coffee industry and how the roaster creates career opportunities beyond the roastery.

through organised regional events across Merlo Coffee’s wholesale network.

“Our customer-base it quite widespread, so we’ve hosted pop-up events from Coolum Beach to Burleigh Heads, right up to Rockhampton. We educate attendees on how we source coffee, where Merlo fits in the specialty market, and provide more information about quality coffee,” he says.

“I’ve always appreciated when people take the time to pass their knowledge on to me, so I find it really fulfilling to be able to do the same for others. It’s another accomplishment I’ve been able to achieve thanks to Merlo.”

yan Howell is no stranger to the coffee scene. Having begun his coffee endeavours at the age of 15, Ryan has explored much of what the café industry has to offer, working at different coffee shops before his own family joined the profession.

“My parents opened their own coffee shop called Steel and Grind six years ago. I was helping dad fit out the shop and ended up getting in contact with Merlo. We really appreciated their advice and support, so my parents became wholesalers of theirs. When an opportunity came up to roast for them directly, I jumped on it,” says Merlo Coffee Trainer Ryan.

“I love that I can be a part of a company that fosters my passion for great coffee and service, facilitating growth in any area of interest.”

Ryan spent two years as part of Merlo Coffee’s roasting team, experimenting, finessing, and perfecting the ultimate roast profile and blend, then returned to his parent’s café to help manage the business.

“I went back to give mum and dad a hand. A few months later, Merlo reached out with another job opportunity to work for them as a coffee trainer. I was grateful for the experience and eager to keep my relationship with the team, so I agreed,” says Ryan.

“These opportunities come up so rarely, so I feel very lucky to have had so many roles at Merlo. They’ve always

accommodated my willingness to learn and try new things, which has allowed me to grow my knowledge and experience in the coffee space.”

Ryan is currently working with wholesale partners as a coffee trainer, sharing his love and knowledge of coffee, coaching them in mastering the art of coffee excellence, and educating them on the importance of specialty coffee.

“I can work with trainees on-site in their café, remotely through an online training session, or at our training facility located in Fortitude Valley. We offer one-on-one or group sessions personalised to suit your requirements, level of expertise, and areas of interest,” Ryan says.

As part of his current role, Ryan is actively showcasing his skills and knowledge

To further enrich his knowledge of coffee, Ryan was given the opportunity to visit Papua New Guinea in June 2023 to experience the farmer’s point of view, and the quality aspects that go into harvesting and processing the coffee.

“As my first trip to origin, it was absolutely unreal. I didn’t know what to expect, but seeing the dedication that goes into growing coffee beans was extremely gratifying. I think origin trips are so important, especially for roasting companies that are far removed from the start of the coffee journey. It puts everything in perspective and reminds you how much works goes into creating the perfect bean,” Ryan says.

The coffee trainer visited the Chimbu Province and Eastern and Western Highlands, and the Kabiufa Riverside and Kenta mills.

“Consistency of quality is extremely important for Merlo, so seeing this firsthand and establishing relationships with our suppliers is critical in the supply chain process,” Ryan says.

Growing up around coffee and in the hospitality industry, Ryan understands the importance of good customer service and serving a high-quality cup of coffee. He is currently training to become a Q-Grader to round out his coffee expertise.

“I think the next realistic step for me is getting into green bean buying. Whether that’s the path I go down, or getting into Q-grading or exporting, I hope it’s with Merlo,” he says.

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

Ryan Howell is a Merlo Coffee Trainer.

Ryan completed his first trip to origin in June 2023.

Many café operators will attest that any one day is not like the other.

For café owners and workers alike, being flexible and prepared to adapt to any customer request or pivot to meet and upand-coming beverage trends is paramount to running a successful business.

Thankfully, being amendable to daily café needs is what Kelly’s Distributors aims to assist with. The Queenslandbased beverage and alternative milk distributor first arrived on the market in 2001, and over the past 22 years, has remained a family-owned business. Founder Reffik Dada is company Director, son Ahsan is General Manager, and wife Hameeda assists with communication, administration and accounts.

“[When we started], we only had four staff members,” says Ahsan Dada. “Now, we’ve grown to over 60.”

Kelly’s Distributors offers a variety of products Australia-wide for the hospitality industry, as well as other sectors. This includes an assortment of dairy and various plant-based milks, waters, carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and cold pressed juices.

The range also extends to additional premium café products, such as syrups, drink flavourings, biscuits, sugars, beverage pumps, coffee machine cleaners and other non-perishables. Ahsan says anyone is welcome to purchase from Kelly’s Distributors.

“We have something for everyone,” Ahsan says. “It’s unfair for us to promote any one product over another. We offer a complete range of products, and we value them all.”

Ahsan says prioritising Kelly’s

One team, one dream

Distributors product range for the coffee market been a core focus in recent years.

“Coffee is one of the more popular drinks in the world,” he says. “We want to be a one stop shop for cafés, which is why we offer a range of ancillary products to support them.”

Kelly’s Distributors is able to accomplish this by controlling multiple stages of the supply process, including faster delivery.

The company also distributes and installs fridges for cafés, with options including one- or two-door display fridges, as well as small countertop units to keep Kelly’s Distributors’ products cool.

Café customers can choose to purchase items directly through the company’s sales team, website, phone, social media, or via the official Kelly’s Distributors’ app.

Introduced in 2021, the app allows businesses to register an account and access Kelly’s Distributors’ comprehensive range of features, including its full menu, ongoing promotions, pricing, and delivery.

The team at Kelly’s Distributors are ready to assist customers when needed, offering a range of contact options to address any potential concerns.

“Customers can also message us via Facebook or Instagram, and even give us a call,” Ahsan says.

The company also provides social media assistance and advice to its customers, including how to craft posts and strategise advertising campaigns for distributed products.

Despite the pivot to online distribution, Ahsan says the company’s 17 sales members work hard to establish a working connection with clients.

“For customers who want to enjoy a personal interaction, we have a team of

sales representatives that can go and visit in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast as well as Northern New South Wales,” he says.

“We try to build relationships with customers through trust, communication, and words. We have a great support team, and we want to celebrate our successes together.”

Ahsan says the company’s sales strategy is a reflection of its values.

“Honesty is a big communicating factor for us,” he says. “We believe in being upfront and forthcoming with our customers and ourselves.”

Ahsan says Kelly’s Distributors also values accountability in its sales operations. As such, he says the company learns from past experiences and demonstrates a commitment to keep improving. In this way, Ahsan says trust is formed between its clients, and a growing reputation that the company it is keen to take into new markets.

The company believes customers choose Kelly’s Distributors for its mix of products, pricing, fast daily delivery times, its responsiveness to giving new customers quotes, and its ability to buy and keep stock.

To further improve its customer service, the company has introduced a new barcoding system in its warehouse, which aims to improve serviceability for its customer database, and allow Kelly’s Distributors to venture into new locations and industries.

Ahsan says this is a result that’s attributed to the team’s contribution and success.

“It’s about all of us, not just us as the company,” he says. “It’s one team sharing one dream.”

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

Kelly’s Distributors discusses its wide range of café products, and how the company works to establish trust and connection using a customer-centric model.

General Manager Ahsan Dada (right) engages with members of the Kelly’s Distributors sales team.

Image: Tetiana Iurko

Class in session

ou’re never too old to go back to school, according to Grinders Coffee Ambassador Jonathan Goldthorpe. For café owners and baristas alike, Jonathan says Grinders Coffee Roasters’ Immersion program is the ideal training opportunity to expand skillsets and gain valuable coffee industry knowledge.

“We wanted to give [our customers] something over and above just supplying great tasting coffee,” says Jonathan. “We looked at what was going on in the industry over the last couple of years in terms of trends, and how we can communicate what we found to our customers to help them out with their businesses.”

With these lessons, the team at Grinders constructed a series of classes that addresses key issues and learnings for café customers in today’s evolving environment, such as branding, and how to market on social media. This was the first masterclass topic Jonathan hosted with industry experts Ben Bicknell and Mirko Bonmassar from marketing agency Social Fixation.

“The best cafés nowadays all have their own brand and identity, and they’ve been able to incorporate it into every single part of their business,” Jonathan says. “Whether it’s through their food, their service, or even a logo on the wall, the brand is there.

“Social media is easy, cost effective, and a great way for you to communicate with a larger audience.”

While social media is popular in mainstream culture, Jonathan says it can get forgotten by cafés that are solely focused on day-to-day operations.

“One of the challenges we found with our customers is that they don’t have time to [post to social media] themselves,” he says. “[The class] looks at other options cafés have for those that might not be comfortable with social media or just simply don’t have the time.

“I think the biggest mistake is not utilising [social media]. It can take a lot of time, but constantly communicating with your customers and engaging with them is very important.”

In the second masterclass, Grinders’ Dale Pollard and Jonathan discussed the benefits and brewing techniques associated with single origin coffee, and how to effectively market new additions to a café’s menu.

“We want to make single origin brewing techniques accessible at an entry level for

customers that aren’t currently offering it,” Jonathan says.

“It’s really good for your café’s credibility, and it’s an effective way to get an upsell for a premium product. It also adds extra variety that allows you to attract a new type of coffee drinker to your venue that might not have come in otherwise.”

In the third masterclass, Shaun De Vries from Open Pantry Consulting and Beck Bachelor of Beechworth Bakeries discussed how cafés can improve their customer service, and create a positive environment, which can lead to better customer retention. Jonathan says a large contributing factor is having the right people on your team.

“The cafés that did well during lockdowns were the ones that provided a great customer experience, so it’s certainly something that has grown in importance over the last few years,” he says. “We want to talk about how you can find the right staff, how you can advertise job vacancies, and how to create a good onboarding process for new staff.”

Full Immersion was the final part of the program. The day began with a welcome breakfast and meet-and-greet before World Latte Art Champion 2015 Caleb Cha took attendees through a latte art masterclass. Meanwhile, the Grinders team conducted a brewing class, roastery tour, and coffee cupping session, before concluding with a dinner function.

Throughout the Immersion program, café owners and baristas are encouraged to network through online channels the Grinders team set up. Jonathan says creating a support network is a crucial part of the experience, which is why the major event, the Full Immersion, began with a welcome

breakfast and meet-and-greet before concluding with a dinner function.

“If you talk to your competing café 100 metres down the road, they’re not going to share too much information that would help you out,” he says. “However, if there’s a café on the other side of town that you’re not in competition with who uses the same supplier, they’ll be able to give you some helpful advice.

“We want to connect these cafés so they can talk through issues they’re having, whether it be contracts, leasing agreements, whatever. They might have gone through similar problems so they can lend a hand when needed.”

Jonathan says Grinders’ initial trial classes were a great success, and the company has plenty of faith in continuing the program going forward.

“We got some really positive feedback from customers,” he says. “It built a lot of faith in our brand and what we can offer.”

This year’s program was restricted to select Victorian Grinders’ customers, but Immersion will be launched nationwide as early as next year. One major change is incorporating more live streams so that the program is easy to attend, and prevents baristas travelling far from their venues.

“A lot of what we did was face-to-face,” Jonathan says. “It’s hard to get café owners in one spot all at the same time, so we want to work out the best way to get in front of more people, while retaining a personal touch.

“We want our customers to feel as strongly about our brand and our products as we do.”

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

Grinders Coffee Roasters talks to BeanScene about how its new Immersion program can help cafés improve their operations while helping each other learn.

The 2023 Immersion Program team celebrate a successful launch of the event.

The face of burrs

he next time you stare at a Mahlkönig grinder burr, take a moment to look at the intricacies of the perfectly round disc and its precisely aligned teeth that fit into the grinder motor like a hand fits a glove.

Then take a moment to appreciate the nearly 100 years of research and development German manufacturer Hemro Group has devoted to the global coffee industry to ensure it remains a leader of burr innovation.

“It may not be very visible to the market when you look at a Mahlkönig burr, but the level of research that goes into it compared to other counterparts is significant. Our burrs have evolved quite considerably,” says Dr. Arnaldo Rodrigues, Hemro Group Global Head of Innovation and Technology.

Arnaldo says one of the biggest innovations in burr development at Hemro Group has been materialisation so that burr performance can be retained and sustained over a long period of time. This involves exploring new burr and teeth geometries, and new combinations on a continuous basis, as well as scientific explorations and monitoring of electrostatics and heat. Hemro Group’s research and development team even also looks at how burrs can help extract new coffee flavours and experiences.

“Regulatory standards have become tighter and tighter, which has pushed us

even further. This is what makes us very special in the area of burrs, because we understand the standards extremely well and bring to the market products that respond to those standards,” he says.

Hemro Group, which embraces international brands Mahlkönig, Ditting, Anfim, and HeyCafé, has devoted its time and resources to development of flat burr technology due to their versatility in adjusting to perfect particle size distribution, and achieving desired aromas and taste outcomes. Conical burrs can do the same to some extent, however Arnaldo

says their level of agility or robustness is quite limited.

He says flat burrs can also be dimensionally controlled at a much higher degree than conical burrs, meaning the geometry, when machined from a disk, can control the dimension and accuracy of every tooth.

Over the years, Hemro Group has improved its burr manufacturing processes with lean methodologies and robotics at its Hamburg factory to ensure it can produce consistently high-quality products as one of the largest suppliers of

Hemro Group explains why original burr replacement is crucial to optimal performance and product longevity, and the impact imitation burrs have on grinder safety, lifecycle, and cup results.

Hemro Group is one of the largest suppliers of flat burrs in the world.

Hemro Group has improved its burr manufacturing processes with robotics at its Hamburg factory.

flat burrs in the world.

“It means we have to speed up the pace of production without compromising quality,” Arnaldo says. “What we’ve been doing over the years is introduce machineries that are fully automated to produce our burrs in very fast time. The other part that is not accelerated however, is the treatment of the burrs to harden them to make sure they sustain a long lifetime in their application.”

The longevity of a typical Mahlkönig flat steel burr is a minimum 2000 kilograms of coffee, and can go as much as 3000 kilograms depending on materialisation. Arnaldo says this lifecycle is measured against light roasted coffee because it’s harder and will therefore have higher wear properties on the burrs.

To ensure the grinder operates at optimal performance, burr replacement is inevitable. At such a time, however, Arnaldo stresses it is extremely important to visit a Hemro Group distributor for authentic replacement parts of Mahlkönig burrs.

He says by nature, humans are experimentalists who look to try different things, such as imitation burrs, however, a lack of experience and research can often result in a miscalculated risk.

“Burrs are not just a question of just plug and play. There is a lot of evidence you need to build behind what you’re putting into your products,” Arnaldo says.

Things like materialisation and food safety tests are important, with varying standards per country. Hemro’s burrs however, are certified from a food safety point of view, and for cycle times.

“If you have another burr that has a different cycle time to what we have, then you have a product that is completely non-compliant because you need to meet the cycle times that are registered on the grinder. If you’ve got a burr that is producing less or more, you have a problem already,” Arnaldo says.

“When we are designing burrs, we are not designing only the burr. We are designing a system. The entire grinder is the system, and in the system you need to make sure that everything is very well integrated. That means when a burr is producing a certain power, it needs to have a motor that is very coherent. It’s working in a way that is in harmony with the burr, but there’s also all the other electronics behind that. When you are operating a burr, you are not just operating the burr you’re operating the entire machine.”

Typical burr development takes one to two years. It needs to marry to the right motor, the electronics, and have optimal heat management within the grinder.

“As soon as you change that, it’s basically like taking a normal car and putting truck wheels on it. You could completely change the dynamic of the vehicle by [using an

unauthorised product]. It makes a huge difference. [Other imitation burrs] may work, but there is a chance you could get it quite wrong, and suddenly the results you were expecting will not be achieved.”

Arnaldo says imitation burrs may initially operate well, but then suddenly elements start to malfunction, such as blockage issues, overheating, hotter coffee, and eventually impact on the coffee taste.

“When you have original burrs in there, however, things like starting the grinder, clogging, retention, electrostatics, heat – all these elements – are quite stable,” he says.

Hemro Group has shared a lot of material on its website to inform its customers on the dangers of imitation burrs, liability, safety, and warranty, including articles, videos, and detail on the level of investment in research and technology development to ensure the integrity and

quality of its products is maintained. Equally, users of Hemro Group burrs can liaise with certified distributors and service partners, who are trained via the Hemro Group network, to ensure correct and official replacement burrs are used.

“Hemro is dedicated and passionate about making sure is products are good, because we live and breathe that. We definitely want to pioneer and be the best out there, so we put a lot of emphasis on that,” Arnaldo says.

To help retain that status, Arnaldo and his research team are committed to best burr practices and design. In the past year, they set up a comprehensive set of test benches with different grinding chambers and different burs, to study the torque and heat behaviour of the burrs, as well as power consumption, retention, and electrostatics.

Each was run under different scenarios, such as revolutions per minute for the burrs, before Arnaldo’s team tried to ‘parameterise the burr’, changing the geometry of the teeth ever so slightly to understand how it influences different behaviours within the grinding environment.

“Is it heat? Is it more or less power consumption? We try to get to some optimum, which we call the highest efficiency, such that we have a very efficient system integration where the burr is working pretty well with the motor with regards to electrostatics, retention, all these aspects. That’s how we classify our burrs nowadays, making sure that they have really low power consumption, which then generates less heat that’s passed on to the coffee,” Arnaldo says. “This research is just part of our devotion to the future development of burr technology.”

For more information, visit www.hemrogroup.com/en/ component-solutions

Hemro Group says original burrs ensure integrity and quality of its products. Imitation burrs come with significant risks.

A Mahlkönig grinder’s burrs must work in harmony with the motor.

Sourcing success

Buying quality specialty coffee is at the heart of what Campos Coffee does. The Sydney-based roaster imports specialty coffees from a wide range of origins around the world. Campos Coffee Head of Coffee Adam Matheson says it aims to purchase 100 per cent of its coffee direct, from individual farmers or cooperatives that many smallholder farmers belong to.

“Purchasing direct means that we are determined to achieve a mutually beneficial form of trade with these producers, one that strengthens relationships through discussion and information sharing,” says Adam.

“We have endeavoured to build and cultivate such direct relationships with farmers and producers since we began purchasing direct in 2010, and are gratified to have many of those relationships continuing to this day.”

Campos Coffee’s purchasing philosophy is driven by five core principles: sustainability, quality, long-term relationships, traceability, and transparency.

“We believe that coffee only tastes good when each of these principles is met, and we are proud to consider each of them carefully with every purchase we make,” Adam says.

To drive economic sustainability, Adam

says Campos Coffee’s role as a coffee buyer is to help more producers move up the quality spectrum and in turn, increase the price they are paid for their coffee.

“By paying a fair price for quality coffees and by committing to contracts that extend beyond the current harvest season, we believe farmers can reach a level of economic sustainability that not only provides them with a sufficient income but allows them to invest in methods that will improve their quality in the future, and for future generations,” he says.

Campos Coffee advocates for environmental sustainability through green bean exporter Caravela. This is one of its key partners for purchases from Colombia, Peru, and Central America, which has spent more than 20 years working with smallholder farmers throughout Central and South America. Caravela’s Grower Education Program (PECA) for farmers and their children has a mission to engage the next generation of coffee farmers. This is achieved through an analytical and sciencebased approach to maintaining profitable farm operations, with a focus on quality and sustainability.

“In 2022, Campos Coffee purchased over 41 containers of coffee from Caravela, which equates to over US$180,000 (about

AUD$260,000) that went directly to the PECA program,” Adam says.

“We are also mindful of our effect on the environment and seek to lessen our impact. Our Supplier Code of Conduct emphasises pollution prevention, waste minimisation, and environmental impact management.”

To further promote its purchasing philosophy, Adam describes Campos Coffee’s focus on quality as “unyielding”.

“We hold several daily cupping sessions of our roast batches, and we record thorough analysis in these sessions that is used to continually improve roast quality. We also frequently check the physical attributes of the green beans we purchase to ensure they are stored in prime conditions and are used within their peak quality window,” he says.

“In doing this, not only are we able to provide our customers with the perfect cup of coffee every time, but we are also ensuring the efforts of producers to reach their quality goals are followed through on our end in roasting and brewing.”

Campos Coffee is proud of its longlasting producer partnerships. More than 60 per cent of its coffee is purchased through relationships it has held for more than seven years. Campos Coffee Green Bean Buyer Lloyd Thom recently visited the El Jordan

Campos Coffee unveils its new sourcing principles, which the roaster believes are a key part of developing a true and transparent culture across the specialty coffee supply chain.

Campos Coffee visited El Jordan specialty producer group in Colombia in July 2023.

specialty producer group in Tolima, Colombia in July 2023, a group it has partnered with for more than 10 years.

“This was my first trip back to origin since November 2019. For me, it was equal parts surreal and familiar. It felt like coming home. It was really important for me to visit this group as they’re a quintessential example of each of our principles in action,” Lloyd says.

“Prior to 2019, we were conducting four to five trips to origin a year. I was so excited to bring the team back on another origin trip and show them not only the sheer remoteness, but the impossibility and miracle of the journey that coffee goes on.”

Lloyd says the team spends a lot of time on the ground at origin, in some of the most remote places in the world.

“We look at the latest harvest, we roast, we taste, and we work with our partners to find new ways to deliver a better crop than the one before. For us, this is the ultimate win-win. With better crops, our producers receive higher prices, which means greater

investment in their communities. We know that impact doesn’t come from paying a good price once. It comes from long-term commitment, consistency, and volume growth over time,” he says.

“We continue to search for new partners in new origins that we can build long-lasting relationships with.”

Campos Coffee values transparency in all relationships, and strives to be honest with both suppliers and customers.

“We are keen to be involved in ensuring producers are paid fairly for their coffee and choose to be active in helping shape a better, more sustainable future for coffee producers, of which we feel transparency plays a key part,” Lloyd says.

It’s important for Campos Coffee to know where its coffee purchases have come from, who spent their time cultivating and processing those coffees, and which communities were involved and impacted.

“We have adhered to this purchasing philosophy since 2010, and we are delighted to have reached a level where

over 99 per cent of our coffee purchases come through the direct relationships we have cultivated in that time,” says Adam.

“We believe that purchasing through direct relationships not only stimulates quality but also improves the livelihoods of farmers and producers.”

Lloyd is proud to consider each of Campos Coffee’s sourcing principles in every transaction and relationship he encounters.

“We consider [the sourcing principles] our guiding light and a measure of accountability to hold ourselves to. We think it’s critical for our success and a good example to set. There’s a mutual benefit to all parties involved when we have these principles at the centre of our decision making,” he says.

“It’s a good reflection of what we’re doing and holds us at a high standard that we can aspire to achieve in how we conduct business going forward.”

For more information, visit camposcoffee.com

Dr Mauricio Shattah (left) of Finca La Negrita speaks with Lloyd Thom, Campos Coffee’s Green Bean Buyer, on a recent trip to Colombia.

total solutions provider.

George created First Choice Coffee in the United Kingdom, sold it, then headed Down Under with his family to do it all again, this time with Tiger Coffee Pty Ltd, trading as Tiger Oceania. Starting in Australia in 2008, George commenced the company’s journey into the South Pacific, and the Tiger brand became an entity that is now the official distributor of Eversys in the Oceania region.

“We pride ourselves on being with the customer the whole way, providing not just great coffee machines, but sales solutions, customer support, as well as growth and maintenance opportunities. With Tiger, you’re really getting the complete package,” says George, Tiger Oceania CEO.

“We are the only coffee machine service provider that can reach you wherever you are with our own factory trained technicians. We do this for national contracts and meet our call-out deadlines 99 per cent of the time on average.”

George says he and his team are at the cutting edge of supplying, servicing, and maintaining automated coffee, milk and water solutions to the sophisticated palate of coffee lovers in this region.

“The service of coffee has come a long way in the last two decades and the experience gained from embracing old world rituals around the making of espresso and milk-based drinks like café latte, cappuccino or the infamous flat white, as well as cold coffee recipes using the most

advanced technology, is still a story to be told,” he says.

“If you are considering embracing the most innovative and technologically advanced professional coffee equipment available, the delivery of a transparent, fully comprehensive win-win contract is what the Tiger Oceania regional experience has evolved into.”

George says he is extremely proud that the Australian market now has one of the largest national fleets of Eversys coffee machines connected to telemetry.

Tiger Oceania National Business Development Manager David Lagana says the service the company provides starts from the moment he engages with clients.

“[Our consistent approach to business] is about understanding the customers’ needs to determine how we can best serve them and support them with a package that fulfils their requirements,” he says.

“Key to achieving that is connectivity. Features like two-way telemetry are unique online data analysis tools that allow for remote software integration, coffee profiling, milk monitoring and water management, as well as accommodating payment systems and contactless solutions.”

David says customers tend to lean on Tiger’s industry expertise and knowledge, and trust the company to offer the best solutions possible.

“The fact that we now have [National

300 jobs through telemetry, with 79.72 per cent of these being resolved without requiring a technician on-site. He says this speeds up the response time and enhances customer satisfaction.

“Telemetry revolutionises your coffee experience, effortlessly introducing new recipes and optimising extraction times across our Eversys machines,” he says.

“Beyond this, data-driven insights enable us to anticipate your needs, ensuring seamless coffee production by predicting filter replacements, and offering innovative

In 2012, Tiger initiated a partnership with Coles Supermarket Group, installing more than 200 self-serve coffee machines at Coles Express, now called Viva Energy. Today, almost 1000 Eversys models adorn Viva Energy Fuel locations and Coles supermarkets nationwide.

Tiger is also committed to innovative customer solutions. Before the 2020 Eversys Cameo launch, it deployed a fleet of its own Tiger Milk bladder fridges, saving 30,000 plastic bottles weekly. It conserved water and energy, and reduced cleaning time from 25 to nine minutes. This also translates into weekly power savings, approaching one million dollars annually, says Paul.

Tiger’s commitment to adaptability is also evident. When Viva Energy sought iced coffee and customer-focused ads, Tiger updated its entire fleet via laptop software.

Tiger Oceania looks forward to increasing its pawprint across the Pacific region, and giving clients and their customers a consistent, high quality specialty coffee experience.

“As automation is now readily accepted and accessible worldwide, we always have our finger on the pulse,” George says.

“At Tiger Oceania, we craft an unparalleled coffee experience that combines innovation, sustainability, and customer engagement. Join us on this exciting journey.”

For more information, visit tigeroceania.com

Tiger Oceania is the official distributor of Eversys in the Oceania region.

George Miller is the Founder and CEO of Tiger Oceania.

Dalla Corte’s pursuit of helping baristas through automation comes from the perspective of amplifying the abilities of the barista by working in the background.

“Generally, one of the hardest parts of barista training is teaching baristas how to maintain a consistent coffee extraction and to modify grinder settings to ensure this,” says Boris Georgiou, Product Manager at Australian Beverage Corporation, Australian importer of Dalla Corte.

With inconsistencies in grind particle size drastically impacting extraction rate and cup results, Dalla Corte decided to control this coffee variable through a grind control system, where there is direct communication from the DC One grinder to the DC espresso machine. This communication takes place through a physical cable so there’s no potential for electrical interference or dropout.

Using the grind control system, considered “the hallmark of Dalla Corte automation” according to Boris, the espresso machine cues the grinder to self-adjust, based on set percentages of shot time accuracy to ensure precise grinding over time in different operating environments.

The DC One grinder uses a motor drive and has three levels of precise grind adjustment: 1, .05, and .025 millimetres, which ensures consistent and precise changes when required.

Even with the automatic functions of the grind adjustment process taken care of, control is still in the hands of the barista. The system only activates when coffee recipe deviation occurs.

“The way the system is designed is simple and smart, and even accounts for the volumetric time compensation required when grind adjustment happens,” says Boris. “Tuning the system to accurately compensate is very important. As long as the system is tuned correctly, you’re going to get a consistent result.”

Boris says Dalla Corte’s robust DC One grinder and the full espresso machine range have proven themselves capable of handling high volumes, as the technology has been in the market for a decade now.

“When looking at automation, it is important that the equipment can perform with continued precision under high levels of strain, or the automation will break down,” he says.

The Dalla Corte range, which includes the Icon, Zero, and Evo2, emphasise extraction precision through their unique design. There is no preheating required, meaning they are true independent multi-boilers.

Due to the design of Dalla Corte’s saturated mono-block heaters, proportional integral derivative system and flowmeters, Boris says the DC range has great thermal stability at the point of extraction.

“The Icon and the EVO2 are both temperature stable under 0.5°C, while the Zero is as close as 0.1°C,” Boris says.

This thermal stability allows for a more consistent flavour profile. Further to this, the flowmeters and flow restrictors are on cold water feed points in the hydraulic system, which helps avoid issues with lime scale, common in areas of Australia with hard water.

Boris adds that the Zero model has a new-generation flowmeter that is so

accurate it can calculate water delivery to 0.1 grams per second. This flowmeter, combined with a patented variable flow restrictor, allows reproducible pressure changes at the extraction point.

This ability to control flow rate allows the modulation of the pre-infusion, extraction, end stages of the espresso extraction, with the ability to impact coffee aroma, taste, and body.

“You can make the same coffee taste uniquely different with ease,” Boris says.

As Dalla Corte’s machine boilers are not interconnected through water temperature, meaning each boiler works independently of one another, the system has fewer heating points required to achieve precise temperature stability, ensuring energy savings.

Over 24-hour usage, a three-group DC EVO2 and Icon machine, for example, can save 0.960 kilowatts per standard operating hour, equating to around $1182.60 in savings per year, compared to a single boiler system, according to data based on 2006 IMQ testing protocol and NSW energy rates produced in May 2023.

The Dalla Corte range also features an online control system with two-way telematics and the ability to monitor volumetric, temperature settings, and operating parameters remotely.

This data is easily accessible via the company’s mobile responsive website and app.

“Inside the app, you can get a full snapshot and total control over the machines and grinders that are linked,” Boris says.

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

Australian Beverage Corporation’s Boris Georgiou discusses the Dalla Corte espresso equipment range, and how its automation features can best assist a busy team of baristas.

Zero, and Evo2 espresso machines

when Founder Frank Epping, a Germanbased roaster wanted to find a solution to a common problem in the coffee sector.

“The main concern was around how to make staff training easier,” says Latte Art Factory Sales Director Franjo Kis. “We wanted to somehow automate the milk-texturing process, but still have a traditional touch and feel.

“[The company] needed to create something to solve this because milk texturing takes the longest [to perfect] when training a barista. For a standard training course, it’s two full days of just steaming, while in cafés, the first month is focusing on just getting the milk right.”

Franjo says another early concern was making sure automation did not fully subtract from the customer’s experience.

This is what led to the creation of two Latte Art Factory flagship automated milk foaming models: the LAF Classic and the LAF Bar. Both machines utilise the same internal technology, with the main differences being storage space and design. The LAF Classic has everything in one conjoined unit while the under-counter LAF Bar offers a more minimalistic approach by separating the fridge, and modem from the dispensing outlet.

According to Franjo, what makes the technology behind the LAF unique is that it can produce the ideal texture without steam, using dry foam technology.

“Milk is pulled from the tank and pushed through a pump where it’s textured, before passing into the flowthrough heater, bringing it up to the ideal temperature” Franjo says. “The milk never passes 75°C, meaning we never damage the natural proteins and fats, which ensures the best flavour.”

The flow-through heater has adaptable settings, meaning the temperature can be adjusted to best accommodate the texture of plant-based milks, allowing the final product with latte art to be indistinguishable from

dairy milk. The heater can also turn off, allowing for the dispensing of cold foam.

According to Franjo, the customisation possibilities with Latte Art Factory are endless. Users can alter any stage of the milk texturing process, including milk density and temperature, through the settings tab on the interface touchscreen.

“[Changing settings] is very quick and easy” he says. “Overall, once you spend a bit of time with it, you start to get how it works. It’s that intuitive.”

Franjo says having a variety of milk options in the one machine opens a range of possibilities for a café.

“In our machine, you can have two different kinds of milk, with one tank of dairy and another tank of oat, for example,” he says. “Experimenting with different milks gives you a larger variety to provide customers, and it decreases the workload of baristas.”

“You’ll have an extra 15 to 20 seconds, and you can use that time to build customer relationships or even up-sell,” Franjo says. “Fifteen seconds, when you’re rushing, is a long time.”

Latte Art Factory has also been effective in reducing milk waste in cafés through its accurate pouring volume, which can be set in advance by the user according to their preference.

“You could be wasting 15 to 25 per cent of milk per steaming session,” says Franjo, something which can add up to thousands of dollars per year. “The machine gives you the opportunity to control precisely how much milk is used.”

Franjo says cafés so far have been very impressed with the machine and, that its technology is a valuable support to operators.

“Each machine in the market can connect to the cloud. It also has a VPN and IP address, which means the machines can be accessed remotely from anywhere around the world,” he says. “If something is wrong with the machine, [a Latte Art Factory technician] can log on to the system and jump into the settings to figure out the issue without having to come and visit.”

“This cloud technology is the first of its kind. We can also review statistics to analyse trends, allowing us to create more recipes, and conduct sales forecasts.”

The success of Latte Art Factory has been recognised worldwide. It won the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) award for Best New Product at the SCA Expo in Portland, as well as the World of Coffee conferences in Milan and Dubai over the last two years, a first in SCA history. The awards have allowed the company to establish itself as a key tool for cafés in today’s rapidly demanding environment.

“We see our machines as a solution that will soon be a necessity for every café, not just a product,” says Franjo.

For more information, visit www.latteartfactory.com

The Latte Art Factory milk-foaming technology is fully customisable.

Development Director Oceania David Downing was eager for the new equipment to make its debut Down Under, first, via a new showroom opening in Sydney, then at private events in Melbourne and Auckland before a big public showing.

“The Mytico line officially launched in Australia at the 2023 Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE). There are always some nerves when you’re introducing a new product like this, but as soon as the doors opened on Thursday [17 August], everyone made a beeline for our booth. We couldn’t have hoped for a better response from the market,” David says.

“MICE is recognised as the largest dedicated coffee show in the Southern Hemisphere, where the coffee industry in Australia comes together in one place, at one time. Therefore, it was clear for us that it would be the right place to unveil our new Mytico line to the Australian market.”

David says the Mytico line won the MICE2023 Product Innovation Award in the category of Coffee Preparation Equipment for its innovative and timeless design combined with state-of-the-art technology.

“For us [this award] means all the hard work we’ve put into the development has paid off,” says David. “We brought a system to the market that will support the coffee industry and help simplify the barista’s job. It’s never been easier to offer a consistent, high-quality coffee with the Mytico line now available in Australia.”

David says the product release was also the highlight of the opening of the state-of-the-art showroom, located at 17/36 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria in New South Wales. He says the modern space is a contemporary take on traditional European design to showcase the latest in professional coffee systems.

“The opening of the brand new, contemporary showroom in Sydney is a landmark moment for Franke Coffee Systems as a business,” says David. “The showroom offers partners the opportunity to explore the features of not only the

new Mytico machines, but the full range of Franke’s A-Line fully automatic coffee machines.”

Utilising Swiss integrated technology to create barista-grade coffee, the Mytico Due and Mytico Vario feature an Italian design, adding a premium touch to cafés and coffee shops globally.

“The machines’ Italian design is striking, flattering any countertop, and each machine features two coffee modules which aids overall output,” says Marco Zancolò, CEO of Franke Coffee Systems.

The two models can be tailored to suit any hospitality business’ needs, with the Mytico Due and Mytico Vario including patented Franke iQFlow intelligent coffee extraction technology.

Delivering a consistent high-quality coffee in each cup, the iQFlow technology enables a variety of users, from cafés to hotel chains, to create personalised flavour profiles. The uniform pressure applied during the extraction process efficiently extracts the aroma of each individual roasted coffee bean, with the automated machine designed for fast-paced environments.

“The Mytico line is a hospitality business owner’s best fit. Consumers want their daily coffee to meet their quality expectations and Franke Coffee Systems help to achieve this through its proven and tested coffee technologies that can be found in the Mytico line,” Marco says.

“While fully automated, the machines support barista efficiency, allowing baristas the time to engage with their customers, an

essential component of hospitality service. The Mytico Due and Mytico Vario are simple to use and require little training, helping new baristas feel comfortable and confident in the process.”

The Mytico range is the first to be released in Franke Coffee Systems’ latest product category, BeyondTraditional. Featuring a dual coffee module, Mytico Due and Mytico Vario can initiate individual brewing temperatures in its two different brewing units. The steam wand Autosteam S3 on the left side of each machine amplifies the machine’s automation, while still providing a traditional steam wand S1 on the right side for manual use.

Fully amalgamated into Franke’s Digital Services that help monitor the machine’s performance and functionality, the Mytico line can be operated remotely and tailored to the individual business’s needs.

The unveiling of the Mytico range comes as Franke Coffee Systems continues to grow its presence in the Oceania region, a nod to the company’s growing engagement in the Australian and New Zealand marketplace.

“We recognise the depth and importance of coffee culture in Australia and the demand for barista quality coffee being mass produced efficiently every day. The hands-on experience that consumers can now have in our new showroom provides a unique opportunity for business partners, now featuring the revolutionary Mytico Due and Mytico Vario machines,” David says.

For more information, visit mytico.franke.coffee

The Mytico line is on display at Franke Coffee Systems’ state-of-theart showroom in New South Wales.

fter taking home the 2023 Product Innovation Award for Coffee Accessories at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), Trimatt Founder Matt Johnson described the feeling of winning as “sensational” as he walked off stage, but those familiar with the packaging machine manufacturer know that it’s a welldeserved win.

“For us, it’s a recognition of the effort we make,” says Matt. “Any award would have been satisfying, but having the judges recognising a technology that’s totally unique was quite a thrill.”

Trimatt’s Product Innovation Award win has been 18 years in the making.

Founder Matt Johnson started Trimatt in 2005 when he set out a mission to help the packaging industry by incorporating automation into its operations through designing and fabricating fully automated product handling systems.

“I’ve always been involved in technology that helps businesses through automation,” says Matt.

“Automation for us is about helping businesses remain competitive, and to manufacture products that have a small footprint.”

Matt says sustainability is equally as important to Trimatt when designing an automation solution.

“When we were listening to our customers [about their packaging needed], they were all very mindful of footprint,” he says.

“We took that [into consideration], and we created a machine that’s versatile but also has a small footprint.”

Trimatt developed the ColourStar AQ

V, an all-in-one digital colour printer for sustainable paper and cardboard packaging.

The machine features an automated feeder, adjustable receiving tray, and a conveyor that takes the automation out of the packaging process and allows for an adaptable user experience.

“What makes it so versatile is its simple ability to change to different formats,” Matt says. “We’ve taken the machine and given it the ability to print the format of something as small as a business card to a large box that’s over 90 centimetres by 150 centimetres in size.

“That kind of changeover can occur in as little as five minutes.”

Simplicity of operation is also reflected in Trimatt’s ColourStar AQ V system, given one person is required to “drive” the machine.

“It does take operator training, and that’s also what we’re good at. Once a customer invests in a machine, we take the time to educate them on the technology, so they know how to use it and how to get the most out of the equipment,” Matt says.

Customer feedback fuelled the design process for the ColourStar AQ V, which Matt says was incredibly important to Trimatt.

“We consulted with the users of the machine, who were looking to use it with a broad range of products,” he says. “We worked with them to determine what the run lengths would be, what changeovers would look like, and the level of skill the user would need.

“We still get suggestions from clients, and generally we will build their suggestions into our future models.”

One such suggestion was for a machine

that incorporated the same technology of the AQ V, but for simpler, reduced operations.

As such, the ColourStar AQ LT is a smaller version of its predecessor, but retains the same quality of printing.

“We’re finding through consultation with roasters, the LT is a perfect fit because of its limited range, and by that we’ve been able to give businesses a choice,” says Matt. “Roasters are investing in the machine so they can print bags and boxes on a daily basis.”

Matt adds that the ColourStar AQ LT machine can print wholesale and retail coffee bags in 250-gram, 500-gram, or onekilogram sizes, as well as customise printing options for personalised branding.

Since receiving the 2023 MICE Product Innovation Award in August for the AQ V, Matt says the company has been flooded with congratulatory messages from customers.

“[Customers] are so surprised there’s an Australian company based in Melbourne making world-class products,” he says. “When I look around at exhibitions, I don’t normally see Australian-made products.”

To build on the success Trimatt has created, the company is looking to push innovation and find new printing and packaging solutions.

“We see other sectors in the market we can develop,” says Matt. “We have some exciting new products coming up, so we’ll be showing something new at MICE next year.

“We’re always working on something new, so it’s hard to predict what will come out next.”

For more information, visit www.trimat.com

the MICE Product Innovation Awards, and how its ColourStar machines can help roasters make a name for themselves.

Trimatt’s mission is to automate the packaging process through fully automated product handling systems.

suited to catering venues, hotels, and larger offices with greater power supply, and higher volume demand.

When designing a coffee machine for the office, Hamish says the most important factors are quality, footprint, and aesthetic.

“It has to be a small footprint that can easily be situated in a typical office kitchenette,” he says. “In terms of aesthetic, [the 1100S] is clean and sleek, perfect for a modern office space.”

The machine is the smallest across the WMF range at 50 centimetres high and 32.5 centimetres wide, which Hamish says makes it a practical office solution with minimal bench space required.

“You can move it around from office

that will alert the user,” Hamish says.

He says one of the more exciting and innovative features of the WMF range is its CoffeeConnect telemetry system, which tracks the machine’s performance, output, and servicing needs.

“We can connect to every machine remotely from our head office,” Hamish says. “We update recipes, marketing images and even provide insights on what people are drinking on an hourly basis, all without having to physically be on-site.”

He says the stigma around office coffee machines is a thing of the past with the increased quality of super-automatic coffee machines, and more specialty roasters like Industry Beans and Axil Coffee Roasters are

“A lot of specialty roasters have an existing presence in the CBD, so they are currently serving a large corporate demographic. They can further drive their offering into the workspace as their brands are already recognised by this market from their café and retail venues,” he says.

Hamish adds that providing highquality coffee in the office is also a way businesses can encourage their employees back into the workplace.

“The average coffee consumer now has a greater palate. People won’t settle for anything less.”

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

CHERRY SPECIALTY COFFEE

29 King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000 Open Monday to Friday 7am — 4pm

Cherry Specialty Coffee Co-founder Ramy Massoud says opening the business in 2022 is the product of a long journey in the hospitality industry. After working alongside Co-founder Adam Raslan when he was 19, the pair later reunited when Ramy proposed the idea of starting a business together.

“Adam and I started conjuring up the idea [of a café] and we kept working on it,” says Ramy. “We figured out what we wanted to do and where we wanted to do it, and we decided the city was the best place to do it.”

Ramy started working with Veneziano Coffee Roasters in 2011 as a barista, and later returned in 2015 as a Business Development Manager, a title he held for three years.

“I wanted to try something in the coffee industry, but not in coffee itself,” he says.

Ramy helped grow the wholesale side of the coffee roastery before returning to the café industry, but his contact with Veneziano Coffee Roasters never wavered.

“I still have a great relationship [with Veneziano],” he says. “We’ve worked very close together.”

That relationship extends to the coffee poured at Cherry Specialty Coffee. It includes Veneziano Coffee Roasters’ Soar blend, with espresso blends from the roaster’s alternating releases.

Ramy describes the look of Cherry Specialty Coffee as “medical” with its simplistic colour palette and subtle decorations.

“We wanted to create Cherry as a very clean, super fresh and bright espresso bar,” he says.

Ramy says Cherry Specialty Coffee’s point of difference is the way its staff interact with customers.

“What we found lacking with some cafés was the service,” he says. “Cherry is old school customer service with the best specialty coffee and equipment.”

One point of pride for Ramy and Adam has been the creation of the reserve menu, which offers a unique coffee selection using the Tone Touch 03 boiler that takes Cherry Specialty Coffee’s frozen coffee from 0°C to 94°C in two seconds.

“We wanted to create our version of a reserve collection like what wineries have,” says Ramy. “We’ve had these machines since day one.”

The café uses a La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine, which Ramy describes as “the best in the business” after researching machines prior to its opening.

Cherry Specialty Coffee offers a wide range of food, including baked goods from the nearby Jenny’s Bakery, that provides butter and almond croissants daily. Ramy says the café’s toasties have also become a popular choice among customers.

“All ciabatta bread and sandwiches are made in-house with our own ingredients and

secret techniques,” he says.

Less than one year old, Ramy says Cherry Specialty Coffee still has plenty of growing to do. After adding a third barista to the café’s roster, he is eager to continue the café’s growth.

“We’d love to see another Cherry one day. In one year’s time, if all goes well, we’d love to have another business potentially on the other side of the city, but that’s a longterm goal,” he says.

“When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. [Running the café] and not feeling like we’re working is the biggest accomplishment for us.”

The Tone Touch 03 boiler at Cherry Specialty Coffee heats up frozen coffee in just two seconds.

The café boasts a wide range of food, including baked goods from nearby Jenny’s Bakery.

Image: Cherry specialty coffee

THE GREENHOUSE AT CENTENNIAL PARK

Grand Drive,

Centennial Park, New South Wales, 2021

Open Monday to Sunday 6:30am — 4pm 0435 234 043

Among the picturesque scenery of Sydney’s Centennial Park is The Greenhouse, a modern café offering takeaway food and coffee for those visiting the lush grounds.

“Originally, it was just a glass box,” says Owner Tiago Conceicao. “We use quite a lot of green inside, and overall, the place has changed quite a bit over the years based on what people want.

“It’s a beautiful spot. You can come grab a coffee, sit under a tree, and lie in the grass.”

The café opened in 2015, when Tiago and his father David became aware of an available space in the heart of the park, with the building’s original design inspiring its unique name.

Tiago says his experience in the hospitality industry has been useful in growing his own business.

“I’ve always been in restaurants,” he says. “I’ve spent a bit of time overseas working in hotels, as well as a

KOOCO ESPRESSO BAR AND KITCHEN

3/19 Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina, Queensland, 4230

Open Monday to Saturday 8am — 5pm and Sunday 9am — 4pm 0431 186 646

For those looking for a stylish blend of Australian and Asian cuisine, residents of the Gold Coast should look no further than Robina’s own Kooco Espresso Bar and Kitchen.

The Kooco brand dates back to 2017 when Owner and Director Ken Koo, along with his wife and brother, opened the café’s first location in Gold Coast. It wasn’t until earlier this year when the team expanded to Robina.

beachside café in Dubai.”

Now, Tiago says getting to know the locals is the best part of his day.

“It’s a mixed crowd,” he says. “Our mornings start with cyclists, before it moves into an older crowd with the retirees doing their morning walk, and then it transitions into mother’s groups since we’ve got a playground next door.

“It’s a big variety of people, but it keeps things interesting.”

The Greenhouse works with Paradox Coffee Roasters, using the roaster’s Purple Rain blend as its house blend.

“We’ve got a good relationship [with Paradox Coffee Roasters],” says Tiago. “We were looking to make some changes to our coffee supply, and Paradox have been pretty flexible in terms of offering what we need.

“I got to taste the products and meet the team, and I just got a really good feeling from them.”

The Greenhouse menu is suited to takeaway so the food can be enjoyed while strolling around the park.

“We’ve got a focus on wraps with a Middle Eastern flare to them,” says Tiago. “We’ve got wraps with falafel and hummus, but we still have toasties too. It’s a simple menu, but it’s good for the park.”

“We’ve brought the lessons we learned from the last six years into the new area that we’ve moved to,” says Ken. “The warm welcome we’ve received from the local community has been truly heartwarming.”

The café boasts a wide range of menu items, fusing both east Asian cuisine with classic Australian fare.

“People are loving the new salads and barbeque bowls we’ve added to the menu,” says Ken.

Located at the heart of Robina Town Centre, Kooco is a stylish and modern addition to the shopping district. The café seeks stylistic inspiration from the high-end outlet stores that surround it.

Kooco have partnered with roaster Campos Coffee since 2022, and Ken says the relationship has been

great for his business.

“We were almost shocked with their level of support and the help they provided,” Ken says. “The developers and roasters are always in communication with us, and we are happy to demonstrate the good value of Campos beans to the people of Gold Coast.”

Ken adds that Campos provides training programs in Brisbane which has been helpful for himself and the Kooco baristas.

Campos has also helped the café with its ‘Coffee of the Month’ selections.

“We are able to keep up with the latest beans and techniques thanks to Campos,” Ken says. “It’s how we’re able to keep up the quality of service to our customers.”

For its coffees, Kooco uses the La Marzocco KB90 machine, which Ken says has been easy to maintain with a noticeable quality increase.

“It’s built for baristas, and our baristas love it,” he says.

Ken says he hopes to expand the business across Gold Coast and Queensland, but in the meantime, he hopes to give back as much as he can to the Robina area.

“Our mission is to help the local community and to give a better experience to the people,” he says. “After all, who doesn’t deserve it?”

Tiago Conceicao says Paradox Coffee Roasters has been a great support to the business.

Kooco Robina sits at the heart of the Robina Town Centre shopping outlet.

Frank’s Terrace is the flagship location for the New Zealand-based franchise.

FRANK’S TERRACE

116 The Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand, 6011

Open Monday to Friday 7am — 3pm and Saturday 8am — 1pm +64 4 499 3679

When Frank Hsu dropped out of his honours degree to pursue his passion of coffee and hospitality, he never would have imagined that his company, Frank’s Coffee, would become a staple of the New Zealand coffee scene.

about coffee,” Frank says.

The Terrace location is located in the Wellington CBD, offering a simplistic yet elegant design.

“We wanted a minimalistic approach so that it’s a little sanctuary from their Monday to Friday daily grind,” says Frank.

One recent highlight for the café was seeing one of its own baristas, Honoka Kawashima, emerge victorious in the 2023 New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association Meadow Fresh Barista Championship, which Frank describes “the

Newtown before Frank started roasting.

“I thought we could either stay small or do something risky,” he says. “I felt I had reached a ceiling of how much I knew about coffee, so doing our own roasting was a natural progression.”

Frank’s goal is to understand as much as he can about the supply of coffee, which is why he travelled to Colombia to examine the source of green coffee beans.

“I’m hoping to ensure full transparency throughout the coffee chain,” he says.

Coffees from either of Frank’s locations are made with Frank’s Blend, which uses infrared technology in the roasting process which Frank says “really highlights the sweetness”.

Franks’ Coffee is available in-store as retail bags, online, and at good retail stores.

“We love to celebrate other local businesses as well,” Frank says. “We want to see like-minded and passionate individuals to give it a go, and we can help that by providing coffee as well as our knowledge.”

The café has partnerships with two local bakers to bring a selection of doughnuts to the café every morning from Thursday to Saturday. A wide variety of flavours are available, including vegan options.

“By providing something that excites people, it creates a bit of a positive vibe coming into the weekend,” says Frank.

Frank says the company is always searching to see how the customer experience can be even better.

“We’re looking towards how we can tweak the roast profile of our beans in order to appeal to certain customers,” he says.

Frank says the brand will continue to remain open-minded for new adventures.

Owner Frank Hsu (pictured) says the business’ foundation was built on a passion for coffee.

THIRD WHEEL HIGHETT

493 Highett Road, Highett, Victoria, 3190

Open Monday to Friday 6am — 3pm and Saturday to Sunday 7:30am — 3pm

9555 8597

Third Wheel Highett is quickly becoming a local hangout after opening in June 2023. Chefs and couple Jen Anstey and Merenia Herewini alongside business partner Suzy Kyriakopoulos launched the café, with Suzy’s status as the ‘third wheel’ in the partnership helping birth its name.

“We saw the shop was up for sale and we thought we should give it a go,” says Suzy.

The three co-founders have been in the hospitality industry for more than a decade, having worked together at Cafeteria café in Black Rock.

“Because it’s only been a month, we’re keeping it basic to begin with,” Suzy says. “Once summer hits, we’ll be bringing in the cold drips and the cold brews.”

Suzy says Toby’s Estate’s Brunswick blend was the coffee of choice due to her long-standing partnership with the brand.

“I’ve been working with them for the last 12 years, so it was a no-brainer when I

BREAD BOY

and their behind the scenes support. They’ve been amazing.”

For hungry customers, Third Wheel Highett has some unique items on the menu, including its best-selling chili eggs served with prawn toast.

“Even things like our prawn toast and salmon tartare are things you wouldn’t find in too many cafés out here,” she says.

The bright and minimalist café is a

Leederville, the newly established Bread Boy has both.

“I love the area,” she says. “I’ve noticed a lot of young couples and families around, so we try and cater towards them.”

Suzy says connecting with the community has been the highlight of her experience at Third Wheel Highett so far.

“I love providing a little escape for those who come in,” she says. “We take a lot of pride in what we offer, and we all love what we do.”

For some, the choice between a café with quality coffee and a sandwich shop with great food can be a difficult one. In the Perth suburb of West

The café formerly known as Aliment has recently rebranded to become the specialty sandwich shop Bread Boy. Owner Michelle Penniment says the transition has been nothing but positive.

“Longstanding customers always say how happy they are for us, while new customers are excited to check it out,” she says.

Michelle says the support of the local community has helped the business through its transition phase.

“What’s great about West Leederville is that it’s close to everything,” she says. “We’re three minutes away from a freeway entry which takes you anywhere, and there’s a nice business scene here.”

Bread Boy offers a wide range of sandwiches with the chicken katsu using fluffy Japanese Shokupan bread and chicken ‘schnitty’ the two most popular choices.

“What’s unique about us is that we have sandwiches from different cultures around the world,” she says. “Instead of focusing on just one thing, we have options for Japanese, Australian, and even Cuban sandwiches.”

While many things have changed at Bread Boy, Locale Coffee Roasters has remained a constant support, providing

the sandwich hub with a number of blend options including its Ultimate Wingman, which features hints of caramel, dark chocolate and hazelnut, and the Eco Warrior, which combines milk chocolate, sweet spice, and raisins.

“Our relationship [with Locale] is awesome,” says Michelle. “We do training in their lab in East Perth. They teach everything from grind techniques and latte art, as well as host evens such as cupping. The lab has everything that anyone could need for a coffee.

“If we wanted to, we could create our own house blend, but Locale offers so many blends that there’s really no need,” Michelle says.

The sandwich shop uses a Mahlkönig EK grinder and La Marzocco coffee machine to produce its daily the coffees, which are a popular beverage choice to complement the extensive sandwich range.

“[Customers] are surprised that a sandwich shop has good coffee and sells specialty coffee as well,” Michelle says. “There’s no reason for places that sell coffee to have average coffee.”

Michelle is eager to expand Bread Boy café with pop-up stores around Perth and extended opening hours on the weekend.

“As it turns out, everyone wants a sandwich,” Michelle says.

Bread Boy’s coffee offerings remain at the heart of the business.

Third Wheel is less than one year old, but has already become popular among locals.

The labor backbone

to turn staff shortages into a training opportunity to upskill and uplift staff moral and coffee service without burning a hole in the hip pocket.

Anthony

Cafés are busy and unpredictable environments. There is no rhyme or reason to a typical day at any café. Aside from firm opening and closing times, which, let’s be honest, can change too, anything can happen while serving your customers.

Coffee machines can suddenly lose pressure, grinders may switch off for no reason, or jug rinsers could suddenly explode in a cascade of water. I have seen many things go awry when I am trying to send out orders as quickly and consistently

as possible. Even if you are organised, variables and random events at unexpected times can create chaos in an instant. However, displaying grace and calm in the face of pressure while being nimble and creative when your reliable systems begin to faulter is where a real coffee professional can shine.

While there are known systems in place to control equipment functionality, there are less direct approaches when it comes to the other important system we need running as smooth as possible during operation hours: rotation of staff.

Without staff, we cannot present the experience we want to give our customers. They are our life blood. They interact with our customers the most. They take orders, run drinks, and food, and keep the tables cleared and clean for the next arrivals. Their understanding of our food and beverage offerings and service systems is essential to delivering good service and repeat customers.

Floor staff aside, what about baristas? They understand our coffee equipment in a very detailed way. They also understand our coffee beans, how they extract, how

Anthony Lawrence is a barista trainer at UCC Coffee.

Lawrence of UCC discusses how

Pairing your most experienced barista with a member of floor staff is a great backup training exercise.

they typically taste, how to extract shots consistently, and present the best possible expression of the coffee to customers. A experienced and knowledgeable barista is the cornerstone to a successful café. So what happens if your seasoned barista wants to take time off? Or is sick and unavailable to work? Has a university exam? Wants to travel to Europe, or attend Falls Festival in your busiest period? How can you possibly fill their space at short notice?

This is where the staff roster becomes your best friend. Present it to your team between two weeks and one month in advance. In my experience, a fortnightly roster works well as it’s easy to keep track of and provides suitable notice for staff availability, and unavailability.

Enforce a minimum set timeframe that staff need to request days off. For example, one week in advance. This will help the manager balance the most experienced staff member with the least experienced when shifts get busy. For sickness, request that staff contact the manager by 6am on the day of their shift so that it doesn’t impact the morning rush, and consider having two “backup” or “standby” staff on weekends, like an “on-call” system for ultimate backup. No roster is ever perfect, but over communication is key.

IT’S OH SO QUIET

Any typical day at a café can be broken into two distinct times: quiet and busy. Busy times are when your café is heaving with bodies, and everything is all happening at once. Quiet times are where there seems to be nothing to do in so far as serving customers.

Typically, café managers should try to make allowances for ‘quiet times’ by rostering minimal staff on so that they don’t lose valuable money, and have systems in place so other essential work can be completed. A cleaning roster is a great option to make sure cafés are always presentable and sanitary. But since anything that can happen will happen, venues need to have sufficient staff rostered on to ensure they can still provide good service. It’s a fine line. It’s best not to risk understaffing to the point that it impacts a customer’s experience, but at the same time, there’s no point having three floor staff cleaning windows.

Espresso coffee is simple enough to produce. As long as it’s kept within understood parameters – dose, volume, time; typical rations that define extraction – its predictability is significantly improved. A seasoned barista can track these parameters. They have the ability to recognise when a shot run too quick or slow, and can adjust them during a shift when the coffee changes. The only real avenue

toward this understanding is through experience and serving many orders. Your most experienced barista should be serving during your busiest periods. But do you do if they’re not available? How can you prepare in advance?

LESSON 1: IDLE HANDS

When I had my own café, I often had systems in place to ensure rostered staff remained productive during the quieter parts of the week. We had a clearly outlined task roster where important jobs needed to be done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. As time progressed so did the staff’s ability to complete these tasks, to the point they were without anything to do despite. This presented a great opportunity to upskill staff while remaining productive.

What I did, was pair my most experienced barista with one of my floor staff to cover a part of the coffee service. With the slower pace of service presented, the experienced barista could run through the important aspects of a producing a coffee shot – dosing, tamping, water volume, shot time, extraction ranges etc. At the same time, we would track the staff member’s progress in identifying key aspects of a good coffee shot. As their experience grew, so did their confidence. Before long, we had another option for a barista available to us. It essentially covered the two potential problems of staff productivity and staff skill set with one action without altering our set roster.

LESSON 2: PUT STRUCTURE TO CHAOS

There are opportunities in all aspects of café service. There are point of sale systems to

track customer service levels, orders, order times, wait times, and table numbers.

There are also systems to track staff skills so they can improve. I used a system to count the number of shots produced by a barista in training, where we would mark milestones when they produced excess of 100 shots, adjusted the grinder without it interrupting workflow, poured 20-plus cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites, and so on. This gave structure to what they were doing, and helped them engage in a new skill, which kept them excited to learn on the job. This also benefitted customers as more floor staff developed a deeper understanding of the coffee we were serving, and could engage in customer questions with more confidence, thereby improving our quality of service. The key is having a structured approach to staff training with defined indicators so everyone is clear on their task.

I also found that it improved staff confidence and their productivity, because there were clear incentives, such as a reward, to complete their key tasks quickly. The staff enjoyed working in different areas of the café without being “thrown in the deep end”, and the head barista enjoyed sharing their knowledge while also getting the floor staff engaged with special offerings we had.

I would encourage anyone who is experiencing staff skill shortages to skill their workforce. Engage your managers and head baristas, and work on a system that appeals to floor staff who want to learn more about coffee service without adding strain to your roaster. This will help improve staff skill without making a significant financial commitment, improve coffee service, and cover any potential for staff shortages that may emerge.

Investing in time and training will give staff confidence in talking to customers and understanding what is on the menu.

Happy birthday to you

Celebrate someone’s special day with the help of ASCA Australian Latte Art Champion Amy Zhang. She brings her interpretation of a birthday cake to life with symmetrical rosettas, lines and drags to impress anyone marking another trip around the sun.

uring moments of joy, the art of coffee intertwines with the sweet allure of birthday cakes, creating a sensory masterpiece that stimulates both the taste buds and visual senses.

The choice to feature a birthday cake at the centrepiece of my latte art exhibition is a reflection of the timeless connection between celebratory occasions and indulgent pleasures. Just as a canvas awaits an artist’s touch, the birthday cake becomes the medium through which I express my creative talent.

I firmly believe that each latte art creation

embodies the perfect fusion of expertise and imagination. And this thematic focus on birthday cakes is not only a genuine tribute to the joy that birthdays bring, but a reminder that life, much like a meticulously crafted cake, is meant to be savoured, and cherished.

Now, let me show you how to create a birthday cake for your next celebration. This design is easier than you think. It involves techniques such as rosettas, dragging foam, inversion, and dripping skills. Put it altogether, and the result is something you’ll want to stand around and start singing happy birthday to, rather than the cake itself.

Drop seven dots of milk foam up and down on both side of the wave. There you have it, a birthday cake.

Drop three flame-like pours on top of the three candles for a realistic effect.

Pour another three-leaf rosetta on the left side of the second rosetta and connect them together. Those two short rosettas create the outside of the cake.

Pour another 12-leaf rosetta in the middle of the cup parallel to the first.

Turn the cup handle back to 3 o’clock and draw a wave line between the first and second rosettas.

Turn your cup handle to 6 o’clock and pour three short rosettas to create the candles.

Keep the cup handle in the same position and pour a short three-leaf rosetta on the right side of the second rosetta, making sure to connect the two together.

First, keep the cup handle at 3 o’clock, and pour a 12-leaf rosetta at the bottom of a clean canvas. Pull up, but don’t pull through the rosetta.

MICE

SAVOUR EVERY MOMENT

MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

BOOK YOUR STAND TO TAKE PART IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE’S LARGEST DEDICATED COFFEE TRADE SHOW.

A coffee odyssey

at Russell is a believer that success in the Cup Tasters competition, “starts with a little bit of talent and finishes with lots and lots of cupping.”

In preparation for the 2023 New Zealand Cup Tasters Championship on 6 August in Auckland, Pat’s regiment involved frequent and structured coffee cupping sessions, utilising the Specialty Coffee Association evaluation method. This methodical approach involved regular practice and a systematic approach in assisting Pat in his day job, and for the competition. Scoring 8/8 cups correctly in a time of 2.06 minutes, Pat narrowly beat 2023 and 2022 Runner-Up Han Jong Lee of Meebz Coffee Roasters by 10 seconds.

Pat’s journey into the world of coffee began in 1996 when he took up a part-time barista role at The Second Cup Coffee Co in Canada. Little did he know, this humble beginning would evolve into an almost two-decade affiliation with the company. Over the years, Pat’s responsibilities have expanded from crafting espressos and brewing copious amounts of filter coffee to overseeing cafés, regional operations, franchise training, beverage innovation, and spearheading a green coffee program. After his tenure with Second Cup, Pat assumed the role of Director of Coffee at Reunion Coffee Roasters.

Pat’s foray into coffee competitions began in 2011 when he made his debut in the Canadian Cup Tasters Championship. Pat emerged victorious and resplendent in lilac and a tie. This triumph fostered a significant connection with Stu Hargie, the 2011 New Zealand Cup Tasters Champion, and led to Pat’s eventual immersion in New Zealand’s coffee scene. Pat’s big move to Aotearoa kicked off at JDE Peet’s in Auckland. After five years there, Pat now works for coffee trader Sucafina NZ, facilitating

the introduction of exceptional coffees from around the world to New Zealand’s roasting community.

As Pat gears up to represent New Zealand at the 2024 World Cup Tasters Championship in Chicago from 12 – 14 April 2024, I asked him about previous visits. He says Chicago’s dynamic ambiance combined with its sports events and deepdish pizza left an enduring impression. But what Pat anticipates most, is “the chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues from the Canadian and American coffee community, and from further a field, after a hiatus of six years.”

Within the coffee sphere, Pat reserves his admiration for the innovators.

“I admire the individuals who challenge norms and revolutionise the industry. Be it at coffee origins, equipment manufacturing, or coffeehouses, these trailblazers redefine the essence of coffee,” he says.

For aspiring championship participants,

Pat urges newbies to enjoy the experience and use the event to challenge themselves, and to forge connections within the broader coffee network.

Additionally, he encourages contenders to contribute to the industry by volunteering for coffee-related events and competitions, as the dedication of volunteers truly shapes the vibrant coffee community. This is an action the NZSCA wholeheartedly supports.

Pat extends his heartfelt gratitude to his whanau, Robyn and Megan, for their steadfast support, along with the enthusiastic and engaged NZ coffee community, sponsors and supporters, many of whom will be in Chicago next year.

For more information on the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association, or to join, visit www.nzsca.org

Emma McDougall is the Communications and Administration Co-ordinator of the NZSCA.

The NZSCA reflects on Pat Russell’s path to championship glory and a newfound title after a long-awaited coffee career that proves nothing is too late, and anything is possible.

Pat Russell will represent New Zealand in the 2024 World Cup Tasters Championship in Chicago, United States.

Michael Beckford

Name: Michael Beckford

Nationality: English

Instagram: @them1guel

Company: The Alleyway Café, Heidelberg, VIC

Competition: Winner of Veneziano Coffee Roasters’ Barista Brawl

Q: How long have you worked as a barista?

A: Around 10 years now.

Q: What led you to becoming a barista?

A: I dropped out of school early, and it was the only job I could find at the time. I had been a baker’s apprentice before, but I didn’t have a good time with that. I did a three-week barista/bartender course, and I practised on a coffee machine in the middle of the night at a general store my friend Tom worked at, so I could be good enough at making coffees to talk myself into getting a job.

Q: What was the first café you worked at?

A: It was New World café in Greensborough, Victoria.

Q: How long have you been at The Alleyway Café?

A: I’ve worked for Alleyway Owner Heeb El-Bay for five years, first as a barista, then I managed his other café, Aisle 17, for 3.5 years. I’ve now been a manager at Alleyway since January 2023.

Q: What is your favourite part about working as a barista?

A: The people I work with, and I just love making coffee.

Q: What’s your go-to coffee order?

A: Probably a double espresso.

Q: What prompted you to register for your first coffee competition?

A: My coffee representative, Sean O’Shea from Veneziano, called me around a week before the competition because there were still a few spots left [in the Veneziano Barista Brawl]. At first, I said ‘no’ because I’m pretty anxious around crowds. I spoke to my girlfriend about it that night and we agreed it would be fun. I called Sean back the next day and said I’d do it.

Q: The competition consisted of five different skillset stations, including an aroma test. How did you prepare?

A: I went and bought a smelling kit. I had tried one before and I knew I wasn’t great at it. I’m also selective with my eating so there’s a lot of things I had never tasted or smelled before. It turns out they didn’t use the same kit that I got, so I struggled a bit in that round.

Q: The fifth station was a blindfolded latte art test. How did you go?

A: It went perfectly. I got the right level of coffee, and I made a heart that looked decent. It was the same Inker cup that I had been using at work for the last five years, so I just thought to myself ‘you’ve done this thousands of times, just do it again’. I used the table for balance, and I felt the jug to figure out where the milk got hot.

Q: You ended up winning the event. How did you celebrate?

A: We just went for a drink across the road. My friend Tom who was supporting me that night used to live a few streets away [from Veneziano] so we knew the bars around there.

Q: What are you planning to do with $5000 in prize money?

A: I’m starting my own coffee business from home, so I thought I could use the money towards that. It’s going to be a smallscale roasting business called Nectar Coffee Co.

Q: What advice do you have for anyone looking to participate in their first coffee competition?

A: Be relaxed, don’t take it super seriously to the point of stressing yourself out, and enjoy yourself.

Michael Beckford is the winner of the 2023 Veneziano Barista Brawl, competing in five different disciplines in the ultimate test of skill.