Table of contents for August 2022 in BeanScene

Covershoot location: Barista Attitude headquarters, Susegana, Italy Covershoot product: Barista Attitude’s Tempesta espresso machine: www.barista-attitude.com Australian distributor: Coffee Works Express: cwe.com.au BeanScene has attempted many covers over the years, but this one marks the first one staged overseas, in Northern Italy. “Our August edition will be the one on display at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) in September, hosting the World Barista Championship. It therefore seemed fitting that the very espresso machine the baristas will be using on the competition stage – the Tempesta by Barista Attitude – would grace the cover of this special issue of BeanScene,” says Editor Sarah Baker. Cinzia Pietrobon, Barista Attitude Brand Manager and Michele Marchetti, Creative Director of Display agency, helped coordinate the covershoot on the other side of the world. “Having the…

The World Coffee Championships saw three Australians compete on the world stage from 23 to 25 June at World of Coffee Milan. Victor Vu of Ona Coffee placed fifth in the World Latte Art Championship (WLAC). His free pour patterns consisted of a Spartan Helmet and Taurus bull, his designer latte partner was the Hunting Hawk, and his macchiato design was a Happy Chameleon. Ona Coffee Head Roaster Danny Wilson also placed fifth in the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship (WCIGS). Danny’s signature cocktail was an Espresso Memento, consisting of four espresso shots with 20 grams in and 40 grams out, 25 milligrams of passionfruit syrup, 30 milligrams of gin, and 90 milligrams of sparkling apple juice. Daniel Shadbolt of Veneziano Coffee Roasters represented Australia in the World Coffee…

NORCO MERLO COLD BREW LATTE Two Aussie icons – Merlo Coffee and Norco Milk – have combined to create a coffee masterpiece that will please even the most discerning coffee connoisseur. New sugar-free Norco Merlo Cold Brew Latte is made using a Merlo custom roasted blend, sourced from five different origins that have been finely balanced. Mixed with premium fresh Norco full cream milk, the result is a wickedly smooth with a bold caffeine hit that is perfect for on-the-go consumption. The partnership leverages the strengths of both businesses and has already proved to be a popular favourite among iced coffee drinkers searching for premium, real coffee taste, and the benefits of no added sugar. For more information, contact info@merlo.com.au or call Norco Milk on 1800 60 30 20 for…

When the stage is set for the 2022 World Barista Championship (WBC) in Melbourne and the grandstands are full of spectators, one piece of equipment will command attention, not only for its unique design and custom Melbourne-themed wrap, but its ability to stage the talent of the world’s best baristas. CONSISTENCY AND CUSTOMISATION Tempesta by Barista Attitude is this year’s Qualified Espresso Machine of the WBC, taking place from 27 to 30 September at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo. “I wish I was there to compete with it,” laughs Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, 2019 WBC runner-up and 2016 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. “For sure, the baristas will enjoy the stability of the temperature in the water boiler, the water flow, and its design for workflow.” But it’s not only champion…

At the heart of Australia’s coffee scene in Melbourne, ADM Packaging Automation has established itself as an industry leader for customised and flexible packaging solutions. Its full spectrum in-house service brings design concepts to life through production, installation, operation and aftermarket maintenance services. As Director at ADM, George Fakhry heads up the mechanical engineering research and development side of the business. His primary aim is to complement the rich and diverse expertise of Australia’s coffee roasting industry with reliable, high-quality equipment. “Our team has been designing and building food packaging machines and accessories for almost 30 years now,” he says. “We have a range of units that are purpose-built for different packaging requirements, from coffee and baking supplies right through to confectionary and even pet food.” After many years working…

What excites Justin Rejske the most about his role at Melitta is the fourth-generation family-owned businesses’ rich and storied history in the coffee industry, framed by a deep love for coffee preparation and strengthened by entrepreneurial mastery. “Before becoming the household name that we are recognised as today, Melitta has a humble origin story that began in 1908 at the home of Melitta Bentz in Dresden, Germany,” Justin says. Akin to the timeless sentiment of coffee lovers everywhere, Melitta was in search of the perfect cup of coffee. From her kitchen at home, she was working on developing a way to prepare her coffee that would filter the coffee grounds from the drink, while retaining the full flavour of the beans. Tinkering in her kitchen one day, Melitta reasoned that…

Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters has almost done it all. The roaster has sourced some of the world’s most exclusive coffees, helped customers change their perceptions of coffee through its SHIFT series, and even created coffees to freeze, but never did it imagine the ‘swirl’ of a cup would launch an entirely new project. “Swirl Club started off as an internal term to describe the swirling of a cup with coffee and a dash of milk to even out the colour of the coffee crema before pouring your latte art. It was definitely something we would say for fun, but it stuck,” explains Toby’s Estate’s Marketing Coordinator Vee Ketsak. “Fast forward two years when we were discussing what we could do to build a fun community and grow the Toby’s family.…

Just as coffee consumers appreciate the transparency of where their coffee comes from, dairy alternative customers are also becoming curious about the origins of the product they consume. Seeing the evolution in market demands, food manufacturer Chobani – best known for its Greek Yoghurt range – has expanded its range of dairy alternative products. In addition to a plain oat milk staple, Chobani’s Oat Milk Barista Edition is now made with 100 per cent Australian oats. “We launched this product in Australia in 2019, and we’ve been working over the last year or so to have the whole manufacturing process localised,” says John Williams, Chobani’s Manager for New Product Development. “Initially, we were importing the Canadian oat product from our United States counterparts, but we decided it was important for…

Something that Fairtrade Australia New Zealand is often asked about, especially within the world of coffee, is the difference between Fairtrade and direct trade. According to Fairtrade Executive Director, Mike Briers, being Fairtrade certified makes a significant difference to farmers’ and workers’ lives, as well as their communities. “We encourage coffee importers and roasters to have strong relationships with their coffee growers in-country and to assist them with community projects if this is the approach they want to take. However, we feel very strongly that this approach does not compare, in impact, to the Fairtrade system,” Mike says. “The structures that we have in place all work in different ways to engineer change for the people in each part of the supply chain. So, when we hear a buyer saying…

An Australia-first discovery deep below the CBD has revealed Melbourne’s famed coffee culture may be decades older than first thought. More than 500 coffee beans have been unearthed in a Pompeii-like deposit near the site of the future Town Hall Station, one of two new underground CBD stations being built as part of the Metro Tunnel Project. “Like the organic remains found at Pompeii, the beans have been carbonised, which has led to their preservation. It’s almost like the grocer locked up and left and then we get to see inside 167 years later. There’s nothing like this type of deposit in Australia,” says Excavation Director Meg Goulding. Before construction on the entrances to the underground Town Hall Station could begin, an archaeological excavation took place to recover and document…

Australians have a penchant for milk-based coffee thanks to their close proximity to dairy production and high standards of coffee production. When it comes to milk texturing, there is little room for error, and that includes fully-automatic coffee machines. “In recent years, fully-automatic machines have quickly become an alternative [option] to traditional machines, fitting into contexts where the quality of the coffee and milk foam is fundamental,” says La Cimbali Group Strategic Product Marketing Director, Luigi Morello. “Customers now aim to make a cup of coffee close to those made by experienced baristas.” To help transfer that same experience to coffee shop chains, large hotels, fast food outlets and takeaway venues where productivity and cup quality are key, is La Cimbali’s S60 with new patented technology High Quality Milk (HQM).…

Expos are a great occasion for brands to share new products, innovative technology, and the projects they’ve been tirelessly working on behind the scenes to benefit the industry. So, when the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) 2022 rolls around in September, it will be the first time many people will see Nuova Simonelli’s new-release Oscar Mood. “We’re really looking forward to presenting the Oscar Mood to the industry. Simonelli Group have really taken the Oscar Mood to the next level,” says Carly D’Agostino, Sales and Marketing Manager of Espresso Mechanics, an Australian distributor of Nuova Simonelli equipment. “This new professional coffee machine is a major step up from the original Musica and Oscar domestic machines that Nuova Simonelli first launched, and another step up from the Oscar II that was…

One thing Australian cafés are renowned for, is their friendly banter and ability to strike up a conversation with anyone. “How’s it going? What are you up to today? How’s your morning been? What’s your dog’s name? Welcome.” It was a consistent lack of human connection in the coffee arena, however, that Bluestone Lane Founder and CEO Nick Stone first noticed when he moved to the United States in 2010. “It was very much focused on fulfilment and product. The market was certainly lacking service-led premium coffee and cafés. There is no shortage of coffee options. It’s saturated but not with specialty coffee and a high display of service, and that’s what we’re really proud to showcase,” Nick says. The other thing few American coffee shops offer, Nick adds, is…

In today’s current market, hardly anything is spared from price rises: petrol, potatoes, and even a Bunnings sausage. With an “unprecedented lift” in milk prices, both on-shelf and farmgate across Australia, Riverina Fresh has also followed suit. What’s important for café owners and consumers to understand, says company CEO Rob Collier, is that the recent increase in price per litre will go straight into the hands of dairy farmers. “If we want our farmers to keep supplying high quality milk, we’ve got to pay more to ensure the sustainable future of our dairy industry,” Rob says. “It needed to happen. If we didn’t, the risk is that one day we won’t have freshly supplied local dairy, and we’ll be importing it offshore. No-one wants that.” Like most commodities that have…

According to Merlo Coffee, the world is facing an increasing demand for choice and flexibility, underpinned by the assurance of a dependable supply chain, especially one that is Australia based. Merlo National Business Development Manager Reuben Aiono says rather than seeing this market shift as a challenge, it is an opportunity that allows the roaster the freedom to focus on the two things that have gotten it this far – quality and service. “Merlo’s turnkey business solutions provide not only specialty roasted coffee, but the provision of premium equipment and accessories, and consumables such as cups, cutlery, alternative milks, sugars and syrups, chocolate powders, and more,” says Reuben. Having worked at Merlo for 14 years, Reuben’s role entails sourcing new business opportunities and showcasing the company’s turnkey business service for…

It’s here. It’s finally here. The Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), the Southern Hemisphere’s largest dedicated coffee show has finally arrived, and just like a kid in a candy store, or the night before Christmas, it’s imaginable you’re feeling all the feels: excited, nervous, anxious, but mostly excited. We get it. This is an expo event organisers have cancelled and postponed multiple times due to a little thing called COVID, and while it’s hard to comprehend, when the magical dates of 27 to 30 September roll around, this will be the first time MICE has taken place in more than three years. Everything you know and love about MICE will be there: the grand entrance sign for those first Instagrammable moments, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee throughout the huge…

Victor Vu of Ona Coffee Melbourne is the 2020 ASCA Australian Pauls Professional Latte Art Champion. I’m back. After a whirlwind few months of training and preparation for the 2022 World Latte Art Championships (WLAC) in Milan, I am happy to say I lived out my dream of competing on the world stage, and presenting my original patterns for everyone to see. I’m proud of what I accomplished and thank all my supporters and sponsors who believed in me. I gave my all in the finals round, and left everything out there on the stage. I didn’t get to hold the biggest trophy of them all, but I’m happy and proud to be fifth best in the world. I’ve received so many messages and photos of baristas attempting my designs…

The envy of Australians escaping to Europe for some summer sun has been a constant struggle to watch from the sidelines, but on home soil, things are heating up in their own way. We’re past the halfway point of the year, the National Coffee Championships are likely taking place as this magazine hits the shelves, and then it’s the big one, the World Barista Championship and Brewers Cup Championship at our very own MICE. Anticipation is high, interest from the international market is peaking, and the event is surely to be one of the industry highlights of the year, if not the past three. Underneath that layer of excitement is an industry still in recovery mode, but navigating its direction post-pandemic. It’s tough out there. We’re in an inflationary period…

Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters is the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) Southern Region Vitasoy Barista Champion for the second year in a row. Gabrel Tan of Veneziano Coffee Roasters placed runner up and Jak Michael Ryan of St Ali placed third in the competition, which took place at Kensington Town Hall on 30 June. “This routine embraced the skills and techniques behind the machine, things I do on a day-to-day basis, and I’ve experimented and refined what I do a lot,” Anthony said. His routine focused on his fascination with coffee and its ability to create a sensory experience that delivers a genuine connection between the barista and the coffee drinker. All competitors in this event used the Barista Attitude Tempesta machine, the official machine sponsor of the…

When a customer traditionally walks into a service station to pay for fuel, they’re greeted by a counter of chocolate bars, chips, and gum. But not at Urbanista Café & Convenience. Here, the first thing the customer sees at the dedicated café and convenience store, is the coffee machine and barista. “I was very conscious not to make the service station look like every other service station, and it’s the best thing I could have done,” says Eddy Nader, Managing Director of Nader Petroleum Group. Eddy’s father started working in the service station industry in 1970. Eddy joined the family tradition in 1992, and in 2015, he decided to shake things up. Seeing the growth potential for a quality coffee offering, he rebranded his BP outlets to Urbanista Café &…

One of the first partnerships Minas Hill embarked on was with the Bom Jesus farm, located in the Alta Mogiana region of Brazil. Commencing in 2013, Minas Hill Sales Manager Clara Santaera says the green bean specialty coffee buyer committed to partnering with the Brazilian farm after seeing its shared values. “It was important for us to partner with a farm such as Bom Jesus because of their social, environmental, and sustainability approach to coffee. And for Bom Jesus, it isn’t just about coffee, it’s about providing a better life and future for their employees,” Clara says. “What I really admire most about them is their initiatives to help the lives of the people who work on the farm and their children, to further their education and make sure that…

Maltra Foods, one of the largest powdered-food manufacturers in Australia, is celebrating its 25th year of manufacturing and service to the food and beverage industry this year. Greg and Anna Eydlish founded the family-run and Australian-owned business in Melbourne in 1997. Having worked at Maltra Foods since its inception, son Jack Eydlish joined the family business, first as a Sales Manager and is now co-running the company with his brother, Roman Eydlish, as joint General Manager. “We’ve learnt a great deal from our father over the years and have been very privileged to have him by our side. Roman brings operations, equipment, and engineering understanding to the table, while I’m more focused on customer service, building relationships with our partners and the marketing side of the company,” Jack says. He…

According to Compost Connect board member and BioPak CEO Gary Smith, one of the benefits of using compostable packaging materials is that they are designed with the circular economy in mind. “Companies are now looking towards plastic-free packaging solutions due to growing concerns for waste in the environment. While traditional paper cups are lined with a Polyethylene plastic lining, BioPak applies a plant-based renewable lining to its cups, which provides the same barrier so liquid doesn’t leak through,” says Gary. “This means the compostable packaging is able to live beyond the waste part of the cycle, re-entering the resource stream as nutrient-rich compost, improving our soil and allowing healthy plants to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere as they grow.” Gary says aqueous, or water-based barrier-coated cups are also becoming…

Experiencing a new city can be daunting at the best of times, let alone if you’re a barista who’s travelled halfway around the world to compete in the World Coffee Championships (WCC). For many, it’s not just the long-haul travel that can be overwhelming, it’s the Aussie lingo, jet lag, and unfamiliar territory. There’s always a fear of lost luggage and equipment, and apprehension of settling into the environment ahead of what can be the biggest and most prestigious of a barista’s career. It’s for this reason that Cafetto is relaunching its Barista Base Camp in the lead-up to the World Barista Championship, taking place at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) from 27 to 30 September. “We’re bringing it back and we can’t wait to extend a warm Aussie…

COFFEE CULTURE (THE CROSSING) 158 Cashel Street, The Crossing, Christchurch Central City, New Zealand, 8011 Open Monday to Friday 7am – 5:30pm, weekends 8am – 5pm +64 (03) 365 1771 Chris Houston started Coffee Culture 26 years ago. It operated as one little coffee shop in the sleepy seaside village of Sumner in Christchurch, with a roaster inside the café so that guests could embrace the whole coffee experience. Today, 20 uniquely designed boutique Coffee Culture shops now serve brews to New Zealand customers, springing from a passion to combine the science and art of coffee. “We are definitely about getting great coffee to our guests quickly, but that handmade touch is always special,” says Sacha Coburn, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Coffee Culture. Coffee Culture’s house roast is…