blog zine - as featured on
strangerandfiction.com Issue one Feb 26 2014
THE GROUNDS OF ALEXANDRIA Just a shor t drive from the hassle and bustle of the Sydney International A ir por t is T he G rounds of A l e x a n d r i a – a s t y l i z e d e c l e c t i c m i x o f g a rd e n s , a ged str uctures and gour met delicacies.
T h e g a rd e n s a r e q u i t e m a s s i v e , a n d c r e a t e a n enticing juxtaposition of man made str uctures a n d n a t u ra l f l o ra .
I n s i d e t h e C a fe , t h e u r b a n e l e m e n t s o f t h e warehouse-like str ucture take control, and you find yourself sur rounded by the sights and smells of the fresh pastr ies and bread.
Yo u r e y e s a n d y o u r t a s t e b u d s a r e i n s t a n t l y d ra w n t o t h e b r i g h t pops of coloured tar ts, cakes and sweet delicacies.
t h e i m p o rt an t st u f f Now we all know what really counts – a n d t h a t ’ s g o o d c o f fe e . My poison takes the for m of a shor t, double shot soy latte, I find that with so many elements involved it can be quite easy to miss the mark. Te m p e ra t u r e , t a s t e a n d t e x t u r e a r e m y three main testing points, and I was more than satis fied with the o f fe r i n g f r o m T h e G r o u n d s .
T here was definitely cit y vibes inside T h e G r o u n d s C a fe , b u t n o t a t a l l i n a n e g a t i v e w a y. Yo u fe l t l i k e y o u w e r e just a step away from the hustle and bustle – an excellent place to talk excitedly about future plans and adventures i n y o u r d a y.
A m o n g s t t h e s p ra w l i n g g a rd e n s y o u w i l l f i n d n o t o n l y t h e C a fe a n d B a k e h o u s e , b u t a l s o t h e R e s e a r c h Fa c i l i t y – t h e o n - s i t e c o f f e e r o a s t i n g , r e s e a r c h a n d t e s t i n g f a c i l i t y. T here are so many elements that make up T he G rounds, and it is tr uly an adventure to wander and sight them all.
t h e Fi n e P r i n t x where – T he G rounds of A lexandria, Building 7A , N O. 2 H u n t l e y S t , A l e x a n d r i a N S W 2 0 1 5 x
w h o – w w w. g r o u n d s r o a s t e r s . c o m
x w h a t – C a fe , B a k e r y, C o f fe e R o a s t e r s , O u t s i d e D i n i n g , S h o w G a rd e n s , M a r k e t s , E v e n t s . x coffee – Almost like seasonal eating , the coff e e a t T h e G r o u n d s c h a n g e s f r e q u e n t l y, d e p e n d i n g o n what is cur rently being roasted on site.
I hope you enjoyed my first major cafe review, as I am excited to continue sharing them. You might even see me – coffee in one hand, camera in the other – anywhere around Brisbane, Sydney and the NSW Clarence Valley. Stranger.
copyright stranger and fiction 2014