Coffee Roasters to brew up a storm at Sunshine Coast Real Food Festival
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has become the first region in Australia to establish a Coffee Roasters Guild in recognition of the quality of the region’s produce.
The Sunshine Coast Coffee Roasters Guild will work collectively to establish the Sunshine Coast as the coffee capital of Queensland.
With approximately ten coffee roasters on the coast, six roasters have founded the Guild, with other roasters expected to join in the coming months. The six roasters are: Pioneer Coffee Roastery, Clandestino Coffee Roasters, Flying West Small Batch Roasters, Montville Coffee Roasters, Tim Adams Specialty Coffee and Sunshine Coast Coffee Roastery.
The Guild will make its first public appearance at next month’s Sunshine Coast Real Food Festival in Maleny on the weekend of 12 & 13 September.
The 2015 Real Food Festival will offer a Coffee Roasters’ Marquee for the first time, with visitors able to enjoy coffee from the six outlets, learn brewing tips and latte art tricks, blend their own coffee mix to take home with them, hear about the amazing coffee journey from bean to brew, and celebrate with the best baristas on the Coast as they compete in Latte Art Smackdown Competitions from 12.30pm on the Saturday and Sunday.
Founder and convenor of the Real Food Festival, Julie Shelton, welcomed the establishment of the Guild saying: “In the past visitors to the Sunshine Coast might have concentrated on finding the perfect wave, but today, getting a perfect coffee is considered just as important.
“The Sunshine Coast has always had a rich food culture, especially its dairy products. Now visitors will be able to complement the country’s best cream and milk with the best roasted beans.”
The evolution of the Sunshine Coast’s coffee scene has been quite dramatic, with a wide range of quality, specialty coffee roasters operating throughout the region, from the coast to the Hinterland villages.
“Every coffee roaster in the Sunshine Coast Coffee Roasters Guild is passionate about what they do, and by working together we can inspire both the local community and visitors to support local product and create a demand for coffee excellence on the Coast,” says Pioneer Coffee Roastery’s Jo Bennett.
“The Sunshine Coast is already a much acclaimed tourist destination, known for its beautiful beaches and breathtaking hinterland – but the outstanding quality of locally produced food and drink has been kept somewhat secret! By joining forces, the Sunshine Coast specialty coffee industry can establish itself as a coffee powerhouse to rival any coffee destination, nationally and internationally.”
Kris McDonald, from Montville Coffee Roasters, added: “Working as a Guild we have a firmer foundation to be able to grow the quality of coffee across the Sunshine Coast. As a group, we can also take advantage of green bean buying opportunities and bring coffee farmers to the Sunshine Coast to learn with us about improving quality in the entire process from the bean to the cup.”
Jasmine Newcome of Sunshine Coast Coffee Roastery said the establishment of the Guild would have widespread benefits across the community: “We want to develop the skills and knowledge of local coffee enthusiasts in their workplace. We also want to develop the skills and knowledge of local cafes and espresso bars and increase their skill level and passion for serving quality coffee. All members of the Guild have their own industry skills including bean profiling, marketing, production and barista training, and they all have a passion for producing artisan-roasted blends.”
