After just opening last December, JuJu espresso is already establishing a reputation for itself in Sydney’s specialty coffee scene.
The café is the brainchild of James Kotselas and George Anastasopoulos, who have a combined 15 years of hospitality experience.
“We were looking to create a flavour that captures the taste of different brewing methods from all around the world,” says James of their goal in starting the café.
situated in a heritage building in Sydney’s busy financial district, the café takes on a European feel. George and James have carried on with this theme, with an old-school feel to the café, along with a French-inspired menu.
Juju has Pain de Boule on offer, a type of french sandwich where the inside of a bun is removed and filled, leaving just the crust to house the sandwich. They also serve a french-style open tart.
In addition to the corporate crowd from the neighboring offices, the café also regularly attracts coffee connoisseurs who are exploring some unique brewing methods. Drawing from their experience abroad, the JuJu team discovered some unique and exciting techniques that they further developed in Australia. To make best use of these new brewing methods, they sought out advice from industry experts such as master roaster sam of Di Gabriel, whose coffee they primarily stock. They also took some tips from barista champions Matt Perger, scottie callaghan and Gwilym Davies.
“We’ve still come up with our own style,” says George about taking in all this coffee knowledge. The result has become one where syphons, pour overs and cold drips are consumed with “eyes closed and a short trip to heaven”.
More recently, JuJu has begun experimenting with specialty coffee and micro lots to deliver seasonal espresso blends using the 2010/11 Gold Medal winner of the Best espresso in Australia at the CSR Golden Bean awards.