“In times of change the learner shall inherit the earth while the learned find them selves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists” (Mary Coffer)
Does Mary Coffers statement accurately describe the current evolution in the coffee industry?
What evolution, I hear you ask?
The evolution towards café owners putting more expensive espresso machines on their bars such as La Marzocco, Synesso, Kees Van Der Westen and the Slayer.
The evolution of a growing number of young people who are interested in the Barista profession.
The evolution of cafes and café owners that are using a freshly roasted blend of specialty coffees that is sold at a higher wholesale price as apposed to a cheaper blend or an imported blend.
And the evolution of discerning consumers/customers who are willing to walk the distance, (past numerous other cafes) pay the difference and wait a little longer.
A few years ago I would have said specialty coffee will always be a niche market and cafes and consumers that fit into these 4 points of difference will always be a minority and commercial coffee as it is today (2010) will always have market dominance.
But the more I travel and as time goes by it seems the role of the barista, the understanding of what a barista is and does and the café owners/managers understanding of the barista continues to evolve.
And the more I travel and as time goes by I see the type of equipment and techniques that were once reserved for the elite and trendy inner city espresso bars are spreading all over Australia to outer suburbs of larger cities and to large and small country towns.
Recently I spent four days in Melbourne visiting some respected industry professionals and tasting lots of espresso as a part of my preparation for the upcoming World Barista Championship. I want to increase my ‘reference point’ by tasting espresso with as many respected professionals as possible. To achieve this in Melbourne I wanted to visit numerous establishments that have sprung up over the last couple of years that are getting rave reviews and I wasn’t disappointed. These establishments and the vibrant barista culture surrounding them is exciting to experience and it is happening all over the world.
When you hang out with this rustic and arty crowd of artists, musos and baristas, the discussions about coffee is not about coffee, as many once understood coffee a black bitter drink. But when this energetic crowd think and talk about coffee they think of coffee farms and green coffee processing methods, expensive flash espresso machines, exotic brewing devices, and a type of coffee that tastes more like fresh juice (after all coffee is a fruit) than the bitter black stuff that I now believe will one day be a thing of the past.
Unfortunately I did not get photos of all the establishments I visited such as the beautifully laid out Market Lane, Monk Bodhi Dharma, Crue, Padre or the now famous St Ali pioneered by Mark Dundon.
When Simon James and I arrived on Berkeley St Carlton I wasn’t surprised that the street looked like the most unlikely street anyone would put a café on.
But I guess that’s Mark Dundon for you, find a street that is the least obvious street to put a café on, make it look shit hot, employ great staff, serve up great food and coffee and the crowds will come.
So I wasn’t surprised that when we walked in the place was packed.
Seven Seeds is Mark’s latest development and it is a prime example of the gutsy pioneering establishments I am talking about and a real testament to Marks vision and creativity. He sources his green coffees from origin direct rather than through a green bean importer and distributer (the latter is how most coffee roasters source their green beans) they have a Synesso Hydra espresso machine on the bar as well as Clover (yes this is a starbucks link but unfortunately for those who don't like the fact that I put this link here the clover is an awesome brewing device) brewed coffees on offer. There is s small coffee plantation in the middle of the shop in a large square fish bowl and the room next door is where they roast their coffee.
While I was at Seven Seeds I tried the Ethiopian Yergacheffe (but I can’t remember the name of the farm) as an espresso and an amazing cup of El Salvador Geisha through the clover. And a week later I came back to cup a range of amazing coffees such as the Baloya and recent Costa crop coffees and an amazing Columbian that Mark generously put on the table for us to cup.
Proud Mary's - I love this place, on Oxford st Collingwood, I have to say is one of my all time favourite cafes. Nolan has quite simply created a space that is true to Nolan. Nolan is a super cool, down to earth friendly guy and this is what Proud Mary’s looks and feels like.
I am not sure what I love most about his shop, maybe it’s the juicy sweet siphon coffee served up in wine glasses, maybe it’s the awesome espresso, maybe its Noland’s DJ stand set up right near the espresso bar, or maybe its just Nolan himself.
One thing I realised when I was hanging out (because that’s how he makes you feel) with Nolan in Proud Mary’s was that Nolan does thing’s Nolan’s way. And the killer six group Synesso Hydra is a prime example of this.
I often hear old schooled professionals remark in a scowling kind of fashion about establishments like ‘Proud Mary’s’, they think equipment like the six group Synesso is over kill, they do not understand why someone like Nolan would go to such lengths and expense that they feel is not justified. But Nolan doesn’t care and Nolan is making it work.
Six (6) pumps, one for each group head, FYI, most that is 99% of espresso machines have just one pump for all group heads this machine has one designated pump for each group head.
Sensory Lab on Little Collins St at the entrance to David Jones is definitely one of the coolest coffee houses to open in Australia. Here you can try many different exotic single origin coffees brewed in many different ways. They have 2 espresso machines a La Marzocco Linea and a Slayer, A siphon Bar sits in the middle of the café, you can also try a pour over drip coffee or a cold Dutch style drip coffee. Here you can truly experience a cornucopia of coffee flavours.
5 years ago I would have only been able to mention 2 or 3 coffee houses in Australia doing anything like what these places are doing, today I do not think I can keep track of them all as more and more amazing specialty coffee shops are opening all the time. It makes me wonder where the coffee industry will be in another 5 years.
