So where did it all begin?
It began where all great café stories do… in Melbourne, Australia!
My love affair with this fabulous city began at age four, when I declared to my mother while travelling along Beach Road, “This is where I am going to live when I grow up!” and as soon as I was able, I moved to my beloved city.
As it does, the travel bug really hit in my 20s and adventure beckoned. I travelled through Europe and the UK, spending a few years living and working abroad, but my heart always belonged to Melbourne.
Melbourne café culture is not only alive and well, it is arguably the envy of the world. We have taken this humble coffee bean and turned it into an artform renowned across the globe. People travel from all over the world to experience Melbourne’s café scene and unique interpretation of the magical elixir - and they are rarely disappointed.
I have spent countless hours in Melbourne laneways, mesmerised by the charm of this urban jungle, immersed in the café vibe and raising my kids with the same love and appreciation of this wondrous city.
Whether you’re seeking a loud & industrial, soft & unassuming or cutting-edge modern venue, Melbourne has a café for you. Of course, the thing that remains a constant in each of these establishments -and what has many people citing Melbourne as the coffee capital of the world- is the knowledge, passion and skill of those in the industry.
Now, I’m probably preaching to the converted when it comes to ‘my Melbourne’, however let me share with you a little known fact on the verge of giving the Melbourne scene a shake up - and that is Regional Victoria.
Those in the country are holding their own when it comes to coffee, and it is not unusual to find a café in a regional town positively humming with activity. The locals get it! They know they are on to a good thing. These little towns have cafés and baristas as passionate, skilled and dedicated to the bean as you would find anywhere in the world. They are using top notch equipment and cutting-edge techniques and delivering coffee that’s equally as exceptional as you will find in the city.
As you may have guessed, this is where our story begins. In the small country village of Stratford in beautiful Gippsland where my love of coffee and Melbourne first took a physical form. In 2017, I started a small café and store with a simple mission – to deliver good food, great coffee and fabulous company to Gippslanders.
During our four years in business, we transformed an unused building into a destination location – not just for locals, but for Melburnians and Sydneysiders as well. Conveniently located on the scenic route between the two great cities, we became a pin up for regional tourism organisations and received great acclaim for our unique take on a village café. Our point of difference? We took coffee seriously!
2021. So here we are, coffee cup in hand and ready to embark on another adventure - this time throughout the Middle East.
Where will the road lead?
