Features

Hoony Chae

NZ Latte Art Champion Hoony Chae hits new heights

New Zealand Latte Art Champion Hoony Chae relives his World Coffee Championship experience and why reality can bite. Often, the journey is as important as the destination. Especially when it takes 26 hours and four flights to get from New Zealand to Berlin for the World Coffee Championships. I talked to Hoony Chae about his experience representing NZ at the World Latte Art Championship (WLAC) in June.
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ASTCA’s leading legacies

The Australian Subtropical Coffee Growers Association salutes two trailblazers of the local coffee growing community who dedicated their lives to encouraging quality over quantity. Last year saw the passing of two stalwarts of the Australian subtropical coffee industry: Joan Dibden and John Zentveld. Each, in their own way, contributed to the establishment, development, and expansion of the coffee-growing industry in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales. We, as an industry, have benefited from the sound groundwork these modern-day pioneers put in place, and will do so for years to come.
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Ethiopia coffee

Ethiopia: The original coffee origin

Bruck Fikru of Volcafe describes the legacy of Ethiopian coffee and how new ideas are transforming traditional processes. It took a while to connect with Bruck Fikru, General Manager of our sister company, Volcafe, in Ethiopia. Political turmoil in the country led to restrictions being placed on people’s internet and social media access. Bruck says this difficulty with communication is one of several challenges being overcome by Ethiopia’s enduring coffee industry.
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Nomad Coffee Group

Inside the Nomad Coffee Group

Veneziano Coffee Roasters is just one facet of what parent company Nomad Coffee Group has to offer. CEO Craig Dickson discusses the group’s different arms and plans for growth. Veneziano Coffee Roasters is a well-known brand within the Australian coffee industry, with multiple Australian Coffee Championship titles to its name. It has a presence in every state, including roasteries in Melbourne and Brisbane, and training studios and cafés spread across the country.
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John Ryan Ting

John Ryan Ting crosses the bench

After helping establish Singapore’s specialty coffee industry on the world stage, John Ryan Ting has taken his knowledge, skills, and love of teaching to Indonesia. John Ryan Ting is one of few baristas with experience on both sides of the competition table. Before becoming a certified World Barista Championship (WBC) judge – including at the 2013 WBC in Melbourne – he had two Singapore Barista Champion titles to his name.
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Jetblack Espresso

Jetblack Espresso: Passion to professional

Jetblack Espresso is a one-stop-shop dedicated to enhancing the skills and knowledge of one of the largest growing demographics in the coffee sector – the home barista. For Jetblack Espresso Owners Charlie and Debbie Monteleone, there’s no greater reward than watching their customers have that “lightbulb moment” when they can produce a three-tulip latte as good as the café down the road. 
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coffee crisis

Coffee in crisis: Australia’s response to low coffee prices

Coffee prices are at their lowest in more than a decade. Australian industry leaders tell BeanScene how this affects their relationships with farmers, the local market, and the future of coffee. Where will the coffee industry be in 50 years? A hopeful barista might tell you that coffee will resemble wine, with their role like that of a sommelier, recommending premium coffees from a select reserve list. Another could warn you of the perils of climate change, putting 50 per cent of coffee producing land at risk. But what if we faced an industry in which producers focus solely on volume and cherries are picked by machine?
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Clark St Coffee

Clark St Coffee: Through the looking glass

Clark St Coffee has designed an open and immersive coffee experience at its Richmond roastery. Clark St Coffee Roasters operates an espresso bar on Crown Street in Richmond, Victoria that’s more coffee lab than café. The fit out, designed by architect Dion Hall, makes good use of galvanised steel, taking inspiration from the materials used in the roasting facility.
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SoCo Roasters

SoCo Roasters: A society of coffee

SoCo Roasters talks to BeanScene about connecting with origin, developing a unique blend, and building a community around coffee. At less than a century old, Zambia’s coffee producing industry is one of the youngest in the world. With its first coffee trees planted in the 1940s, local farmers are happy to share with visitors the folklore of how coffee was introduced to the country.
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ClickPOS

ClickPOS app streamlines café operations

ClickPOS has launched a new tablet application designed to simplify café operations and put valuable information in the hands of those who need it. It’s been said that knowledge is power, and in the world of point of sale (POS) software, a new iOS application from ClickPOS offers just that. The ClickPOS app acts as a gateway to connect a café’s stored information to a centralised database, where product information, sales, and purchases are accessible at baristas’ and café owners’ fingertips. 
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