CAFÉ SCENE

Vanguard Specialty Coffee Co focuses on involving clients and retail customers in the roasting process.

THE ROASTERY – VANGUARD SPECIALTY COFFEE CO

49 Vogel Street, Dunedin, New Zealand 9016 Open Monday to Friday 7am – 4pm, Saturday 8:30am – 3:30pm

To overcome the challenges presented by COVID, a business needs to remain flexible and innovative, and this is exactly what Vanguard Specialty Coffee Co has done, not only surviving, but thriving during the pandemic.

“We moved to our new space in the heritage precinct of Dunedin Central, just two blocks from our old venue after the first lockdown. We realised with our previous license and space limitations we wouldn’t be able to open for months at a time due to COVID,” says Jason Moore, Director of Vanguard Specialty Coffee Co.

“With this new venue, we’ve shifted to a different business model which has allowed us to operate in a much faster way that actually involves our clients and customers.”

What Jason is referring to, is the open L shape space which allows both roasting clients and retail customers to walk around, learn, and interact with the full roasting process.

“This creates a two-way interaction and really fosters a relationship between client and roaster,” says Jason. “We’re currently the only fully specialty coffee company to offer this.”

At Vanguard, each specialty coffee blend is sourced directly from farmers in Brazil and Colombia, and categorised by farm lots and farmer names during retail sale.

“Having this traceability and information about who the farmer is and how the coffee was grown is important in educating the end consumer,” says Jason.

“It’s also important for us to have this direct relationship with the producers, where we can find out how much they are actually being paid and call them directly on Zoom. We also try to buy from the same farmers year in and year out, so they have a reliable source of income which is key in creating a more sustainable coffee industry.“

Vanguard’s newest café space has also installed a Vortx EcoFilter to remove the smoke and roast smell sustainably, and offers better infrastructure for roasting, such as two pallet doors for easy coffee bean deliveries.

Besides its roasting facilities, the Vanguard café has a retail shelf on the front, with a corner for coffee catchups and a cabinet offering a selection of cakes and pastries alongside its coffees.

“We offer the standard espresso-based beverages, two daily micro-lot batch brews, and a filter flight which allows customers to try different types of filter coffees,” says Jason.

“While we initially saw great demand for its light to medium roasted coffee, we’re now selling more single origin and microlot coffees, which really shows a greater appreciation and awareness for specialty coffees, which is fantastic.”

As part of the specialty coffee experience, Vanguard also offers a barista breakfas’: a tasting board of coffees which include a single origin espresso, flat white, and filter coffee, allowing customers to try a variety of coffee styles.

“Since we’ve started pushing new ideas like this, we’ve seen a dozen new cafés jump on board, and it’s been really great to see this change and growth in New Zealand’s coffee scene,” says Jason.

This ethos to continually evolve and innovate can be found in the brand’s name itself.

“I had been looking at a lot of companies and what their name stood for, and I thought vanguard, like a group of people leading the way with innovation and I wanted to focus on and really embody it as a focal point,” says Jason.

“It was a way to refer back to my values and remind myself to keep moving forward.”

While Jason’s hopes to visit his Colombian producers and partners were dashed this year, he still remains positive for 2022, looking forward developing deeper connections on the ground and contributing to New Zealand’s coffee scene.

The Roastery has seen a growing demand for single origin and micro-lot coffees.

In Vanguard’s retail area, each specialty coffee blend is categorised by farm lots and farmer names.

ARC COFFEE STORE

1 Constitution Avenue, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 Open Monday to Friday 7am — 2pm, Saturday to Sunday 8am —12pm

Located in the heart of Canberra’s business and entertainment precinct, Arc Coffee Store is a place where good food and coffee marry tasteful interior design.

As the fifth venture of Canberra based roaster, Red Brick Coffee, the new space opened in January 2021 and already has been nominated in the 2021 Eat Drink Design Awards.

“Madeline, Red Brick Coffee’s General Manager, and I have a huge interest in design, and it’s one of the things we love about what we do, the fact we get to design and open creative and visually appealing spaces,” says Tim Manning, Founder of Red Brick Coffee.

“We’re honoured to have been able to work with so many great designers. For example, with Arc we worked with a local architecture firm called Capezio Copeland and had our furniture custom built by Tom Skeehan and Skeehan Studio.”

With a warm palette of red, pink and brass tones, the space features curved surfaces and marbled floors, with a custom white four Group La Marzocco KB90 machine as the centre piece. Behind the scenes, Tim says Arc is also Red Brick Coffee’s first café with a full kitchen.

“We’re really excited to re-open for a full dine-in serve and work with the chefs to further develop a menu that pairs with our coffee to create a unique dining experience,” says Tim. “We have always looked for really high-quality products in everything we do from sourcing our coffee to the pastries we serve in our store. We love knowing where all our products come from, and being able to trace from farm to café.”

This is why Red Brick Coffee has partnered with Riverina Fresh milk over other milk suppliers.

“Being locally sourced from a select group of dedicated farms, Riverina Fresh gives us the confidence in both the product quality and consistent performance of their milk in coffee,” says Tim. “We serve this alongside the four coffee blends that we roast over in Curtin.”

Tim says the most popular coffee blend served is the Coffee Coffee blend, which is Red Brick Coffee’s take on the classic espresso blend.

Staying true to its roasting namesake, Arc was inspired by Red Brick Coffee’s original home, which Tim says was literally a red-brick café in the suburbs of Canberra.

“It had a really warm, welcoming environment and we wanted to take this feeling and incorporate it in the city precinct,” says Tim.

“It was a fun challenge trying to match the two together. I think we’ve done really well as its beautifully designed and still retains that warmth while showcasing what Canberra is all about.”

PASTURE OF BALMORAL

51 The Esplanade, Mosman, New South Wales 2088 Open Sunday to Thursday 6:30am – 4pm and Friday to Saturday 6:30am —10pm

TJ Viljoen has had an unusual retirement. Having left his position as CEO for the Asia Pacific region of an international company, TJ decided it was time to open a restaurant with his wife Lizelle. For three years, they have successfully built and run Pasture of Balmoral: a sustainable and peaceful “safe haven” for customers in the coastal suburb of Mosman.

The name “pasture” is inspired by the duo’s African heritage, with pasture meaning a place of rest and peace — a feeling the beachside café embodies.

“We always had this vision to create a sustainable restaurant that works with local producers and suppliers,” says TJ.

“I think human connection is one of the most important things in life, and hospitality really allows you to create these relationships.”

The café focuses on traceability in every ingredient.

“For example, our eggs are all free-range sourced from the Kangaroo Valley in Sydney, our garlic comes from a small business who grows them in the Blue Mountain area, and our meats and veggies we can directly trace back to the farm and the producers,” says TJ.

This same standard is applied to Pasture of Balmoral’s coffee, which is why TJ chose Will & Co as its roaster.

“When we were looking for coffee suppliers, we wanted to know the faces we were working with, where the coffee was coming from, and if the farmers were being treated fairly,” says TJ.

“Through customer recommendations we heard about Will & Co, and after our team, including myself, our baristas, and our regular customers, did a blind sampling test, they were the decisive winner.”

TJ says what has distinguished the Sydney based coffee is its hint of sweet flavours. The roaster’s most popular blend at Pasture of Balmoral is the Eight-O-Eight, which is described as finely balanced with sweet floral aroma, crisp acidity, and a caramel finish.

“We have a wide demographic from older generations to young parents and we found that this flavour best suited everyone’s taste preferences,” says TJ. “Our customer base is mostly Mosman locals and we’ve really become a classic neighbourhood joint.”

Arc Coffee Store has a custom white four Group La Marzocco KB90 machine as its centre piece.

Pasture of Balmoral is a sustainable and peaceful safe haven for customers.

BLUE ZONE WELLBEING KITCHEN

Pasadena Foodland 20 Fiveash Drive, Pasadena, South Australia, 5042 Open Monday to Friday 7am – 9pm, Saturday 7am – 5pm, and Sunday 8:30am – 3:30pm

While specialty coffee and supermarkets aren’t always associated together, Blue Zone Wellbeing Kitchen at Pasadena Foodland is changing this perception serving specialty coffee by Paradox Coffee Roasters.

Offering both a café and “coffee supermarket” concept, Blue Zone is located within Pasadena Foodland and offers seating space for 20 people, which head barista Thanh Luu says is perfect for those seeking an expertly brewed coffee and a healthy bite to eat.

Unlike store-bought coffee, customers can also have a two-way interaction with the baristas on the specialty coffee they are purchasing, including its flavour notes, how to best brew this coffee, and more.

“We’re trying to make specialty coffee more approachable and accessible with this concept,” says Thanh. “This is supported by our Slayer espresso machine, on which we can vary extraction times, conduct brew profiling, and lower espresso extraction temperatures to manipulate the end coffee taste.”

Thanh says this helps Blue Zone bring out the best of each coffee while tailoring its flavour profile to meet customers’ requests.

“We source our coffee from Paradox Coffee Roasters, who do a fantastic job, particularly with single origin coffees by bringing out the terroir’s natural flavours in their roasts,” says Vanessa Luu, Head Barista at Pasadena’s sibling café, Frewville Foodland.

“We were first introduced to Paradox Coffee Roasters through Slayer, and after six to eight months of trying countless beans and long nights shaking with caffeine, we chose Paradox because of its amazing flavour profiles.”

Part of Blue Zone’s specialised service is related to its baristas’ enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge.

Working in her parents’ bakery since she was 14, Vanessa grew up with a coffee machine. Thanh has been in the coffee industry for more than 25 years and has also worked internationally in all areas of the supply chain from bean to cup.

“At Blue Zone, we ultimately want to introduce more single origins and cold drip, and get people really excited and educated about coffee,” says Thanh.

“This is all in line with the Chapley family — owners of Pasadena and Frewville Foodland —and their vision to be the best supermarket in the world and introduce people that have never experienced this quality of coffee, to start that conversation and to change the coffee culture.”

BISSEL B.

111 Bridge Road, Richmond, Victoria 3121 Open Monday to Friday 7am – 3pm, Saturday 8am – 3pm, and Sunday 8am – 2pm

Bissel B. is a community driven café that offers New-York inspired bagels. New York has captured the hearts and minds of many around the world, including that of Jessica Kurban, Owner of Bissel B. café which offers New-York inspired bagels.

“The idea for Bissel B. was born on a family trip to New York City in 2019. My brother loves visiting New York and has many friends there, so my dad and I decided to join him on this trip,” says Jessica.

“I fell in love with the city, the people, the vibe, and of course the bagels, and when we returned, we struggled to find a place that could fill that craving for the perfect bagel.”

Jessica says she saw the café as an opportunity to recreate those feelings and community spirit in Australia, using her wealth of experience from growing up in the hospitality industry.

“The word bissel is Yiddish for ‘A little bit’, because we wanted to offer something to everyone,” says Jessica. “We chose the Yiddish language because even though our inspiration is New York, we wanted to pay homage to the bagel’s traditional Jewish heritage and credit where it came from.”

Its bagels, whose names are inspired by different areas of New York, are served alongside North Melbourne’s Small Batch Roasting Co coffee beans with its Candyman Espresso Blend popular option among customers.

“For alternate milk drinkers we offer Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend, which is loved for its creaminess and how beautiful it looks as latte art,” says Jessica. “Our signature drink, the Oat Milk Matcha Latte works perfectly with Califia Farms’ oat milk, and the texture is unlike any of the other oat milks we’ve tried – and we’ve tested a lot.”

Jessica says it was the sense of community that café has built, along with its tasty bagels and beverages which has made it a local favourite.

“Even during lockdowns, it was great to provide a place where people could come for a while and enjoy themselves. Even something as simple as giving them a cookie or a complimentary coffee on the house could really brighten someone’s day,” says Jessica.

“It’s been so rewarding to see the connections we’ve made with customers, and even though we’ve grown quicky we’ve managed to maintain a beautiful relationship with all our regulars.”

In 2022, Bissel B.’s community is set to get even bigger with the brand planning to open a new store in Melbourne.

Blue Zone Wellbeing Kitchen and Paradox Coffee Roasters are making specialty coffee more accessible.

CHOCOLATE MOMENTS

42-60 Albert Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 Open Monday to Friday 7am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 4pm

Born with congenital blindness, Gerrard Gosens has lived an extraordinary life, from climbing Mount Everest to performing the salsa on Dancing with the Stars to receiving the Order of Australia medal in 2012. Gerrard is also a master chocolatier who, together with wife Heather Gosens, opened Chocolate Moments café more than a decade ago.

“We named the café this because we believe that there’s a moment for chocolate in everyone’s lives, whether it’s a celebration, a thank you, or a way to let someone know you’re thinking about them,” Gerrard says.

Gerrard’s chocolates aren’t like any others. Using his heightened senses of taste and smell, he is able to create unique flavours inspired by Australia’s local produce. Some flavours on offer include caramel macadamia, strawberry cream, and lemon myrtle.

As a three-time Paralympian, preCOVID Gerrard regularly travelled across Australia to compete, which has allowed him to source this fresh produce for his chocolates.

“For example, when I went down to Tasmania to compete, there was a raspberry farm between Devonport and Launceston which is where we picked up some fresh raspberries,” Gerrard says.

“Or when I visited western Queensland, there was a number of beehives I’d pick up honey from and recently, when I went up to Kingaroy in North Queensland, I bought some cumquat jam. I’m always looking at different flavours and ways we can support different Australian regions.”

Buying local is an important value to Gerrard, and while raw products such as cocoa and coffee are hard to source within Australia, he ensures they are bought from Fairtrade certified producers and roasted by Queensland-based coffee roaster Montville.

Montville’s Sunshine Coast blend is one of the café’s most popular blends, featuring notes of buttery chocolate, caramel, and almonds.

“Another really popular coffee blend is the premium Peruvian coffee blend from Café Femenino. This is a really great all-female run project which gives women land rights to sell this coffee,” says Gerrard.

“Supporting sustainability not only in Australia, but in every part of the supply chain is something that is very important to our business.”

As summer rolls around, Chocolate Moments is expanding its cold drink selection to include iced coffee and chocolate beverages, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails such as Espresso Martinis.

Besides providing a chocolate experience like no other, Gerrard says each Chocolate Moment customer receives a high-level of customer service, with the café boasting a relaxing, rustic aesthetic made of natural timber and wood.

“Some of the chairs in our chocolate store are stump from trees; all our furniture has been made from the bush, in line with our ethos to support local,” says Gerrard.

“For us it’s about that community and the atmosphere, not only having something that is home grown but making sure we’re supporting one another.”

Gerrard uses his heightened senses of taste and smell to create unique chocolate flavours.

Gerrard and Heather Gosens opened Chocolate Moments café more than a decade ago.